The 101 of Falls

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I wish my small town had regular classes for gentle exercise. Apparently if you live in one of the Seniors residences you can attend sessions right there. Not available for 'outsiders' though. There are also short Rehab courses at the hospital. I did one for pulmonary functions and it was no exercise at all for me. Next level is a Cardio Workout that is much too challenging for my body.

I do what I can at home. I've done a lots of reading, use the treadmill, do stretches etc.

It is annoying to note that I seem to know a lot of theory but find it incredibly difficult to put the knowledge to use!
 
I wish my small town had regular classes for gentle exercise. Apparently if you live in one of the Seniors residences you can attend sessions right there. Not available for 'outsiders' though. There are also short Rehab courses at the hospital. I did one for pulmonary functions and it was no exercise at all for me. Next level is a Cardio Workout that is much too challenging for my body.

I do what I can at home. I've done a lots of reading, use the treadmill, do stretches etc.

It is annoying to note that I seem to know a lot of theory but find it incredibly difficult to put the knowledge to use!


The great wall is baffling ...
 
I am fairly close now to an inside walking track which is free for usage and open in the evenings. It is part of the arena complex. Currently walking outside is easy, but if that shifts, I was thinking I might take it up.
 
I am fairly close now to an inside walking track which is free for usage and open in the evenings. It is part of the arena complex. Currently walking outside is easy, but if that shifts, I was thinking I might take it up.
I will be with you in spirit, Pinga. Mr Paradox and I use an indoor walking track in the winter. We also have a free one that is open in the morning. Our preferred time for walking.
 
I am fairly close now to an inside walking track which is free for usage and open in the evenings.

I should check and see if there is one near me, though part of my purpose when I walk for exercise is to get outdoors and get some fresh air so an indoor track would kind of defeat that part of it. Feel the same way about stationary bike but I'm not about to bike outdoors in winter and I need to get some kind of exercise given my hypertension and diabetes.
 
Pinga said:
Do you have tips to avoid falls?

Sooner or later a fall is inevitable. The damage, more often than not comes in attempting to break one's fall.

Judo and wrestling conditioned me to do some things that mitigate serious injury.

Judo wants you to take the fall on your back. Tuck your chin in to avoid whiplash head smashing and slap down with free arms to dissipate the force of the landing.

Wrestling wants you to avoid falling on your back. Lift your chin up to avoid whiplash face plant and spread your hands and legs to the side letting them contact the ground first to dissipate the force of the landing.

I haven't done the whole feet out from under you to back body slam in ages. I was laughing mid-air last time because I knew what was coming.

I have gone off of structures or tripped over stuff or, had some brown blaze of fur knee-cap me once or twice. I make sure to protect head/face, relax and take the hit.

As the years wear on it takes a bit more time to recover.

Pinga said:
What do you do if someone falls and can't get up.

First, I try to get them to resist the urge to get up immediately. If something has broken, as is often the case in elderly folks, prior to the fall then trying to get up can make matters worse. Once I am sure that the one who has fallen hasn't suffered serious damage along the way then we can work on getting them to their feet. How depends on their ability and what I can do to compensate for it. Hands and knees, knees to feet with some balancing or pulling helps.

Pinga said:
Do you worry about a fall?


Personally no, I do not.

Pinga said:

Because they happen. I am less concerned with falling than I am how to fall properly. Get that right and getting back up again isn't that big a concern.

My sister never got the hang of falling right.

Consequently she was up at emerg getting staples put in the other night.

Sure, we are all concerned that she is well but if you know the family you know that if anyone of us is likely to be at emerg it is my sister and 9 out of 10 times the story is pretty entertaining.
 
I wish my small town had regular classes for gentle exercise. Apparently if you live in one of the Seniors residences you can attend sessions right there. Not available for 'outsiders' though. There are also short Rehab courses at the hospital. I did one for pulmonary functions and it was no exercise at all for me. Next level is a Cardio Workout that is much too challenging for my body.

I do what I can at home. I've done a lots of reading, use the treadmill, do stretches etc.

It is annoying to note that I seem to know a lot of theory but find it incredibly difficult to put the knowledge to use!

Check the churches. Our church runs an independent (independent from the church) exercise class, gentle, designed mainly for stability and balance. $2 a class, I think. Also, the local seniors' centre, offers a Qi Gong class that I go to - again, gentle, all postures can be modified for sitting, about mindfulness, balance, bodily awareness. Again, very reasonably priced - $2.65 drop in or a $56 yearly fee.
 
They sound great BetteThe Red - just not here. Believe me I've checked all the options. There is yoga- very expensive and much of it is meditation which I do at home. There is Line Dancing - too hard on my arthritis and osteoporosis. The indoor walking track is the size of a basketball court and I NEED more incorporated enjoyment than walking in circles (usually alone as hardly anyone else shows up there).
 
This fall I joined a Nordic Pole Walking Group - outdoors in good weather, inside on a walking track (with a whole wall of windows at one end & faces a woodlot!) in the winter months. Using the poles properly adds a lot of cardio. core and upper body exercise - good for posture & lots else. It is run through the local seniors centre - so now I'm a card carrying member of that group too. I like it. There are usually about a dozen or more people there & we chat as we walk - so getting to know some new folks too. Just once a week for an hour - but it's good.
 
I also try to get to an exercise group once a week - Essentrics & Aging Backwards. It's an interesting dynamic exercise & stretching routine - you can google for more info - sort of a combo of physio, tai chi & ballet conditionning - emphasis on dynamic continuous movement that goes throughout the body to improve/maintain strength, alignment, range of motion - all of which contribute to falls prevention. You can also purchase DVDs & do them yourself - or tape/PVR some from TV (on daily in my area on PBS station - "Classical Stretch"). There are some shorter videos also on her website which are pretty good - but shorter. Maybe Kay you will have to start a group :)
 
Good one pinga! and bottles of water!! It's no joke really. A friend of ours suffered a stroke & lay for days on the floor of his home until discovered - severely dehydrated & ill from the days spent on the floor. It's not an uncommon story for those living alone.
 
My paternal grandfather was, shall we say, interesting.
he had remarried and the two lived in a small war time house in Windsor.

They had the paper delivered every day, and he paid the paperboy extra to come into their home and place the paper in his (or her hands).
If they didn't respond or something seemed awry, he was to let his parents know.

It was his way of ensuring someone checked in on them daily.

(My Dad also called him daily As my Dad would say, even when driving to Florida, we would ensure that we were somewhere to call).
 
I heard of a lady who fell, couldn't get up and eventually died. Nobody noticed until the body started to smell. So sad to be disconnected from the rest of the community like that.
 
In the UK my mum relied on the delivery people. Postman, milkman, baker etc. If something seemed 'different' they alerted a neighbour.
 
Kimmio- google helped Olang Canada | The winter boot with pivoting grip - Since 1991 will get you to the boots. Note while they lace up-you use side zipper to get in and out of them.

I own a pair of these. Common sense advice is don't rely too much on the grips. They help but they're not infallible....I fell on ice even while wearing them. The other thing is that it's a pain changing the grips back & forth. Going around with the grips out wrecks car mats & there's another risk of slipping on floors unless the grips are tucked away. I think the ones that go over your regular boots are ok & a WHOLE LOT cheaper.
Someone also mentioned how pants can trip you up. I had a few scary close calls by tripping wearing yoga pants.....catching my foot in the loose stretchy hem.
 
Pants that are too long are definitely an issue. I'm short, and should buy petites or get them shortened. There are some pants that I just didn't bother, and had close calls, particularly on stairs.
 
Pants that are too long are definitely an issue. I'm short, and should buy petites or get them shortened. There are some pants that I just didn't bother, and had close calls, particularly on stairs.

I haven't tripped on pants in a long time (but it has happened). I did throw my back out once putting them on, though. My toe caught on the crotch as I pulled them on standing up, causing me to stumble and twist.
 
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