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

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