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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Improve Your Walking Gait So You Don't Fall Down

Put your best foot forward in 2018!  Be one step ahead of the game; step up to the next level; keep on keeping on.   The new you, progress, growth; it all begins with the first step.  But which step is the hardest?  The first step. 

As an experienced balance and movement specialist, I teach people how to move; how to take that first step.  What is fascinating to me is how the forces transmitted from the ground move through the human body and affect how we move.  These forces pulse through the foot with each step and follow an integrated pathway through the body. 

HUH?  Ground forces?  Has she finally lost her mind?  No I haven't!!!!  It's a scientific fact that the ground, a solid structure, exerts forces when landed upon and these forces travel UPWARD through the body with each step.

Foot to ground.  The power of the force on the foot is directly related to your weight.  With each strike of the heel, forces two to three times your body weight  travel through the foot structures to the toes as you push off to take another step. 

This is the reason why the more you weigh, the greater the forces on your body with each step.

Don't Fall Down; Fall Prevention 101 by Kelly Ward

The pathway of ground forces from the heel upward through the body is:

• From the heel forces run up the outer side of the lower leg
• Outside the knee
• Up the outer portion of the thigh 
• Through the hip socket
• Up and around the backside of the pelvis   
• Cross at the SI joint (Sacroilliac=where the low back and hip meet)
• Up the other side of the spine
• Down the arm OR Up the jaw

If you want to put your best foot forward, take care of your feet!  Engage in regular toe and ankle exercises for the joints.  Use a lacrosse ball on the bottom of your foot to maintain smooth, efficient force transmission. 

If you don't do lower body flexibility and strengthening exercises, your walking gait will be affected.  This not only limits the fun activities you will be able to do but also increases the risk of a fatal trip and fall.

Maintain the foot so you can put the best foot forward.

I can tie my own shoes now!!!

While the face of participants in my FallProof™ balance & mobility classes is getting younger, I still have the honor of coaching a few people over the age of 80.  In the April session at Fit4-U, I had both the 83-year old mom and her 56-year old daughter in class.  This was quite a combination and both did exceptionally well.  In fact, the oldest member of the class was also the most improved!

Barbara came to the Fall Prevention 101 workshop I presented at the local Church of Latter Day Saints and she was told me she eager to get started on the homework exercises since her balance was 'horrible'.  She was the first person in the door on the first day of balance training and she proudly stated that she had been doing her homework every night!

She came to class using a walker and said she only used it once in awhile and mostly because her daughter was so worried about her balance.  I assured her it was ok to use it when necessary and smiled as I said, 'you won't be needing that when I'm done with you!'.

By the fourth class, Barbara had switched from bringing her walker with her to carrying a cane.  She didn't use either in class but carried them 'just in case'.  The improvement in her walking gait became evident to everyone by the fifth class; she was standing taller, no longer looked at the floor and her walking stride was longer and stronger.

On the first day of class, she refused to do the sit and reach assessment because her back and legs were so stiff, it hurt for her to bend forward toward her toes.  I showed her a modified way to do that exercise and on the last day, she not only did the assessment but also scored in the 37th percentile for women her age in lower body flexibility!!!

At the last class, she was so excited about everyone's kind responses to her noticeable posture and walking gait improvements.  She was in tears as she recollected how she couldn't touch her toes or put on her own shoes before participating in this class.  She smiled ear to ear as she talked about how surprised her daughter in Arizona will be with her improvement when she visits next month.

A wise, vibrant woman, Barbara gets the connection between staying active and being independent.  She can't wait to repeat the beginner class in June and I can't wait to see her again, too!

Movement is life.  Start living.
The Fall Prevention Lady

Preparing for the most challenging decade of your life!

During the first Fall Prevention 101 workshop of the year at Lutheran Good Shepherd Church in Sacramento, I was explaining the phenomena known as 'sarcopenia'; the natural loss of muscle mass exasperated with inactivity and age.  That "Sarcopenia" starts when we are in our thirties, increases significantly during our sixties and by the time we reach the eighties, we can lose as much as fifty percent of muscle mass in the ten years ahead.

As I explained, one gentleman at the front table corrected me when I said, "...by the time we reach the eighth decade of life, referring to the eighties (80-89),   a person can lose as much as 50% muscle mass just living life.  He pointed out that the eighties are the ninth decade of life and not the eighth!!!  We all laughed as I continued.  I truly appreciated this correction and have made a mental note to myself which I will never forget.

I want you to never forget the term, "USE IT OR LOSE IT".  According to the law of evolution, we naturally lose muscle mass as part of the aging process.  Choosing to live a sedentary lifestyle (aka, not building strength with regular resistance training) quickens muscle loss.   Think about it for a second; a two-week hospital stay when you're in your thirties isn't going to cause nearly as much weakness and muscle loss as when you're in your eighties, or as I now know, the ninth decade of life!!!!

The eighties or ninth decade of life is the most critical for building strength and being proactive about your health and wellness.  The reason?  I believe this is true due to the long-term consequences of years and years of unhealthy lifestyle choices.  The cumulation of choices (i.e., not being active, eating junk food, and sitting on the couch) take a tremendous toll on the body and physcial impact is evident in poor movement patterns.  The result; imbalance, weakness, stiffness and increased risk of falls.

Can sarcopenia be reversed?  Can it be delayed?  There are studies that show that yes, sarcopenia can be slowed down by engaging in a consistent exercise routine and nutritional support designed to increase strength, improve flexibility, challenge balance and exercise postural muscles.  The human body was made to be in motion; movement is life.

Let's keep it moving~

The Fall Prevention Lady
"Movement Re-Educator
www.thefallpreventionlady.com

Fall Prevention Muscles

Getting old ain't easy; our bodies are changing, our minds are wandering and our world is shrinking.  Unbeknownst to many, as these changes associated with aging take place over time, the risk of falling increases in direct proportion to the changes one experiences.

It may be one close call that shocks you back into you reality or it may be a fall that opens your eyes to the increased vulnerability of getting older.   Although falls are associated with getting older, they are not a normal part of the aging process; the risk CAN BE reduced.  The first step to remaining independent is to learn how the process of getting older affects one's balance system and the ability to react timely and appropriately.

We've all heard the old adage; "Use it or Lose it" and honestly that is the most true, most appropriate advice to keep in mind as our body clocks keep ticking and the years start adding up.  The "Use it or Lose it"principle applies to every facet of fitness; strength, balance, flexibility, endurance as well as  our brain, including memory and cognitive function.  If you do not practice skills and challenge yourself, your body and mind forget how to react.  In other words, what used to be "INSTINCTUAL" is forgotten; and the body/brain forget how to react timely and appropriately.

Relating to balance, the number one way to improve balance is to increase lower body strength.   The quadriceps or front thigh muscles are our "fall prevention" muscles.  With strong legs, a person is better able to walk, remain balanced and react to imbalances quickly which is why our leg muscles are called our "fall prevention muscles".  Therefore, it is essential that older adults engage in consistent lower body strengthening exercises.

This can be a daunting task for anyone who has trouble standing up, so all I'm asking you to do is stand up and sit back down.  Some people need to use their hands to get up and that's ok.  Just do this movement.  Some people have 'bad knees' and standing and sitting hurts their knees.  IF that is the case, I have two suggestions:

1.  Protect your knees:  Proper form leads to proper function.  If you're sitting down 'incorrectly', you may be placing an extreme amount of pressure on your knees which increases the pain.  My suggestion to you is envision the worst port-a-potty you have ever been in; the one that you're afraid to touch the seat.  As you sit down in your chair, LEAD WITH YOUR HIPS, not wanting to sit but to direct your buttocks over the seat.  As you reach back with your hips, your weight will shift to your heels and you will sit down slowly, leading with your hips, sensing that your buttocks is going past your heels.  
2. Use a HIGHER seat:    Some chairs (and toilets) are higher than others and we've all learned that the higher the seat, the easier it is to get up.  I want you to stand up and sit down for a personalized number of times every day, so if you experience pain while doing this exercise from a chair, put a pad on the chair or do this exercise from the side of your bed if it's higher than the chair so you can successfully do this exercise in the PAIN-FREE zone.    Listen, a partial sit to stand is better than none at all.  Find the seat height that works for you and do your sit to stands there, everyday.  

Instead of coming up with excuses, let's find solutions so you can do these exercises specifically designed to improve your balance and keep you on your feet, in your home, thriving in the life you have worked so hard to enjoy.

You are not alone; you are not the only person who feels that their 'balance isn't what it used to be'.  I am a balance specialist and fall prevention expert who has been working older adults of all ability levels, sizes, shapes, colors, culture and beliefs.  I am here for you.
Practical.  Applicable.  Realistic.   Exercises to Improve your Balance.
Educate.  Demonstrate.  Facilitate.  Research-based tools to use at home, at your convenience.