What is safe falling?  It means falling in a way that protects your head from injury. Secondarily, it means falling in a way that prevents broken bones in your hips, pelvis, arms or shoulder.

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The best way to achieve “safe falling”, is NOT to fall. The basic formula for fall prevention is...ABC.

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A is awareness. Develop a different mindset to walking. Walk “heel to toe”. Lift your legs as you walk, and land on your heel, and push-off with your toes. Whenever using stairs, use the handrail”. Pay attention when walking. Look where you will be walking, and make a mental note of any potential hazards. Don’t be distracted while walking:  smart phones, talking to your partner, or looking at the “view”.

 

B is balance. Exercise to develop the muscles in all your limbs. Consider activities like Tai-Chi, and Yoga to develop strength, and brain to muscle connections.

 

C is control. Take the safer or easier path even though it may be longer, take that one. Use handrails.  Have handrails and grab bars installed in your bathroom.

 

“What would you do to protect myself if you fell now?” Most people will project both arms rigidly out in front of them at about waist high. This is probably the WORST thing you can do. If your arms collapse or break, you will land on your face!

 

If you are falling forward, take one step forward, lower your hips as low as possible, reach forward with both arms, one arm forward of the other. Extend both arms forward in a sliding motion, and lower your hips, until you can no longer support your weight  Now, rotate your hips and try to impact the ground with the outside of your thigh. Now roll in the direction of your lowered thigh.

 

The important thing is to lower your hips, stretch forward with the leading arm, and impact the ground with the outside of your thigh, and the side of your body, and roll.

 

Even more devastating is falling backward. A big concern is hitting the back of your head! If you are falling backward, take one step backward. Lower your hips. Rotate your body by turning your hips. Look at where you are falling. REACH back. Again, do not stiffen your arm to brace yourself. As you look and reach back, your hips WILL turn automatically. As you impact the ground, you should be on your side. This will protect your head.