Today I taught eleven older adults at the Woodland Community Center the skills they need to get up from the floor in my "3-Step Get Up" workshop. I firmly believe that it's best to have a plan, one that you have practiced so if a traumatic event happens, you have a plan and feel confident doing it.
This group of older adults was excited about learning and did not hesitate to practice strength and flexibility exercises and get down on the floor so they could practice getting up again.
The first step after a fall is to breathe. Your brain needs oxygen now more than ever. Focus on your body, breathe, relax. A fall is a traumatic event. We practiced breathing patterns and giving the brain what it needs for healthy function.
I demonstrated several ways to get up. It's important to see how to get up, to visualize yourself getting up, without injury, before doing it. What's more important is to practice while you're able; before a traumatic event.
Even though I specialize in teaching people how to NOT fall down, accidents happen. I developed this workshop to teach older adults the skills they need to get up after a fall. This is a lifesaving skill that everyone over the age of 60 needs to learn and practice now, before a fall.
