Brain-based Covid Remedies

As a brain-based fall prevention specialist, I train the nervous system and the organ that determines everything in life.  The brain has two primary jobs; survival and movement.   During this Covid pandemic, our brains feel threatened because our survival is at risk.  If you're over 70 years of age with multiple chronic conditions, you're high risk and your brain is freaking out.

One way the brain keeps us alive is through prediction or the ability to predict what might happen so it can respond appropriately.  When the brain cannot predict what will happen, it is on high alert.

Brain-based Covid Remedies with Coach Kelly

Weeks and weeks of unpredictability take a toll on the brain and the result is pain, fatigue, anxiety, falls, and difficulty breathing or sleeping, poor vision and other inconviences.

The neat thing about making the brain feel safe is you don't need drugs.  There are holistic drills that activate areas of the brain that calm you down!   

Simple ways are: Nasal breathing and humming on the exhale, gargle for 30+ seconds and doing my favorite, the cheesy grin and swallow.  These brain-based covid remedies activate areas of the brain to increase immunity and decrease threat.

I specialize in applied neuro-anatomy and applied neuro-physiology.  In other words, I know anatomy of the brain and what each area needs to be healthy.   This is important if you want to life the life you want.

Education credit: Z-Health Performance Solutions

If you're interested in a brain-based approach to the prevention of falls, express your interest in my new book.  Education is power.

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Stay Engaged Brain Teasers and ABCs of Balance

Everything we do begins in the brain.  Preventing falls begins in the brain.  Knowing that, a healthy brain is essential for an independent life.  Unfortunately we are stuck in our homes and most of us are not engaging the brain as much as needed.

"The brain needs two things to be healthy; activation and fuel".  I'm sure you are intimately familiar with the "use it or lose it" principle but that applies to the entire nervous system, not just the muscles.

Here are 5 easy brain teasers that improve working memory :  Brain Teasers

Enjoy and Stay Engaged.
Kelly

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Walking Can Reduce Risk of Alzheimers

The hippocampus is a region of the brain responsible for our ability to learn and to remember.   As the incidence of Alzheimer's continues to rise, people are scrambling for ways to keep their brain sharp.  The good news is that exercise increases blood flow to the hippocampus which can help sustain new neurons.

Check out this link and the study that demonstrated that walking reduced Alzheimers by 48%.
Get out, get walking.

Stay Engaged,
Kelly
The Fall Prevention Lady



Here's the article:
 Hippocampus and Exercise for Better Memory 

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Your Tongue and Stress Relief

The brain controls everything we do; all our thoughts and actions begin in the brain.  The brain's response to stressful times, like we've been living since Covid, is a tensed, forward-flexed posture with hormones of the sympathetic nervous system running rampant.  Prolonged exposure to cortisol and adrenaline has a detrimental effect your brain, body and bodily functions.  The longer we're in this fight/flight mode, the worse effects on our nervous system.

We need to calm down however that is often easier said than done. To counterbalance the sympathetic nervous system, the parasympathetic nervous system which is our "rest and digest hormone system" needs to be consciously activated.   There are simple ways to activate areas of the brainstem that activate this calming, necessary balance in our life.

The vagus nerve is the focus for calming the brain and body down.  I wrote a blog about humming as a way to activate the vagus nerve and calm the nervous system down.  There are breathing drills to stimulate this system and here is one of my favorite ways to activate areas of the brain to calm you down.

The tongue is powerful connection to the brain.  Where you place your tongue can have a significant impact on your balance and tension level.  Swallowing activates nerves surrounding the vagus nerve and because neurons that wire together fire together,  swallowing activates the vagus nerve.

Another benefit of swallowing is the activation of the insular cortex.  This is the fifth lobe of the brain and is involved in emotional connections to physical body, aka how you 'feel' in your own body. Times of stress can leave you feeling 'disconnected' from your body, from your life.  This is when you need to activate your insular cortex.

Swallow.  Trust me.
Smiling activates the nerve next door to your balance nerve.  Smiling can improve your balance which is probably needing some activation as well.

If you want to know more about the insular cortex and the power of smiling, my book will be ready soon!

Follow along with me!  Cheesy grain and swallow.
Be safe.  Stay engaged.

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CoronaVirus Prevention Daily Routine Tip #2: Bag Breathe

Hi!
I hope everyone is doing well during this stressful time in history.  As we "Shelter in Place", I wanted to share a very helpful breathing tip to help calm you down and give your brain the nutrients it needs for healthy function.

I explain what's going on when you bag breathe in the video but in a nutshell, we need carbon dioxide for healthy blood.  The medulla monitors our blood gas balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide. When it's off balance, the kidneys are stimulated, the lungs are turned on and hormones are turned off/on to balance it out.

The take home:  You need carbon dioxide because it is a messenger molecule that takes the blood oxygen INTO the cell so the brain can use it.  Carbon dioxide gives the brain energy.

We're a bunch of shallow breathers and do too much mouth breathing.  Overoxgyenation stresses your brain and body out.  In times of stress like now, we're shallow breathing, mouth breathing and not doing enough exhaling!

Start breathing into a bag to DE-STRESS YOUR BODY AND BRAIN.  Carbon Dioxide dilates blood vessels, allowing more blood flow, especially in the brain.

Watch video to see how.   Then practice breathing into a bag 30-45 seconds, 4-5 times per day and calm down.  Exhale longer than you inhale.  Be aware.  Exhale.

The 

Nervous System 101 meets Fall Prevention

Here's an exerpt from new book, ABCs of Balance; Aging, The Brain and Coordination 

The nervous system does three things:
1.  Receive sensory input messages
2.  Interpret those messages and decide what to do
3.  Send a motor output

This continuous flow of communication is how we move through life.  The quality of the input messages directly affects the quality of the motor output.  A motor output is anything muscle-related.  Muscles get their information from nerves.  Neural impulses and hormonal responses are motor outputs.

Simply put, the better the input, the better the output.  Having your brain make decisions regularly improves the efficiency of the system.  These three steps must happen quicker than one-quarter of a second or you will fall down.

An efficiently running nervous system is the goal if you want to live life to the fullest while having a minimal risk of a falling down.  Heck, I want an efficient nervous system so I can move better through life, so my brain can function at it's highest potential and so I can feel and be the best me possible no matter what age I am.

Kelly Ward, Z-Health Practitioner  & Balance Expert

As a Z-Health Neuro-Practitioner and Nervous System Specialist, I believe maximized brain function requires active training of the brain structures; not passively thinking about life and envisioning the best me possible.  Your thoughts definitely influence brain patterns but I want to activate the entire nervous system and it's three functions.

Logically thinking, to improve nervous system communication I would think increase speed of the three functions of the nervous system; increased input message transmission speed, increased brain interpretation and decision making speeds and increased motor output speed.

To prevent a fall, training for speed only makes sense because the quicker the response, the less likely you are to lose your balance.

In order to increase reaction speeds, you need to know how to train the three components of the nervous system.  Personal trainers, strength coaches, yoga instructors and group fitness instructors teach motor output training techniques and classes.  ZHealth Brain Practitioners train the sensory inputs and the brain's interpretation and decision making skills in addition to motor outputs.

Motor output is only one part of the nervous system.  While it's important to maintain the muscles, tendons and ligaments,  if you want to reach your maximum potential, it's time to train the entire nervous system; not just one component.  It's time to start training the inputs!

1.  Input.
2.  Interpretation.
3.  Output.

That is the basis for everything we do.  The basis for how we move through life,  how we respond to environmental signals (both internal and external) and how we react to life's imbalances.   And as a nervous system specialist and Z-Health Brain Practitioner and Neuro-Performance Coach, I train the entire nervous system.

Next level training with the Brains and Balance Lady.  2020.  Neuro-Balance Training begins with the ABCs of Balance so you can understand what aging does to your body, your brain and
mostly, your balance so you don't Fall Down!

TO maximize the potential of your nervous system, supplement with collagen protein.   I recommend adding clean, grass-fed source of Collagen Protein to your diet.  Collagen is the building block for your nervous system and connective tissue.

Order your Great Lakes Collagen Protein today for the health of your nerves and nervous system.   Here's $5 off your first order: $5 Off Great Lakes Collagen Protein for Nerve Health

Why You Need Brain Training as You Age

The thing about getting older is we tend to do the same things over and over again.  We rarely do different actions, especially with our sensory systems.

The neat thing about the nervous system is the entire thing runs on the "use it or lose it" principle.  If you don't do certain actions, after years of disuse, nerves that innervate those muscles die.

The big deal about this is that those nerves run to the brain.  Not doing specific drills means areas of the brain aren't getting activated.  The brain is also a "use it or lose it" organ so after years of little-to-no use, areas of the brain begin to die, too.

That's why you need to do brain-training; 

use your brain or lose your brain and the everyday skills it does!!!!

KEY POINT:  When doing brain-based training, prepare to do some different things; things that may seem silly but you do drills that activate specific muscles, which activate specific nerves which stimulate specific areas of the brain.

Here are three reasons why your 

DOCTOR OR PHYSICAL THERAPIST isn't prescribing  these drills: 

1.  Brain training is NEUROLOGY and not every doctor or physical therapist specializes in neurology or is current on neuroscience research.
2.  Brain training that I specialize in is based on applied neuro-anatomy and neuro-physiology.  These techniques are TEN YEARS ahead of general practitioner knowledge and they require STUDY.  Ask your doctor, physical therapist or nutritionist if they've read a neurology-based research article recently.  
3.  Brain training drills work.  No prescription.  No fancy machine.  No magic pill.  These are holistic, brain-based drills that activate nerves to stimulate areas of the brain.    Unfortunately, in our society, doctors and physical therapists get paid by drug companies.  After all, a patient cured is a patient lost.  

OUR AMAZING BRAIN

During brain-based balance training, your brain has to receive the input, interprete the input and decide what to do and create an appropriate output.  This process has to happen faster than one-quarter of a second or you will fall. .

If you haven't done these drills in awhile (or ever), brain training can be fatiguing. Your brain uses up to 70% of daily calories to function, more when it's being used.  This is why it's so important for people to fuel their brain.

Fuel for the brain does not align with societal messages.  Your brain needs glucose and oxygen.  Glucose is sugar.  Sugar is not bad for you; your brain needs it.

Unfortunately, fake news has people avoiding sugar like the plague.  If you avoid sugar, your brain will get the needed glucose from your body's tissues; breaking down muscle for energy to support basic metabolic functions.

Final message:  
Wake up and smell the roses!  Your brain needs activation more than your muscles.  Why?  Your brain tells the muscles and nerves what to do.  Brain training is not only doing crossword puzzles and brain twisters; it's activating different cranial nerves and sensory systems.

Be ready to put in the work.  To do the drills.  To be responsible for your own health.

I'm on your side.  I want you to age to the best of your ability.  I want you to succeed.  I've invested in a neuroscience-based education to help you remain independent and free of falls.  If you want to learn more, contact me.

Finally, give your brain the protein it needs for healthy function!  Collagen protein is the most abundant protein in the body.  Great Lakes is clean, grass-fed source.  Zero taste, easy dissolved.  Get $5 off Great Lakes Collagen protein:  Click here

Brain Re-training for Ringing in the Ears

We all have had some type of injury or trauma to our body and soul.  A fall, a fracture, a scratch, a sprain, a concussion, a stomach virus, a verbal assault, a car accident; the list goes on.   You may forget the details but your brain doesn't.

Your brain remembers EVERYTHING.  Such as where you were looking when you fell, the details of the encounter, the fragrance of the dental assistant's hands, music in the background.  These details matter when healing.

Injured areas may be too weak to send signals to the brain that are strong enough to make change.  As a result, you  need to stack several drills together so neurons pool together in order to send super strong signals to the brain to thereby create positive change.

I am working with a lady who has lazy eye.  She also has Eustatian tube (inner ear) problems on the same side.  This is because the nerves that innervate the eye muscles and the ear tube are damaged.   As the nerves begin to die, they switch into hypersensitive mode.

In other words, a dying nerve craves attention; it doesn't want to die so it becomes hypersensitive to anything and everything.  The result?  Ringing in her ear.  Tinnitus, or ringing in the ear is a nerve problem.  For anyone who knows cranial nerves, tinnitus indicates cranial nerve #7 problem however cranial nerve 5 and 8 are also involved in tinnitus.

In her treatment plan, the focus is to activate these dying nerves.  The results have been good but they're not lasting.  The results aren't lasting because the the injured/damaged nerve is too weak to send strong enough signals to elicit long-lasting change.

This calls for "super stack" powers activated!  In other words, we put all of her high payoff drills together at once.

The result?  The ringing in her ear got lighter in sound and lower in pitch.   YAAAAAY!

The message?  The injured nerve is too weak to send messages to change the brain by itself; she has to send stronger signals to the brain from the right side of her head.  In order to do so, she has to stack several of surrounding nerve drills at once to create a signal that is strong enough to the brain and activate change.

Drills need to be done frequently and with high repetition.  This is not easy, but tinnitus can be fixed.  She was thrilled the ringing was lowered and lighter but she was discouraged at the amount of work she needs to do to fix it.

It's up to you.  If you're willing to do the work, you can fix your tinnitus.  There is no magic pill and if someone says there is, they're lying.  Neuroplasticity requires work; activate, don't medicate.

New Brain Cells. New YOU.

Neurogenesis.  Your brain produces new cells everyday.  In fact, your nervous system makes new neurons (basic cell of the nervous system) well into the ninth decade of life.   What does this mean to you?  You can change the way you move, your balance and your thoughts no matter how old or young you are.

Here's the catch; these new neurons need to be stimulated or they will die.  You have to do something to keep them alive.  The way to stimulate new neurons is to make new memories and learn new skills.

LEARN AND GROW.

What does that look like for you?

1. Get out of your comfort zone.  We are creatures of habit.  We do the same things everyday, we eat the same foods every week.   Try something new.  Go a different route to the store.  Walk a different direction around the track.  Try a new restaurant.  
2. TURN OFF THE AUTO-PILOT.  Quit going through life without being present.  People go to the gym and do the same routine with the same weights week in, week out.  They are not thinking about their breath, or their body    We are in one place physically but mentally, you're worrying about the future or dwelling on the past.  Be present.   
3. Learn new skills.  It's never too late to teach an old dog new tricks.  Learn how to move your body in ways you've never imagined.  Learn a new language.  Take an art class.  Learn how to dance.  Gain control of your body through specific joint mobility drills.

In my Brains and Balance classes, you will do all three things necessary to stimulate newly formed neurons.  An added benefit from the sensory and motor skills you will learn in class is the ability to change the way your brain is wired; improve what you already have.  This is called Neuroplasticity.   

Stay tuned for my next blog about Neuroplasticity; the science of hope and the future of fitness and key to a fulfilling, engaged life. 

Brain-based Balance Exercises Are Simple, NOT EASY

"These exercises aren't easy", "This stuff is totally different than anything I've done", "I can't believe how tired I get just by moving my eyes".....these are just a few of the comments I've heard from clients about their brain-based balance exercises.

"These exercises aren't easy".  While nodding your head may seem simple, it's not always easy if you have a balance problem.  If you have a nerve dysfunction or part of your brain needs more or less activation, doing these specific brain-activation drills can be hard!

"This stuff is totally different than anything my doctors or physical therapist have me do".   Neuroscience is the thriving, evolving science changing due to constant discoveries about the organ that runs the entire body.  New discoveries not yet published in textbooks are changing people's lives.

Your doctors and physical therapists have not read these recent studies or learned the skills because they do not specialize in functional neurology.  Mostly, our current healthcare system is an insurance-fraud scheme.  Doctors are death prevention specialists; they prevent death.  They are not in the business of curing patients because a patient cured is a patient lost.

"I can't believe how tired I get just by moving my eyes".  I hear this time and time again.  If I don't hear it, I see it.  The eyes are the #1 input to the brain and the eye muscles burn through fuel.  Following a pencil with both eyes requires specific eye muscle activation which stimulates specific areas of the brain.  When decreased areas get activated,  the results are instant.

THERE IS NO MAGIC PILL.  DO THE WORK.

Results may be instant but in order for those changes to stick, you HAVE TO PRACTICE THE DRILLS.   The science of neuroplasticity proves that the brain can and will change structure, at any age, in order to survive.  But like all things, you have to work for it.  Research studies show that you must practice 20-40 hours for neuronal change to become permanent.

I do not offer any magic pill, no paid medical treatment using a big fancy machine.  I teach holistic, brain-based drills that stimulate areas of the brain.  It's nervous system activation.



When doing brain-based training, prepare to do some different things; things that may seem silly but drills that activate specific muscles, which activate specific nerves which stimulate specific areas of the brain.

For the brain to thrive, you have to learn new skills.  You have to engage the brain.  Make these changes last.  Improve your brain, improve your balance.

INFO@THEFALLPREVENTIONLADY.COM

Brainstem training normalizes blood pressure

Everything begins in the brain and everything in your body is controlled by your brain.  Your brain is responsible for your blood pressure, your breathing rate, your anxiety, your fears, your balance, your posture, your strength, your vision.  EVERYTHING BEGINS IN THE BRAIN.

A lot of people don't understand that blood pressure is controlled by the brainstem.  If you don't activate your brain, your blood pressure can skyrocket or plummet, depending on the health of your brainstem.  Conversely, if you consistently train your brainstem, blood pressure can normalize.

The biggest mistake most people make is not measuring BOTH sides for blood pressure.  This is a huge problem when one side of the brain is less healthy than the other.  The difference between the sides is due to years of inactivity or overactivity on one side only.  This has nothing to do with right or left-handedness.

My oldest client is 93 years old.  When I first started with Cesar, his right side blood pressure was considerably higher than the left.  This is because his right cortex is underactive and needs more activation.

His training for the past 18 months has consisted of brainstem activation, cerebellum training and cortical training.  As a result, over the past month, his blood pressure readings are within 5 on the right and the left.

Not only are his blood pressure numbers fantastic (126/78 average) but they are the same.   One side of his brain and therefore his heart are not working harder than the other.  He is in fantastic health and his cognitive ability is improving everyday.  At 93 years old, this man can now throw the ball better left handed than his dominant right hand.

If you're on blood pressure medication, check both sides.  If one side is considerably lower, you may not need blood pressure medication, you might need brainstem activation.

If you want to know how to activate your brain for immediate results SPECIFIC to your needs, contact me.  No brain activation program fits all.  You need your own program.

Contact me to schedule your session.  Online consultations available.  TALK TO ME.

Folsom Seniors Show Remarkable Improvements in Strength and Flexibility

Does your low back hurt?  Do you often trip over your own toes?  Do you sit a lot during the day?
ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT FALLING?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you want to enroll in my brain-based balance and mobility fall prevention training classes.

I just finished a 4-week session of "Brains and Balance Fall Prevention Training with Coach Kelly" through the City of Folsom's Parks and Recreation Department.   I had a full class with 14 people, 2 withdrew, leaving the perfect small group training size of 12 mature adults.

This group was a combination of old and young, athletic and sedentary, but all had the goal of improving their balance through functional neurology brain activation drills and physical therapy-based balance and mobility training techniques.

Senior Fitness Test results were outstanding; six out of the eight people tested on the last day improved their lower body flexibility score three (3) or more inches!  This is remarkable improvement for everyday life.

Improved lower body flexibility translates to safer walking gait, less back pain, improved posture and better balance because you can react quicker to life's imbalances if you're not in pain and your legs are more agile.

In addition to improved lower body flexibility, this group of women improved lower body strength by an average of 3.5 chair stands.  The chair stand is a universal test to measure lower body strength among older adults.     Three more stand ups in 30 seconds translates to quicker reaction to imbalance and can save your life.

Lower body weakness is the #1 cause of falls among older adults.  This group of ladies significantly reduced their risk of a fall in only four-weeks.  They worked hard, did their homework and the test results prove the results.

Unfortunately, four people were not in attendance for the final testing.  I am certain these numbers would have been even better if they were tested.

If you want to get stronger legs, reduce back pain and learn how to active the senses involved in balance, enroll in one of my brain-based balance and mobility training classes.
Visit my website for upcoming classes:  THE FALL PREVENTION LADY

Exercise Etc Older Adult Workshop vs. Brain-Based Training

I have been a fan of Exercise Etc workshops for years.  Guy Andrews and his team do an amazing job educating trainers how to work with the older adult population.  I have learned valuable functional exercises for baby boomers and their parents.  They do a great job teaching simple exercises for the aging spine, hip, and shoulders.

If you don't know me, I've been studying the brain and how the brain works at the doctorate level for the past two years.  When you study the brain, your perspective of everything changes.  Things that present as problems in the body, begin in the brain.

I went to a local Exercise Etc workshop this weekend hoping to learn something new and to see how the standard senior fitness programming fits into the brain scheme of things.  

The instructor, Mike Diebler, is a great guy and extremely knowledgeable about movement.  He did acknowledge several things about the nervous system (aka, the brain) that I thought were interesting.  

• We agreed about the importance of identifying the cause of the movement problem.  In Z-Health, we are taught to take an extensively thorough health history.   The cause of every movement problem lies somewhere in the nervous system.  In Z-Health, we have an 8-Levels model of assessment to systematically identify the source of the problem.
• We agreed that no matter how much you try to 'workout' a problem or weakness on one-side, it will always exist.  In Z-Health, we are taught about the brain and that there are two sides.  After years of lifestyle habits, one side of the brain usually needs more activation.  In Z-Health, we systematically identify the dysfunctional side and activate it.  A person has to earn the right to train bilaterally
• We agreed about the importance of deep inhales and long, strong exhales.  The diaphragm is your breathing muscle and like any other muscle in the body, it needs to be worked in it's full range of motion.  We humans are shallow breathers and do not fully exercise our diaphragm.  The reprecussions are bent forward postures.  We need to stretch the diaphragm.

I left after the morning sessions.  It was good to go there but I didn't learn anything new.  Please do not get me wrong; I by no means, think I know it all. I do not.  I mean that the fitness industry as a whole isn't teaching anything new.  

There are only so many ways you can move your body.  The only way to change the way you move is to activate the brain.  You can stretch and strengthen your "posture" muscles all day everyday but if your brainstem isn't getting the balance of extension and flexion activation, your posture will never improve.

If however, you activate the brainstem, your posture will improve immediately.   It's brain-based. It's science.  It's neurology. 

Thank you Exercise Etc for coaching me to be a great proprioceptive trainer.  Now I'm a  brain-based practitioner who activates vision, vestibular and proprioceptive systems for optimal performance and reduced pain.  

Excruiating Hip Pain Solved With Simple Exercises

Today's client was in tears when she came limping into the gym.  She complains of excruciating left hip pain and asked if I had any 'magic tricks' that could help her.   Ninety minutes later, she was grinning ear to ear when she walked out of the gym.

Does your sciatic pain keep coming back?  Do you want to scream and cry when the pain returns?  Would you do simple movements if you knew it stop your pain?

I can help you!  I am a nervous system specialist.  Using an 8-levels model of assessment, I identify the source of the problem and give you holistic drills to reduce threat to your brain, thereby stopping the pain.  Immediately. 

What did I do for my client?  Let me tell you.  This was the first session after a vacation with her sisters.  After her flight to her destination,  the pain started.  When she flew home, the pain was tolerable until the stress of her seventy-hour work week broke her again.

The first thing we addressed was fuel supply to the brain.  She had orange juice earlier so I had her bag breathe off and on for 5 minutes.  After bag breathing,  the pain was still there so we started neuro-bio-mechanical work on the sciatic nerves. 

There are three nerves that branch off the huge sciatic nerve, so we focused on the tibial, sural and peroneal nerves.  Nerves need to move and nerves that cross multiple joints can easily get compressed or pinched.  

The one that eliminated her pain was the peroneal nerve glide but it was the slacking component that provided the best relief.   She was in disbelief.  She was so grateful.  She said, "I knew you could help me".   

After 5 minutes of nerve tensioning and slacking, we addressed her vestibular system.  

The inner ear system is critical in the perception of pain.  She had just flown and air pressure changes can immediately affect the vestibular canals.  We got her head moving, rapidly.  Since I knew which of her canals need more activation, we went aggressively after those areas. 

In addition, she did lots of spinal mobility drills, some arm circles and figure 8s, bounced up and down on the stability ball, vertical eye movements and the more head tilts and turns specific to her needs.

"My hip is wide open!  What did you do?  There's no pain", she cried and hugged me.   We did some more vestibular activation drills and she wanted to do the weight machines.  Here this lady limped into the gym in tears and was ready to lift weights 45 minutes later.   

If you're in excruciating hip and low back pain, ACTIVATE YOUR BRAIN, don't medicate your system.    If you've tried everything and NOTHING has worked, BOOK YOUR SESSION WITH ME!

I can get you out of pain and give you the tools you need to prevent the pain from returning or how to deal with the pain if it comes back.  

Invest in yourself.  
Pain is not a normal part of growing older.   There are options. 

Make Friends With The Floor

I read the greatest article in the PANC Parkinson's Disease newsletter, "The Parkinson's Path", called "Making Friends with the Floor".  As a brain-based balance and mobility specialist, I found the article absolutely spot on because as much as we try to prevent a fall, accident's happen.  

To 'make friends with the floor', author Dorothy Ross of Davis PD Support Group encouraged people to practice getting down on the floor NOW rather than wait for a fall to try to get up.  This is exactly what I have been saying in my "3-Step Get Up" workshops; practice getting down and getting up NOW, while you're able, so you know what to do after a traumatic event that lands you on the ground. 

Don't wait for a fall to practice getting up.  Make friends with the floor. Get down, roll around, do some ground-based exercises and then practice getting up.  Make this a regular routine.  If you want some floor-based exercises, contact me and I will help get you started. 

If you want to know how to practice getting up, watch the video in my blog,

"3-Step Get Up" Plan.   

47% of people who fall cannot get up without help.  Don't be a statistic.  Practice getting up now so it's not a traumatic event if you fall.  You've been there, you have a plan.  Your brain loves prediction and everything we do is to improve predictability.   

How do you improve predictability?  YOU PRACTICE A SKILL.  Getting up from the floor is a skill.  You can do it.  If you fall and have made friends with the floor, the event will not be as stressful and you will be able to function.  

Thank you Dorothy Ross for the article "Making Friends with the Floor".  I love the concept and will urge my clients and followers to do just that.  

Brains and Balance Training El Dorado Hills

El Dorado Hills is a beautiful, affluent suburb in the foothills of Sacramento and the older adults that live there are educated and know a good program when they see one.  This summer I offered several workshops to introduce brain-based balance training to this community and I just completed my first four-week Brains and Balance Training session at the Gilmore Senior Center.

Eight participants joined with high hopes of improving their balance.  After eight 90-minute sessions, each person left feeling more balanced, stronger and steadier on their feet.   One of the most consistent remarks I heard was how much steadier people feel while walking.

Pre- and Post-Senior Fitness Test scores showed huge improvements in four short weeks.  The most improved was a 71-year old woman with a chronic shoulder injury that affects her balance, stability and mobility.  She increased lower body strength by 7 chair stand ups, increased lower body flexibility by three and a half inches and was nearly two seconds faster getting up and walking eight feet.

The most improved male was a 76-year old gentleman who increased his lower body flexibility by FIVE and a half FULL INCHES and increased lower body strength by 5 chair stands in 30 seconds.   He worked hard doing his homework and applying the neuro-suggestions I give students for better performance.

Do you want to walk better?  Do you want to feel more steady on your feet?  Do you want to walk your dog with confidence?  Are you retired and ready to enjoy the next chapter of your life?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, get into a Brains and Balance Training program!

Summer's Sizzling Improvements in Woodland Brains and Balance Class

2019 has busy summer for the Fall Prevention Lady!  I've been presenting neuro-balance workshops and teaching brain-based fall prevention classes in local Sacramento communities.   I just completed a four-week Brains and Balance Training session at the Woodland Community Center and senior fitness test improvements were sizzling fantastic!

As you know, I use the only standardized fitness tests for seniors; Rikli and Jones' Senior Fitness Tests, to assess fitness components associated with falls.  Thanks to testing over one hundred seniors for my research study, I ALWAYS measure pre- and post-scores to test the efficacy of the class.  Tests provide OBJECTIVE DATA; numbers don't lie.   Students not only feel better, they SEE the numbers.

Each participant is tested in lower body flexibility, lower body strength, and dynamic balance and agility skills on the first and last day of class.  In my summer Woodland class, there was a tie for most improved.   The tie was between two women; 74 and 73 years old.  

Look at these life-changing numbers:
                                                                   73                                              74
                                                             
Lower body Strength:                 10/16     +6  stand ups               11/15             +4 stand ups
Lower body Flexibility:              0/+5       +5 inches                     -4.25/+1        +5.25 inches
Dynamic Balance & Agility:      8.4/7.3   +1.1 sec faster               6.6/5.4         +1.2 sec faster

AWESOME STUFF!!!!

Translated into normal language, both ladies significantly increased lower body strength.  They built leg muscles standing up and sitting down.  Legs are your fall prevention muscles so this is a big deal.

Both ladies increased lower body flexibility by over five (5) inches!!!  One, can reach her toes for the first time in 30 years and the other can reach five inches past her toes.  This improves their walking gait and eliminates low back pain.

Finally, both ladies can get up and walk quickly and safely around a cone that is eight feet away.  Stronger legs and flexibility in the hamstrings result in quicker movement.  This life saving skill can get a person quickly across the street when the light starts flashing.  Quicker reaction skills and ability to navigate around an object can prevent a fall.  LIFE SAVING.

The senior of the class, my dear 85 year old Audrey, increased in all three components.  She continues to increase her lower body strength, gain flexibility and quicken her reaction speed with each repeat performance.  This session she did increased lower body strength by a sizzling four (4) more stand ups and sit downs.  In FOUR WEEKS!!!

Folsom Senior Center offers Brains and Balance Training Sampler

I started teaching workshops at the Folsom Senior Center this summer.  I instantly liked vibe of the center and the awesome staff led by director Recreation Coordinator Ryan Erwin when I visited and the residents make the center even more welcoming.  They are independent older adults enjoying socialization, exercise, art, music and meals and now, my brain-based balance and mobility training classes and workshops.

Folsom Seniors GET IT!;
the importance of training the brain
for better performance!

Over twenty Folsom seniors attended my "ABCs of Balance" workshop and  several brave students practiced lifesaving skills in my "3-Step Get-UP from the floor" workshop.  Fifteen seniors signed up for three (3) sessions of brain-based balance and mobility training.  

The three-session training taught students how to activate the sensory systems of balance.  Our brain determines every movement and training the sensory inputs to the brain directly improves cognitive ability and physical performance.  

Applied neuro-anatomy and neuro-physiology instantly changes the way you move through life, your balance and stability, your vision and your pain level.   As a certified Z-health Neuro-Practitioner, this is the brain-based training I am certified to teach.  

Students moved their feet and walked barefoot.  They moved their eyes and stared at nine locations.  They moved their heads and bounced on their toes.   Their balance and posture improved instantly.  Strength and flexibility increased significantly.  Movement got better. 

Three sessions.  Life looks and feels better.  Movement is more efficient.  

Schedule your introductory workshop and 3-session training package today.  

September session!

4-week Brains and Balance Fall Prevention Training Classes

Folsom Sports Complex.  Clarksville Road Folsom.

Don't Think You Need Brain-based Balance Training?

I just finished a 4-week session of Brains and Balance Fall Prevention Training in the gated community of Springfield at Whitney Oaks in Rocklin, CA and there were some amazing improvements in this group, especially from the students who didn't think they needed "balance training".  

The biggest single improvement was a 79-year old woman who reached 10 inches further while touching her toes.  TEN INCHES.  On the first day, she was 3.5 inches from touching her toes.  In four short weeks, she reached 6.5 inches past her toes!  She also did 3 more chair stands in 30 seconds.

What is awesome about this lady is she scored well on the fitness tests and wasn't going to join  because, "it was her husband who needed the class, not me!"  Well apparently her brain needed the class and her body responded!  She was a great student and truly practiced her homework and her post-testing showed it!

The most improved overall of the class was a 75 year old woman who accidentally joined the group.  Looking for the High Intensity Aerobics class, she stayed when I showed her how to fix the nagging nerve pain in her shoulder.    There are no coincidences.

A stroke survivor, this woman increased her lower body strength by 6 stand ups in 30 seconds,  increased her lower body flexibility by 4.5 inches and got up and walked around a cone 2 full seconds faster.  All in four weeks.  And to think she wasn't looking for balance training but ended up most improved in the class!  No coincidences.

The men in the class did equally as well.

Check out my next blog for the men of Springfield's improvement numbers!

This private, aging community gets the importance of staying active in order to be able to do the things you want to do when you want to do them.   Unfortunately, most people think that lifting weights, doing yoga and burning calories in a high intensity aerobics class is the key to independence.

Here's my message to aging adults:  Everything you do begins in the brain.   Your balance, strength, flexibility, power, and agility all begin in the brain.  If you want to participate in gym activities and stay active, you might want to try training the sensory systems that your brain relies on in order to move through life.

The better the input, the better the output.  Period.

I am so grateful for the open-mindedness of the eight individuals who invested in my four-week brain-based fall prevention training classes.

Great work, team.

Balance Training Today vs When You Were a Kid

I was working with my "Boomer Power Hour" group the other day and told them it was time for some vestibular training.  The vestibular system is the inner ear balance system where the equilibrium lives and should be required in every senior fitness training class that says it trains balance.  Without proper activation of the vestibular system, balance suffers.

As he put down the resistance band, 85-year old Don asked, "What is vestibular training and where was it when I was growing up?".  I laughed too hard at this because it's true!

Don is a long-term client of mine who originally came to me with complaints of dizziness with head turns, a sensitive visual system and a fear of falling.  Throughout our training sessions, Don has learned about the vestibular system and how to activate the parts of his inner ear that need more activation.

Not a new concept in balance training, 'vestibular' training is common part of next level balance training programs and an essential foundation in brain-based training. Physical therapists are educated in the vestibular system but only work with it if there is a severe dysfunction.

A problem in the vestibular system directly affects balance because the inner ear receptors tell your brain which end is up and which direction you're going.  Without proper input signals, your brain doesn't know which signals are correct and the result is unsteady, dizzy, nauseous.   A dysfunction in the inner ear system will affect every other aspect of your life.

Similar to the other systems of the central nervous system, the vestibular system functions on a "use it or lose it" perspective.  If you don't train the inner ear balance system, you will lose it.     You can try to stand on one leg all day but if you're not training the inner ear balance system,  YOUR BALANCE WILL SUFFER.

The typical senior fitness instructor is not trained in the vestibular system.  As a Z-Health Practitioner, I am trained in the neuro-anatomy and physiology of the vestibular system.  Z-Health Performance trains the top 1% of fitness professionals and I am proud of the education I've invested in and the services I offer older adults.

The vestibular system was discovered decades ago but it's only now with advancements in functional neurology that we are learning more about how to train the canals and otoliths for better performance in daily life.

IF you've been going to the same fitness class and your balance isn't getting better or your neurologist says there's nothing they can do about your dizziness, find a Z-Health Practitioner and learn what YOUR inner ear balance system needs to correct itself.

The Fall Prevention Lady:  I offer private sessions and small group brain-based training classes.  Please contact me for more information:  info@thefallpreventionlady.com