Here’s another interesting article from Tuesday’s New York Times about the “right way to fall.” Apparently young kids are the best fallers because they have no fear or embarrassment; they don’t try to catch themselves.
Besides working with a PT or a fitness instructor knowledgeable about neurological disorders, there are also lots of fall prevention classes taught in many communities. “A Matter of Balance” classes address the fear of falling. For a list of fall prevention classes in Northern California, see:
parkinsons.stanford.edu/fallprevention.html
* “The number one thing to remember … is to protect your head. So if you find yourself falling, pivot to your side and tuck in your head.”
* “The other thing to avoid … is ‘foosh,’ an acronym for ‘falling onto outstretched hands.’ If you do that, all the force of impact will be concentrated there, raising the risk of breaking your wrist.”
* “Instead, if you feel yourself falling, experts said you should bend your elbows and knees and try to take the hit on the fleshiest parts of your body, like the side of your thigh, buttocks and shoulder.”
* “The key is to not fight the fall, but just to roll with it, as paratroopers do.”
* “Difficult as it may sound as you’re hurtling toward the ground … experts said it’s important to relax as you fall. You’re less likely to hurt yourself if you soften up all your muscles and exhale.”
Note that quite a few of the comments called this “hogwash!” So “reader beware.”
WELL | MOVE
The Right Way to Fall
New York Times
By Kate Murphy
Jan. 24, 2017
Robin