Falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths amongst people older than 65.
With surgery, 21% die within the first year of fracturing a hip.
Without surgery, 70% die.
Here's how I helped my client, Beth, avoid a potentially catastrophic fall.
With surgery, 21% die within the first year of fracturing a hip.
Without surgery, 70% die.
Here's how I helped my client, Beth, avoid a potentially catastrophic fall.
Wintertime in Canada is dangerous.
There’s a lot of ice. Slipping is common and hard to avoid.
For this reason, it’s important to practice slipping and improve power production so that when it happens, your client doesn't fall.
Here’s how I did it . . .
There’s a lot of ice. Slipping is common and hard to avoid.
For this reason, it’s important to practice slipping and improve power production so that when it happens, your client doesn't fall.
Here’s how I did it . . .
First, Beth progressively performed sliding lunges.
Holding onto a railing, I’d place a towel under her feet in the exercise room with bamboo flooring.
In addition to her strength this helped her develop comfort with slipping.
Next, we developed her power.
Holding onto a railing, I’d place a towel under her feet in the exercise room with bamboo flooring.
In addition to her strength this helped her develop comfort with slipping.
Next, we developed her power.
Power is the ability to generate force in the shortest period of time possible.
Slips cannot be avoided. But with improved power, an elderly client will hopefully be able to catch themselves before falling.
And that’s exactly what happened with Beth one scary day . . .
Slips cannot be avoided. But with improved power, an elderly client will hopefully be able to catch themselves before falling.
And that’s exactly what happened with Beth one scary day . . .
Obviously, power training for older men and women is very different from younger clients.
Keep the reps low–1-3 max–and build up slowly.
For Beth, we began with simple hops and progressed to low box hops and eventually step down hops. Basically, light plyometrics.
Keep the reps low–1-3 max–and build up slowly.
For Beth, we began with simple hops and progressed to low box hops and eventually step down hops. Basically, light plyometrics.
One day, Beth slipped. She was by herself. The floor was slick.
Immediately, and without thought, her right leg shot out in front and ‘caught’ her just enough that she grabbed onto the wall and slid down into a seat on the ground.
She was shaken up. But she was fine.
Immediately, and without thought, her right leg shot out in front and ‘caught’ her just enough that she grabbed onto the wall and slid down into a seat on the ground.
She was shaken up. But she was fine.
Did our training prevent Beth’s fall?
I’ll never know.
And if Beth fell, would she have broken her hip?
Maybe. Who knows?
And if she broke her hip, would she have died soon after like so many others?
Fuck, I’m happy I’ll never know the answer.
I’ll never know.
And if Beth fell, would she have broken her hip?
Maybe. Who knows?
And if she broke her hip, would she have died soon after like so many others?
Fuck, I’m happy I’ll never know the answer.
Fitness is preventative health.
We train to avoid sickness and injury.
And maybe it’s all for naught.
Maybe that stuff wouldn’t happen anyway.
But anything we can do to skew the odds in our favour seems like a good idea to me.
We train to avoid sickness and injury.
And maybe it’s all for naught.
Maybe that stuff wouldn’t happen anyway.
But anything we can do to skew the odds in our favour seems like a good idea to me.
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