Foot warning: if you can't feel it, your brain can’t move it!

Our feet have 33 joints and have the most proprioceptive nerve endings than most other joints.  What this means to you is that your feet need to move.  Your brain needs to be able to move your feet and feel the different kinds of sensory inputs feet are capable of providing.

Ultimately, we live our entire life in shoes.

Rarely do people go barefoot and the result is your feet can't "feel" the different kinds of sensory sensations they were made for.  As a result, your feet lose the ability to feel sensation.  Numb feet can't feel the  surface you're walking on.

As a brain practitioner or heck, as a movement professional, let me tell you that if you can't feel it, it's hard for your brain to move it.  As a result, your brain can't move your feet very well.

People who have diabetes commonly develop peripheral neuropathy, or the inability to feel the ground and other sensations on the feet.  This permanent nerve damage is exasperated by lack of movement.  The less you move a body part, the less familiar your brain becomes with that body part. 

This is because your brain has "maps" of the body.  The more clear the map, the better the movement.  Poor mapping results in poor movement.  If you want to be stable in life and prevent a fall,  it helps to feel your feet and the surfaces underneath them.

Feet are so important for balance and prevention of falls that I spend an extraordinary amount of time re-introducing people to their feet!  We do foot and ankle mobility drills in my Brains and Balance Training classes so people can 'retrain their brain' how to move their feet again.  

Here's a great foot and toe mobility drill I learned from Dr. Cobb of Z-Health Performance Solutions.  Here's the deal when doing these brain based exercises, you have permission to be really bad when you first try these.  Your feet have been in "foot coffins" your entire life.  You haven't been asked to do this type of foot movement in ......FOREVER...... so it's only natural that this can be difficult.

In fact, don't be surprised if you can 't do them.  Your brain hasn't had to move your feet in this way in a long time, if ever, so don't get frustrated.  Keep practicing and you will get better!

The science of neuroplasticity proves that your body will re-wire and change for survival.  Feeling your feet in contact with ground, and being able to move them, is part of survival.   Have fun.  

Move those feet!  Rub those feet!
Kelly

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!

Senior Fitness Tests Used to Measure Balance in Brain-based Class

Balance is difficult to define because it's different for everyone.  And because balance means different things to different people, it's hard to establish a 'standardized' measurement for balance.  For these reasons, I use the only standardized testing for seniors; Rickli and Jones' Senior Fitness Tests, to measure different components of fitness associated with balance and falls.

For the past fifteen years (15 years), I have collected data on every student on the first and last days of class to provide objective data regarding their balance.  You may not 'feel' like you improved that much in such a short period of time but numbers don't lie.  I measure lower body strength, lower body flexibility and dynamic balance and agility; three components of fitness directly related to personal safety and independence.

The results are in from the two Brains and Balance Training classes at Sun River Church and I am excited about the progress made in four short weeks.  It was interesting to note that avid walkers increased significantly in lower body strength and flexibility but not so much in speed and agility.

The legally blind student was the most improved in his class and in the top 3 improved of 17 people.  He did 3 more chair stands in 30 seconds, reached 3.5 inches further toward his toes and walked 3 full seconds faster around a cone and back to his seat!  He's 83 years old!  And he has macular degeneration!  And he's a US Veteran!

A couple who walks over three miles every morning also showed significant improvement.  The husband was most improved by doing six more chair stands in 30 seconds and reaching 4 inches further toward toes.  His wife did equally as well, increasing lower body strength by 4 and reaching 2.5 inches further.  Both are now in the upper percentile ranks among people their age and gender.

The most improved of both groups was a caregiver in her mid-70s who had taken a bad fall the day before we started class.  Over four weeks, she not only increased her confidence but nearly doubled the number of chair stands, or lower body strength!  She reached 6.5 inches further and can touch her toes for the first time in her life.

I have to mention another couple who made significant improvements in all three areas of fitness however what was better than their numbers was the improved quality of life they felt they have gained from brain-based training.

She said the class was not only life changing but gave her life back!  Diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy, she is no longer crawling through life scared of falling but now feels her feet in contact with the ground and knows how to control her body.  Her joy is radiant and all her friends are commenting on how much better she's moving and looking.

A lifelong athlete, he stands up better.  He's short-waisted, long legged and now he feels stable when standing up.  This is huge for a person who exercises daily and enjoys being active.

I absolutely love what I do; train the two things you don't want to lose as you get older; your brains and your balance.   Don't wait ten years for your trainer or doctor to tell you about exercises to activate your body so you can move, balance and see better.  Find a Z-Health trainer near you and change the way you move through life.

No One's Going To Do It For You!

My dad was tough.  Marines tough.  Brigadier General tough.  I remember playing him in tennis and he kicked my butt.  As I was rising to the top of my basketball game, he beat me.  No mercy.  It made me cry!  I don't know why but the fact that he played hard and beat me seemed unfair.  At the time.

I cried.  I was hurt.  After all, I was his daughter.  I was only visiting him since my parent's divorce and I was a good athlete.  Dad's are supposed to let their girl win.  Or at least that's what I must have thought.  But I'm here to tell you, he didn't give me any special treatment and it taught me that life isn't fair and you have to do the work if you want to benefit.   It made me a better player.  A full scholarship athlete. Thank you Dad.

You can't expect anyone to do the work for you.  In this day and age, you have to be your own advocate.  If you want better balance, you have got to put in work.  It's up to you to seek education classes and workshops that explain aging, balance and coordination as you age.  

If you have fallen down and you don't want to fall again, it's up to you find a balance class that gets you results.  IN order to get results you have to face the frustrations, make the mistakes and re-learn how to move correctly.                    

                 

As you teach your brain to move again, you will have the 'why won't you do what I'm telling you' conversation with your body parts.  Your brain can forget how to move a body part if you don't move it regularly.  Practice makes perfect and perfect practice gets results.  

You can rewire your brain for better movement, better balance and less pain.  The science of neuroplasticity proves it.  I have invested to become a brain-based movement re-educator that focuses on brain activation for better movement, balance and vision.    It works.....if you work it.  

Nothing comes easy.  Anything worth having is worth working for.  Practice makes perfect.  You've got to put in the work to get the results.  Join me in one of my brain-based fall prevention classes or sit in on one of my dynamic educational workshops.

www.thefallpreventionlady.com
www.facebook.com/thefallpreventionlady

3 sisters in Brains and Balance Training class.

I just started my October session of Brains and Balance Training in Fair Oaks at the Fair Oaks United Methodist Church.  First of all, I want to publicly acknowledge my blessings and thank the Lord for this opportunity to teach my classes at such a beautiful location.  Glory to God.

This month, I have a small, close knit group that is eager to learn how to improve their balance.  I have to say that this is one of the neatest groups I have ever trained because I am blessed to have three sisters, all over the age of 74, in this one training class!

3 Sisters.  One Love.  Movement is Life!  

Coming from a small family that is spread all over the country, it warms my heart to see these sisters support each other in this life saving training.  Each sister brings a different set of skills and different set of stability challenges but all of them are open to the benefits of  brain-based training to improve balance.


Their open-mindedness to 'brains and balance training' is because they all have seen how their younger sister Sue has flourished from this brain-based training.  Their younger sister has turned her life around with brain-based training and the older sisters are ready to give it a try.  Praise God.

Younger sister Sue is a happily married, retired school teacher who is ready to travel the world with her husband.   The only problem is she keeps falling.  She's afraid to move.  She's overweight and her knees are killing her.  She's in chronic pain and scared to walk down steps, especially the ones in her RV.  Her husband is a loving man but she can't keep relying on him to get in and out of the RV.

After attending my Brains and Balance classes, Sue could stand up without using her hands and learned techniques to reduce her knee pain.  She's living her life confidently now and she wants to spread the love to her sisters.  As a result, I have all three sisters and a family friend in this month's session.  Long-time Fair Oaks native Marvin joined us on Monday so we have quite a bunch.

We're all coming from different circumstances but we all have one thing in common:  balance that isn't what it used to be, a body that isn't doing what we want and a body that is showing years of abuse and neglect.

Each one of us is trying the best we can to make it in this life.  We all face different challenges and have different strengths.  Come together on the journey to better balance with others who want the same thing as you:  ability to live the life you have worked hard to enjoy!

Brains and Balance Class Participant with Multiple Sclerosis Improves Dynamic Balance by 4 seconds!!!

In my latest Brains and Balance Training session at the Woodland Community and Senior Center, a 78-year old class participant improved her dynamic balance and agility score by 4 seconds!  In other words, she was able to get up from a chair, walk around a cone that is eight feet away and return to her seat four seconds faster than she did on the first day of class!!!
 

This quick-on-your-feet skill can save your life if you're walking across the street and the light turns before you're all the way across the intersection.  Dynamic balance can help you get a pot of boiling water off the stove or answer the phone or front door in a hurry.   We need dynamic balance to get through life safely andbeing agile can save your life in an emergency.

Her exceptional improvement is amazing in several ways.

First, she is 78 years old!  Yay Kate!  On the first day, her scores were 12. 5 and 11.8 seconds to get up, walk eight feet around the cone and return to her chair.  On the last day of class, her scores were 8.8 and 7.8 seconds; both were consistently faster and her walking gait was stronger and more stable. It's never too late to improve your balance and mobility!!!

Second, the class is only four weeks long and Kate missed an entire week of training due to travel.  She kept doing her homework exercises while away and when she came back, she jumped right into the new material as if she was there the entire time.

I urge people to attend all eight sessions but Kate is proof that you get out of the class what you put into it; she did her homework drills as prescribed and her body was ready for more!

But the main reason her four second improvement was so awesome is because Kate has multiple sclerosis.  That's right; she has been living with multiple sclerosis since 1995.  For twenty-three years this woman has been exercising and trying to stay ahead of the disease process.  She came into class with a smile on her face and left with an even bigger smile!

When I told her the score improvement, she was thrilled and said, "I'm still improving!".  She improved her lower body strength by two chair stands and knocked four seconds off her Eight Foot Up and Go test.  Excellent job for 78 years old; OUTSTANDING performance for someone living with multiple sclerosis.

Next Brains and Balance Training session at Woodland Community and Senior Center is
August 7th-August 30th.  Tuesday and Thursdays.  1pm-2:30pm.  $125 for 8 sessions.

Neck Flexibility Improves Posture and Balance

The spinal column is the highway of the nervous system.  Billions of neural messages are transmitted along the spinal cord each second; some descend from the brain to the body while billions of other messages take the fast route upward from the body to the brain.

An aligned spine facilitates quicker transmission of messages.
A properly aligned spine doesn't cause pain when moving.

TO improve your posture, sit in lengthened spine. Lengthened spine creates space between vertebrae which enables healthy nerve movement.

We need to make sure that we keep our body joints moving in the range of motion which God created them to move.  Starting your day with this neck exercise routine will prepare you for the day ahead with a smile and better balance.

Align your spine with these brain-based neck mobility drills.
Coach Kelly

Coffee Talk with The Fall Prevention Lady

If you want to learn how to fight the affects that aging 

has on your balance and quality of life,

Mark your calendars: 

Tuesday mornings, April, 2018!  

7aPST/9aCST/10aEST

I'm proud to announce my Live Facebook show, "Coffee Talk with The Fall Prevention Lady!".

Starting April 3rd, I will be hosting a question/answer, exercise demonstration, and informal educational discussion on all things aging, balance and fall prevention!

Every Tuesday morning (7am west coast, 9am central, 10am east coast), I will be online to offer any advice or suggestions to help you improve balance and reduce the risk of a fall.

Where:  FACEBOOK.  My page, The Fall Prevention Lady.  Click here to like my page so you can be a part of the weekly coffee talk with The Fall Prevention Lady!
My Facebook page link:  Join Coffee Talk Discussions
My Facebook page address:  www.facebook.com/thefallpreventionlady

Younger faces and more men in balance classes

Over the past decade, I've been teaching FallProof™ balance and mobility classes to older adults in communities throughout the Sacramento California region.  As a certified movement re-educator and balance expert, I've seen the positive impact of multi-sensory training upon hundreds of lives and I'm proud to continue to teach 4- and 6-week sessions to adults who live at home and want to stay there through improved balance & quicker reaction speeds necessary to prevent a fall.

I've recently noticed a change in the 'average' FallProof™ class participant; 81year old females are now early to mid-70s with equal mixture of males and females.   As an established fall prevention coalition member, this demographic shift is exciting proof that "FREE" hospital outreach programs are successfully offering evidence-based programs to our "older" more frail adults.  

Most baby boomers, society's "younger" older adults, want to get a head start on retirement plans.  Due to the overwhelming number of research studies that demonstrate exercise as the number one way to remain independent and THRIVE in later years, these boomers are ready to invest time and effort into research-based programs led by qualified instructors.  As such, more people in their sixth and seventh decade, including MEN, are proactively enrolling in community-based "balance" training classes offered by qualified health and fitness independent contractors!  

I'm psyched because I've taken my "multi-sensory" masters degree to the next level with brain science.  As a certified Z-Health Practitioner, I train the nervous system and the engine running it; your brain.  Founded on research and science, Z-Health principles train the input, the interpretation and output of the nervous system.  The better the input, the better the output and the results are immediate.  No guessing if you're doing the best drill for your brain; your movement shows it!

As we age, there are two things we don't want to lose: 

1.  Your balance

2.  Your brains

My brain-based balance training class is perfect for anyone who is concerned about losing either #1 or #2, or both!  Your brain is a "use it or lose it" muscle and needs proper activation and proper fueling in order to run efficiently.  Want to learn more about how to train your brain so you can move well, balance well and see well?  

Visit my website (The Fall Prevention Lady) and enroll in one of my classes:

"Brains and Balance Z-Training with Coach Kelly"

Save your spot.  Be proactive.  Re-write the next chapter of your life.

Kelly

Post-balance training test results are in and this is amazing!

I just finished coaching a four-week FallProof™ balance training session at a local church here in Carmichael, California.  Even though we had a small group, the improvements were HUGE~

I test fitness parameters associated with fall risk both the first and last day of class to measure the effectiveness of the classes.  I do this for several reasons; one, I am a firm believer in using standardized tests to measure the effectiveness of intervention strategies.  Secondly, I am a firm believer in the FallProof™ program and have been keeping data for over eight years to show the effectiveness of the program and the methodology of instruction.

Lastly, numbers don't lie.  Balance can be a subjective feeling that is hard to measure so having pre-and post-data clearly shows the impact of participating in the class on the three fitness parameters associated with balance and falls.

Ages varied from 67 to 89. Fitness levels ranged from highly independent and active to high fall-risk.   Here are the results:

•  Dynamic Balance:  89 yo improved her speed and agility by 2.5 seconds  (+2.5 seconds)
•  Lower body strength:  67 yo increased leg strength by 5 chair stands, putting her in the 100th   percentile for women her age  (+5 stands)
• Lower body flexibility:
• 89 yo man: improved (4)four inches in (4)four weeks   (+4.1 inches)
• 81 yo woman:  increased flexibility 6.5 inches in four weeks  (+6.5 inches)

I am so proud everyone in the class.  These people "get it" and understand the importance of consistent movement to remain independent .  They also "get" the fact that balance can improve but it takes effort.  Isn't your independence and vitality worth the effort?  

Next class starting March 30th at Fit-4U Fitness Studio. 

Contact me at info@thefallpreventionlady.com

Like my Facebook page:  The Fall Prevention Lady

Visit my website:  The Fall Prevention Lady.com

STOP WIDE!!!! Don't Fall Down!

Stop WIDE.

Anyone who has participated in one of the balance and mobility training classes I instruct in the Northern California region will more than likely automatically demonstrate the "wide stance reaction" when they hear those words.  Some may smile as they remember me saying with a grin, "Put some flare into it!"

One of the crew putting some flare into her wide stop!

   Imagine you are walking along a sidewalk and something catches your eye in the window of store; you stop to look at the item as you're passing by.  Think for a minute:

• Are your feet close together?  
• Are they facing the same direction?  
• Is your weight centered over your feet? 
• Are your feet facing one direction and your shoulders in another?  

How you stop impacts your immediate balance and prepares you for anything in the near future.   The wider your feet are apart, the more stable you will be while standing still.  With your feet hip-width apart, you are stable and more likely to remain stable if a dog or little child came around the corner.

Obviously, it's easier to stop wide when you "anticipate" or see, the need to stop.  But what about those times when you have to stop suddenly?  You're Christmas shopping and you have to dodge the masses; stopping and starting along the path for your own safety!

Stop Wide is a balance and mobility training technique used to increase safety whenever you stop walking; expectantly or suddenly.  Class participants line up on one side of the room.  After I demonstrate proper walking form, I show how to "stop wide".  Some giggle as I exaggerate my wide stop but they're usually the ones who remember; feet wide!

Then it's the participant's turn; they start walking across the room, practicing proper walking form and physically responding to my verbal cues to correct form.  Suddenly, they hear a loud "STOP" command!  

Some instantly come to a stop then step feet out wide, some keep on walking.  You may suddenly hear someone say "WIDE" as they remind classmates in proper form.  Then there some who literally hang on by their toes as they regain sense of body position (where the body parts are in space; oriented to body position) and slowly place feet in proper wide stance.  

Senses awakened, they start walking again, "STOP".  Physical responses quicken as neurons start firing and people's 'stop pattern' becomes more efficient.  The message 'wide' slowly hits home and the feet go out.  As we continue to practice this STOP WIDE exercise in conjunction with other walking gait patterns, I see the vast improvements in stability, mobility, balance and coordination in each participant.  

This is one of my favorite fundamental mobility strategies taught in the FallProof™ progam and the participants love it.  If you want to learn how to stop wide, register for one of my classes!  If you do not live near me,  video coming soon! 

STOP WIDE!!!

The Fall Prevention Lady

Never too late, or TOO EARLY, to improve balance skills

When it comes to self-improvement, we always hear, "It's never too late" to improve this or that.  In the case of successful aging, it's been proven time and time again that 'It's never too late to IMPROVE YOUR BALANCE'!  

But what about too early?  Is it ever too early to begin an exercise and movement-oriented program to improve your balance and mobility?  The answer is a resounding NO; it's never too early to benefit from a multi-sensory balance training program designed to improve balance skills required in every day life!  I know because I have kept data on all class participants from every FallProof™ class that I have taught in the past eight years.

In fact, I have seen some of the most significant improvements in the three fitness components necessary to prevent falls among people in their 60s!!!  That's because Dr. Rose of the Fall Prevention Center of Excellence in Fullerton, CA designed FallProof™ classes for anyone over the age of 60 who is at high to moderate risk of a fall.

For everyone who has planned for their retirement years, congratulations.  You made it! Now that you're here, it's time to start planning for the next chapter of your life!  It's time to invest in your health and well-being for the years ahead.  And that includes long-term safety strategies to keep you in your home for as long as possible.  

In order to remain independent and doing the things you enjoy, consistent exercise and movement are absolutely necessary and it's never too early to improve your balance skills. The specialized training I offer challenges both the muscles AND senses involved in balance.  I also offer neural training to help break poor movement patterns that cause pain and result in weak muscles.    

Pain-free movement, improved balance and increased strength?  Absolutely.  Is this too good to be true? Nope.  Is it too early to start?  Heck no.  Too late to improve? Absolutely not!

Get started today!
The Fall Prevention Lady

WEBSITE

Handrails in home can prevent falls

As a fall prevention expert, I have researched factors that increase the risk of an accidental fall.   It is no surprise that most falls occur in the home because that is where older adults spend most of their time.  In my book, The Complete Guide to Fall Prevention, I discuss home modifications that can decrease the risk of falls so a person can remain independent.

PromenAid is a new handrail that is the solution to mobility problems around the house.  Easily installed anywhere you want more stability, such as going up stairs, down a long hallway, in and out of the front door.. you name it and the PromenAid can be installed.

This new product was designed to be easily installed in the home so that people can prevent falls and remain independent.   This aluminum handrail is lightweight but sturdy.  Each easy to install bracket supports over 500 pounds of pressure. 

Check out this amazing product at the website:  http://www.promenaid.com
Light, easy.  The solution to mobility problems in the home.

Remain independent with the help of PromenAid.

The Fall Prevention Lady

Mobility 101: "We're walking so much better....."

Balance and mobility:  keeping yourself upright and walking. 
Improved balance and mobility:  enjoying your life without constant fear of falling.

I love teaching (FallProof™) balance and mobility classes in the community.  In my last 6-week training session at Parkside Community Church, I worked with a couple who are both 83 years old and who have been married over 60 years.  They love each other, their family, and their lives.  They took my class because he has a history of falls.  A friend strongly recommended my class to them.

After 12 sessions, his posture improved dramatically and they both improved in all three fitness tests related to fall risk.  Tonight I got a call from them and they wanted to thank me again for my class.  This type of telephone call just makes my day.  Mr. H went on to tell me that my class had changed their lives and that they both were walking so much better.

He was proud to report that they were still doing the exercises that I recommend and that they couldn't wait until the next training session when they'll be in town.  This couple gets it!  They took the tools I gave them and used them to improve their balance. 

It's like I told them on the first day of class, '...the best years of your life are still ahead of you.  Learn how to improve your balance and mobility today to prevent falls and remain independent tomorrow.'

He said he had tons of friends and they all need to take my class!  He also wanted to know if it was alright if he gave them my information. Alright?  Spread the word, my friend. 

My new book, "The Complete Guide to Fall Prevention" will cover everything you need to know to improve your balance and mobility today in order to remain independent tomorrow.....

The Fall Prevention Lady,
Kelly Ward

Right action follows right thinking

"You have to believe it to see it". "You become what you are thinking". "You will not change your behavior until you change your thoughts". As a fall prevention educator and balance and mobility specialist, I believe this to be especially true of older adults and fall prevention. For instance, a person must believe that consistently participating in a well-rounded exercise program WILL reduce the risk of an accidental fall and they also must believe that regardless of current age or physical challenges, they are able to do the exercises.

I have worked with older clients who were true skeptics and said things such as "I don't believe that doing these silly exercises will prevent me from falling" or "I'm old, I'm going to fall" or "I'm too old to improve or change". I love this type of participant because it's great when they learn otherwise!

In fact, fall prevention research and personal training experience has demonstrated that older adults CAN reduce the risk of an accidental fall by following a consistent exercise program and progressively challenging her/his balance skills.

It's never too late to improve your balance skills. You are never too old to benefit from consistent strengthening and stretching activities. Your body WILL adapt to the new demands of flexibility, strengthening, balance and endurance training, not to mention increase reaction times.

But first, you must also know that it is impossible to get from wrong behaviors to right behaviors without first changing your thoughts.

• Believe that participating in consistent exercise does reduce fall risk
  
• Believe that you are able to do the exercises
  
• Believe your body will adapt to new demands
• Believe in YOU

Change your way of thinking and you can change your life. Just believe then Just Do It.

82 year old man regains balance and prevents a fall while on vacation

Due to the nature of the training I provide, classes are limited to 12 participants. These small group settings offer increased socialization, observational learning, and personalized instruction. Like most senior classes, most of my participants are women but the number of men attending my class is increasing. This could be due to more wives insisting their husbands do something to remain independent and stay safe.

There are two couples in my class at Elk Grove Methodist. I love seeing two people who have stayed together in spite of life's challenges and can still laugh at each other. One couple missed a class due to a mini-vacation to Turtle Bay. They came up to me after today's class to tell me how Mr. M, an 82 year-old man, had prevented a fall while on vacation due to the training strategy we had practiced last week.

Mrs. M explained that while they were walking, Mr. M didn't see the ledge drop down. Rather than fall forward like he would have done (and has done before), Mr. M practiced the EXACT movement I taught them in class and he was able to regain his balance and prevent a fall! He looked at me, nodded, and said that he would have scraped his hands, broken his wrist or fallen on his face if he didn't practice regaining his balance like we had practiced. He smiled and said he didn't think about it but he did it and it worked!

What did he do? He regained his balance due to postural strategies taught in class. My suggestion is to get enrolled in a community-based FallProof™ balance and mobility class taught by a certified, qualified specialist who is trained in evidence-based techniques. These training techniques will SAFELY push you out of your comfort zone and keep you on your feet. My fall prevention exercises will help keep you independent.

The Fall Prevention Lady

Prior faller uses step strategy and prevents another fall

A student in my advanced FallProof™ balance and mobility class shared the one of the greatest success stories in class and I had to share it with you.....On Friday, Joyce explained how she used the step strategy that we have been practicing in class to regain her balance and saved herself from a fall! She grinned ear to ear as she recalled side stepping to recover her balance and said that she would have fallen if she had not learned the step strategy and even though her right leg is weaker, she stepped out in a timely manner and was able to regain her balance. YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY Joyce!

This highly educated woman is in her mid-70s, lives alone in the community and is concerned about falling. She's concerned for good reason....she tripped and fell last summer, fracturing her pelvis. Determined to regain her strength, she excelled in physical therapy. After a speedy recovery, she wanted to improve her balance skills and gain self-confidence. Having attended two of my fall prevention workshops, she was familiar with the FallProof™ balance and mobility techniques and she immediately registered for the 4-week beginner class. She continued on with the twice a week training at the intermediate level and is now in the advanced FallProof™ class that I teach!

Research indicates that a person who falls is 3 times more likely to fall again however this lady took an active role in her recovery and was determined to sharpen her balance skills, build strength and improve flexibility in order to prevent another fall. I am so proud of her for coming to class each week, pushing herself out of her comfort zone by practicing "scary" moves in a safe manner and mostly, for sticking with it!

FallProof™ works. The balance and mobility training techniques are evidence-based and can prevent a fall when practiced consistently. Take responsibility for your well-being! Find a certified FallProof™ instructor and start training your balance systems. If there is not a specialist near you, start with the basics by doing seated exercises to strengthen your body and follow gentle stretching routines designed to improve range of motion. Order my Take 5 to Exercise DVDs to get started today.

Once again....YAY JOYCE!