Nervous System Rule #2 for Better Balance and Prevention of Falls

The better the input, the better the output.

This is the language of the nervous system and I explain how to put the words together in my new book, "ABCs of Balance: Aging, Brains and Coordination.  A brain-based approach to the prevention of falls".

Education is Power:  
ABCs of Balance Book now available

The nervous system has three functions; input, interpretation and output.  Balance is an output.  If you want better balance, it's only logical that you need to train the inputs.  You cannot jump straight to the end product without addressing the first two steps.

Dr. Rose of FallProof™ introduced me to three sensory inputs and how to train them for improved balance and mobility.  She offered basic vision, vestibular and proprioceptive approaches to reduce falls.  Dr. Cobb of Z-Health taught me how to train these three systems from the brain's perspective and the results are life changing.

The better the visual inputs the better one's balance.  The better the vestibular inputs, the better the one's balance.  The better the sensory receptor input, the better one's balance will be.  Unfortunately, traditional fall prevention programs only focus on outputs. 

If you want better balance, you have to train the vision, vestibular and proprioceptive inputs and the brain's interpretation of them. 

I explain all of this in my new book, "ABC's of Balance: Aging, Brains and Coordination".  If you want to know why your balance is getting worse as you age and what you can do about it, this is a must read.  Everything begins in the brain.  Brain training is the future of fitness.  

Education is power.  Order your copy today. 

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

Get Stronger, More Flexible Legs in Four Weeks!

I just finished my first four-week brain-based balance training session of 2020 at the Andy Morin Sports Complex in Folsom, CA.   A class of eight older adults were eager to train the two things they don't want to lose; their brains and their balance and the most consistent improvements were stronger, more flexible legs.

The pre/post senior fitness tests showed remarkable improvements; life changing results.  Recall that I use the only standardized senior fitness tests to measure lower body strength, lower body flexibility and dynamic balance and agility on the first and last day of class.  

Legs are your fall prevention muscles; strong legs keep you upright and independent.  Having flexibility in lower body helps you walk safer by picking up your feet without tripping and increased lower body flexibility is directly related to reduced low back pain.

The most improved student was a 70- year old woman.  She increased lower body strength by (9) NINE chair stands, in 30 seconds!  She reached 3.5 inches further when reaching toward her toes and walked one and half seconds faster in the 8' Up and Go test.

Amazing.  These are life changing improvements.  She has stronger, more flexible legs and moves quicker on her feet.  This woman had vision problems that were trained over the four weeks and she now has skills to continue training her vision at home.

Perhaps the greatest improvement was an 82-year old woman who could not stand up without using
her hands on the first day.  On the last day, she did NINE (9) chair stands without using her hands.  This is a huge improvement when it comes to safety, and dignity!  She also improved lower body flexibility by (3) three full inches.  This is huge when it comes to low back pain and fall risk.

One participant who has more physical aliments than others improved her dynamic balance and agility (how quickly she got up and walked around a cone) by (4) FOUR full seconds.  Walking quicker with a steadier gait is a huge improvement that can save a person's life.  This woman has vestibular issues that require one-on-one training but we were able to find several high payoff drills that significantly improved her balance.  Instantly.

I have to note that this is small group training and individual needs cannot be addressed in a class setting.  Due to the nature of brain-training, individualized assessment and testing is required and strongly recommended.   I offer private sessions at a substantially reduced rate to all class participants.

The final significant improvement I'd like to mention is a 77-year old woman who increased lower body strength by (3) three chair stands and lower body flexibility by (3) three inches.  Again, stronger more flexible legs significantly reduce fall risk.

Enroll in Brains and Balance Fall Prevention Training to improve leg strength, reduce lower body stiffness and improve walking gait thereby increase personal safety.

Movement is life.  It's time to start living!

Don't just get your vision checked, train your vision!!!!

Every Tuesday I get a highlight of articles published nationwide about fall prevention, senior balance and mobility and senior exercises.  Week after week, I read the same messages; "fall-proof" your home environment, watch your medications, exercise, and get your vision and hearing checked.

I totally agree with these suggestions however, things need to change.  As science unveils more about the brain and balance, professionals need to update the message to older adults about falls and prevention of falls.

The number one fall prevention message to older adults should be train your vision.  Don't just get your vision checked and be told by some doctor who hasn't read a neuroscience article in the past ten years that 'you're getting old",  "your vision is going to get worse and there's nothing you can do about it", or "you cannot improve your vision".  FALSE.  This is FALSE information!

Vision is a skill and like all skills, it can improve with practice.  Yes, there are diseases of the eyes (macular degeneration, glaucoma and cataracts) that will cause loss of sight but get those eyes moving; especially if you have one of those diseases.

I'm not a doctor, I'm not an optmologist but I am a nervous system specialist, a brain exercise therapist.  Each eye has six muscles.  Those muscles are innervated by three cranial nerves that go directly into the brainstem.

If you want to activate your brain and have an immediate and profound effect on your life, move those eyes.  Learn how to train the four components of vision and your vision will get better.  Your thinking will get sharper.  Your balance will improve tenfold.

Vision is the #1 input to the brain.  Training your eyes is the quickest way to improve your brain health.  So in those same messages to older adults, I want to add, Don't just get your vision checked, TRAIN YOUR VISION and watch your life change.

In honor of the new year and the new decade, 

I'm offering a "Starter Pack" special;

90-minute consultation + (4) sixty-minute sessions for $525

Book today:  info@thefallpreventionlady.com

Change the way you see, change the way you move, change the way you feel.  Get those eyes moving.

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

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!

How Posture Training Can Directly Improve Your Balance

I meet a lot of people who are concerned about their posture  What's fascinating is "Posture is a primitive reflex"; the primary primitive reflex needed to move through life.  Without a stable posture, we cannot move safely through life and movement suffers.

When it comes to balance, posture is directly involved.  If you're bent over looking at the floor, stooped down closer to the floor, constantly staring at the floor, you're going to end up on the floor.

There's hope!  Postural weakness can be changed, at any age.  Once a qualified trainer addresses visual problems, muscle deficiencies and inner ear dysfunction, posture will change.  Knowing where to look and how to carry yourself is the fist step to better balance.

ALERT**** Neuroscience proves that it's never too late to improve your posture and the way you move through life.  Your brain is hard-wired for survival and once your brain 'feels' safe, your posture, balance and movement will improve****

 Z-Health Practitioners are trained to identify the body systems rendered dysfunctional and activate them to be functional.   Training the vision, vestibular and proprioceptive systems has immediate results but it's up to you to do the drills to make the changes permanent.

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

Do You Want Your Life Back???

I'm finishing up two amazing Brains and Balance classes at Sun River church in Rancho Cordova and my students are thrilled with the results.  This awesome lady explains how the class changed her life but is giving her life back!

"This class is not just LIFE CHANGING, 

it's giving me LIFE BACK!

She's been living with neuropathy for over 10 years.  She went to multiple neurologists and physical therapists who told her there was nothing they could do for her.  Discouraged,  she stopped doing the things she loved.

Through sensory activation, she's gained control of her body and is hopeful about her future.  She still has peripheral neuropathy but she feels stable and is more aware of her body and knows how to move it.

Do you want your life back?  Do you want to do the things you love again?  If so, join me in one of my Brains and Balance Training classes.  Lots of classes scheduled for spring and summer.
If you can't make classes, I can come to you for private sessions.   And thanks to technology, we can even do some training online!

Your brain controls everything, learn how to active different parts of your brain for better movement. After all, movement is life and it's time to start living.

It's not just ONE exercise that improved my balance

No one likes to admit they need help.  I've found that some older adults are hesitant to join "fall prevention" programs because if they did, they would be admitting weakness. Women are by far more likely to join balance training classes and thanks to their loving wives, more men are joining my classes.

One gentleman whose wife had to coax him to join the class, did amazingly well. His posture improved and his walking gait was steadier.  During the last week of class he admitted that his balance was better but he didn't know what exercise made the difference.  He said, "I think it was the cumulative effect of all the drills that improved my balance".

And he's right; a healthy brain needs activation. Because everyone is different and no two brains are the same, the types and amounts of stimulus will vary from person to person.  The key to great movement, better balance, improved vision, quicker reaction speeds and better posture is finding the type and right amount of activation YOUR brain needs.

That's what we do in my four-week Brains and Balance Training classes; systematically activate the different areas of the brain.  The brain has different parts that do different things.  Because neurons that lie together fire together, activating one area of the brain stimulates other areas.

How do you know what drills make you better?  You assess and reassess.  In the fitness world, "You're guessing if you're not assessing" is a golden rule among top-notch trainers.  Seriously, why would you want to do a drill or exercise that makes your body movement worse?  You don't.  That's why you need to assess and reassess to see how your body (and brain) are responding to exercises.

In Brains and Balance Training, I give adults tools for their "balance and fall prevention" toolbox in order to live a better life.  Different brains, different options.  Discover what areas of your brain need stimulation and enjoy the benefits of healthy functioning brain.

Why Your Eye Doctor Doesn’t Give You Vision Training Drills

We are a vision-dependent society.  In other words, we heavily rely on input from our eyes to help us navigate through life.  This is because vision is the number one input to the brain.  Our brain relies on visual information to decide how to move and where to go.

Each eye sends over 1.2 billion bits of information per second to the brain.  That is an enormous amount of information per second, per eye, flooding the brain.  The brain has to decide which information is accurate in order to act quickly and appropriately.    Appropriately means safe.

Each eye has 6 muscles!

What's interesting is that vision is brain-wide event; it's not just the transmission of information on the optic nerve.  Vision includes the occipital, temporal, parietal and frontal lobes and there are four components of vision necessary for good "vision".

As Z-Health Neuro-Performance Specialist, I implement brain-based drills to train the four
components of vision.  What's awesome is that every brain is different and therefore, each brain needs different types of activation.  Through assessment and reassessment practices, you learn the types of vision drills your brain craves and responds well to.

What's fascinating is that vision is a skill and like all other skills, it will improve with practice however you must train all four components regularly if you want to improve your vision.  

Clients are blown away with instant results and often ask, "Why isn't my doctor telling me how to do this?

One simple answer:  the applied neurology training techniques I use are cutting edge, neuroscience-researched practices based on the science of neuroplasticity.  Neuropolasticity is the science of hope.  Medical doctors can't give you hope or they'll get sued if it doesn't work.

Eye doctors sell glasses, eye surgeries and medications.    Physical therapists sell costly treatments covered by insurance and are driving up the cost of Medicare for conventional approaches to movement.  

The medical community, doctors and physical therapists included, are going to have to go back to school to learn the applied functional neurology training techniques that I am teaching because more and more evidence proves new things about the brain and nervous system

Brain-based training is the future of fitness.  If you want to move better and see better, you have to train the systems involved, from the brain's perspective.   Find a trained neuro-performance specialist (Z-Health Trainers) and learn how to activate parts of your brain that need activation.

If you've tried everything and nothing has worked, it's time to try something different!!!!
Train your eyes for better vision.  Train your brain with better visual input.

Get those eyes moving!

Are you training the two types of movement needed to prevent falls?

There are two types of movement; reflexive and voluntary.  Reflexes are subconscious, instinctual reactions that occur quickly.  We learn these instincts as children and unfortunately, we may never train them again.  Remember that entire nervous system runs on the Use it or Lose it principle.

Voluntary movement is conscious, intentional movement.  This involves the frontal lobe and you decide how big a step to take, how wide, and in what direction.  We obviously train voluntary movements like squats everytime you stand up and sit down.  A conscious choice is to get up and move because if you know that if don't use those muscles, you know you will lose those muscles.

In my Brains and Balance Training classes, I train both reflexive and voluntary movement.  We go back to the basics and learn when you need to react and then teach you how to react.  I teach you how to train both your reflexes and your voluntary movement.

A Del Webb class participant reported that she used the reflexive training technique when walking through the parking lot and it saved her life.  We all know those cement parking stops.  Well she didn't see it because it was dark and she was looking somewhere else when she accidentally tripped over the parking stop.  Automatically, she started taking as many steps as necessary to regain her balance...just like we practice in class!

Hallejulah!  A fall prevented because of reflexive movement!  She didn't think about how to react, it just happened.  Train those instincts and your brain will automatically fire when needed.

As a certified Z-Health Brain Practitioner and Balance Specialist, I re-train people's instincts and voluntary movement.  I train the nervous system so you know when you're falling and then how to react.
Practice.  Practice.  Practice.

Enroll in my Brains and Balance Training class and train the two types of movement needed for independent life; reflexive and voluntary movement patterns.

Website:  www.thefallpreventionlady.com

If You Stare at the Floor, You'll End Up on the Floor

    Our posture is 90% habitual.  Basically we walk through life on auto-pilot; unaware of our surroundings, not thinking about each carefully planned step or the balance skills and total body integration required to remain upright.

We take our balance for granted.  We take effortless movement for granted.  We take our brain's ability to receive billions of messages each second, understand and analyze that data and send a message to the rest of the body at just the right time, at just the right strength, and with just the right coordination for granted.   In actuality, movement is amazing.

Because most of our movement through life is habitual and because your body gets good at whatever it does, exactly how it does it, our posture is the result of our daily habits.  Vision and vestibular inputs have a tremendous impact on how your carry your head because all the brain wants is a horizontal horizon.

There was a very tall gentleman in my Brains and Balance Training class at Fair Oaks United Methodist Church.  He is a retired pharmacist.  Those two factors have resulted in very poor posture; hunched over shoulders, jutted out chin, head tilt forward, hips tucked forward, inches of his Thoracic spine are bend forward in kyphosis.

This typical forward head carriage is due to muscle imbalances caused by downward vision staring at the floor due to his fear of falling.  After eight sessions, things are looking up!

During the first two weeks of class, he would get very frustrated when I would correct his downward stare with, "Look at your vertical target".  He would shrug his shoulders and begrudgingly look up and correct his posture.  This is going to take some time because we've got 79 years of poor postural habits.

Good postural habits begin in lengthened spine; Spine long, chin slightly down and tucked back.  Every time you even think about your posture, lengthen spine and drop the chin and push back. Find the vertical target.

By the last session, this tall, lanky man was standing on a tightrope, ears in line with shoulders, shoulders in line with hips, hips in line with heels and weight equally distributed between the front and the back foot.  And he wasn't staring at the floor!!!

When asked what the best part of the class was, he said, "the ladies!".   It was amazing what he noticed when he quit looking at the floor.  The lone ranger in a class of ten women including his wife, this guy hung in there and noticed all the pretty face in the room.

Quit letting life pass you by.  Look around, pay attention to your surroundings.  Peripheral vision training can increase your reaction speeds by 25%; start paying attention to what you're not looking at!

Posture is dependent on where you're looking.  If you don't want "old age posture", look forward at vertical targets and stand upright.

The Fall Prevention Lady

82 yo Widow Overcomes Fear of Falling

The oldest member of my recent Brains and Balance class lived in fear of falling.  Many older adults live with the fear of falling because they fear that a fall is the beginning of the end.  Most people who live alone live in fear of falling and not being able to get up from the floor.  The thought of lying on the floor for hours or days, scares some people so much that they limit their daily activities.  They quit doing things they enjoy and things that need to be done for fear of slipping or tripping.

This is the beginning of a vicious cycle because the less you do, the weaker you become.  The weaker you become,  the greater the risk of falling.   This is known as the cycle of fear.

Fear of falling is a recognizable psychological condition that happens after a fall.  A little fear is a good thing but when your fear of falling interferes with your daily life, you need some help getting back on your feet.

My class student's daughter recognized this fear in her mother and brought her mom from Fresno to Sacramento to participate in my four-week brain-based balance training class.  

By the end of the second week, this 82 year old lady was sitting up straight, smiling and laughing in class.  In the third week of class, she walked through the obstacle course without her walker!  She was stopping and starting in response to verbal command and was no longer holding onto the counter when walking.   The last week, she was doing weight shifts with her eyes closed and throwing her arms back and forth while doing multi-planar lunges.  

On the last day of class, this amazing woman got up and walked eight feet with a steady, confident gait.  She announced to the class that she was no longer afraid of falling and that her daughter had to remind her to take her walker with her.  She has overcome the paralyzing fear of falling!

It's never too late to gain control of your body.  Learn how to react when losing your balance.  Be aware of your surroundings.  Practice drills that will increase your reaction speeds.   You do this with brain-based balance training.  Enroll in my Brains and Balance Training classes and change the way you live your life.  

Don't live in fear.  Live free.
Class schedule on my website:  www.thefallpreventionlady.com 

Your brain: Use it or Lose it

A participant in my Brains and Balance Training class at The Club at WestPark in Del Webb asked a valid, common question...."Why do I need to do this vision training"?  

THE NERVOUS SYSTEM'S USE IT OR LOSE IT:
TRANS-NEURONAL DEGENERATION

The answer is simple: USE IT OR LOSE IT.  

We already know that if you don't move a body part, you lose the ability to move it. 

You know if you don't strengthening your legs, your legs get weak and you're more likely to fall. 

The same "USE IT OR LOSE IT" principle applies to your brain and nervous system called "TRANS-NEURONAL DEGENERATION"

A healthy brain needs fuel and activation.  If you don't activate the entire brain, neurons die.   

Activating your senses is the only way to "use" your entire brain.  Not playing crossword puzzles and brain teasers.  You need to stimulate your senses.

 

Vision is the #1 input to the brain and vision is a brain-wide event.  In other words, when you do vision training, you activate all the lobes of the brain in order to see and process what you see.  

The cool thing about sensory training is the neurology rule, "Neurons that lie together, fire together".  This means that as neurons die because of lack of fuel and/or activation, the dying neurons influence the ones next to it.  The good news is this lie together/fire together principle works the other way, too.

As you activate neurons through sensory input, the neurons positively influence the neurons next to it.     "Hey, I'm moving, move with me", said the vision neuron to the pain inhibitor neuron.  IN other words, when you activate the visual neurons, they activate neurons that turn off pain!

If you're in chronic pain, get your eyes moving.  

As for improving your balance, the eyes muscles are innervated by nerves that go directly into the brainstem; areas of the brainstem that affect posture and balance.  It's complicated but what you need to know is that training the eyes activates neurons that DIRECTLY influence upright posture and balance. 

The moral of this blog: 

"If you don't train the sensory systems, half of your brain is dying"~ Kelly Ward

 

If you want to move, stay balanced, prevent a fall, have great vision and live independently, you'll do drills to activate the most neglected and least understood part of the brain; your sensory cortex.

Simply neuroscience. Simply Fall Prevention.

If you can't explain is simply, you really don't understand it.  Albert Einstein.

Balance is complex.  Learning how to train it doesn't have to be.  As a Z-Health Neuro-Performance Coach, I am constantly trying to explain complex neuroscience and neuro-anatomy concepts in easy to understand phrases and analogies.

The science of neuroplasticity (any structural change in the brain to enhance performance so you will survive) is the science behind Z-Health.  I study the brain, both structure and function, and I am amazed at the results people (including myself) get when they activate underactive parts of the brain.

A guy in class asked me, why are we doing all this vision training?  I paused and explained the brainstem, cranial nerves, eye muscles and functional neuroanatomy in an easy to understand yet logical explanation.

A mentor of mine said study, study, study.  Write down potential questions and come up with a scientific explanation and an easy one.

My message today:  improving balance and preventing falls is not standing on one leg or following some outdated Balance Manual.  It's about training the muscles and senses involved in balance, particularly the brain's GPS system.

Keep it simple.  Train smart.

Time to try something new in fall prevention

Should we do what we've always done?  Maybe?  But, what if they way we had always done it was wrong?  Lee Cockrell, Creating Magic.

Great quote that every personal trainer, group exercise instructor and program coordinator should consider.  Things change.  Research studies unveil new methods that work and explain why old methods don't work. NOTHING IS FOREVER.

Unfortunately, government agencies only accept evidence-based programs for funding.  This is a disservice to older adults everywhere because by the time the program is approved, it's already outdated.  Newer, more efficient methods of balance training and fall prevention exist.

If you've been following the same program for years, or months and you're not getting results, it's time to try something new.  It's time to open your mind and do something different.

Change and growth occur outside of your comfort zone.  Brain-based training is the future of fitness.  Training your vision, inner ear and joint receptors are the future of training.  If your trainer isn't training your vision, ask why not.

I'm not a eye doctor but I am movement specialist.  Your eyes have muscles, six for each eye.  I train the eye muscles for better eye movement and better vision.  You will be amazed at the results you get when you learn how to move your eyes.

Time to try something new.
Brains and Balance Training with Coach Kelly
Balance Training 101 with Coach Kelly.

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
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Balance Alert: If nothing has worked, it's time to try something new

Falls are a major concern among older adults and as baby boomers get older, falls are an increasing threat to their safety, independence and well-being.  If you're reading this and you're over the age of 60, it's better for you to be diagnosed with cancer than it is to fall down unexpectedly.

Falls are the leading cause of death and non-fatal injury for people over age 65.  In other words, if you're of mature age and unexpectedly come to rest on the ground, you could severely and permanently injure yourself or worse yet, even die if you hit your head.

Another growing problem is if you fall,  you might be stuck on the floor until someone finds you.  A reported 47% of people  over age 65 who fall cannot get up from the floor without assistance. This is frightening!  If you live alone and accidentally trip over your cat, you might be stuck on the floor for hours or days until someone finds you and can help you get up.

I'm not here to scare you but these are the hard facts.  People fall.  People can't get up.  Older people fall and break bones.  They hit their head.  For this reason, people over age 65 are URGED TO JOIN balance training and fall prevention classes, especially if you live alone!

Unfortunately, most balance classes aren't teaching you how to improve your balance.  Yes, you can side step and maybe even stand on one leg but what about your vision?  Can you feel when you're about to lose your balance?   Do you know how to react when you are losing your balance?  How do you get up from the floor?  Can you walk steady?  ARE you able to stop suddenly without losing your balance?

As a fall prevention specialist for over 15 years and a brain-based therapist,  I'm here to tell you that if you're not training your vision and activating the inner ear balance system, your balance will only improve so much.  The"Balance Manual" will NOT help you.

If you've tried everything and still feel unbalanced, I urge you to join my 4-week Brains and Balance Training with Coach Kelly class.  IF you can stand on one foot for 30 seconds but still feel dizzy when you turn your head, you need my class.  If you can do 20 chair stands or march in place for 2 minutes but still don't know when you're losing your balance (aka, falling), you need my training program.

I respect senior fitness trainers who teach strength, balance and flexibility skills three times a week.  The ones who tell you to stand up straight, throw your shoulders back and even have you stand on one leg.  They're training ONE component of balance; your proprioceptive system.

Newsflash:  There are three body systems involved in balance.  If you've tried every 'movement' drill possible and your balance isn't what you want, it's time to try something new.

Brain-based training is the future of fitness.  I am certified, trained and experienced in teaching you how to train the three body systems of balance and movement.  The systems your brain relies on to move safely through life.

2019.  It's time to transform your balance.  If you've tried everything and nothing works, it's time to try something new.  2019.  It's time to try something new.

I've invested in my continuing education so it's time you invest in yourself.
4 weeks.  8 sessions.  $125 per person.  Older adults only.