Most falls can be prevented! Fall should not be accepted as a natural part of getting old! Learn how to prevent falls by attending a Community Fall Prevention Program. Check with your Area Agency on Aging Office (AAA), www.n4a.org/ for an OAA grant funded, 4 week, "Evidence-Based, "A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns about Falls" Fall Prevention Program for seniors 60+y/o in your community. I instruct this program in Florida. This program looks at falls from various aspects including: lessening your fear of falling, addressing environmental hazards, how our fall-ty habits can contribute to falls... The program includes easy, chair-based exercises you learn in class and practice at home to improve muscle strength, increase flexibility, balance & mobility. The only true way to improve balance is to exercise but the right kind of exercise! Try a Beginning Tai Chi program which starts at the beginning. Jumping into a continuing Tai Chi class will only overwhelm you. Try various Silver Sneaker Classes which are designed for seniors. Think of exercise or "healthy movement" as another medication you have to take daily! It is that important if you wish to stay functionally independent! Regardless of your age, your health issues, everyone can improve their balance with exercise! But, you have to make the effort! Look for other evidence-based programs in your area: www.ncoa.org/healthy-aging/falls-prevention/falls-prevention-programs-for-older-adults-2/
6
A follow-up which includes a bit of the much-requested video support:
https://fightdesigner.wordpress.com/2019/01/30/falling-on-ice-and-on-video/
2
As a physical therapist, I applaud this article for addressing the very serious issue of falls, particularly with the elderly. Most falls with the elderly are backwards, because of the function of the ankle. I doubt that any training can protect an outcome, although the risk factors are easy to identify and address. The fall occurs within a second, and there is no time for preparation, twisting or relaxing; one does not have time to think. All elderly should use a walking stick, practice standing from sitting, and when standing have one foot slightly ahead of the other. However, like Twitter rants from Trump, there are some things from which there are no protection. Its a fallacy to think you can control a fall unless you are a trained stunt person.
9
Be wary: A Fall after Fall Prevention Education is not a Failure of the Program.
We know fear of falling is one of the predictors of falling because in the frail it represents loss of freedom, devastating injury. In Fall Prevention classes I often see the phrase "falling is not a natural part of aging" and it means that we should strive to prevent falls. In theory I agree but I would also argue that at some point it's the reality of super-advanced aging and the will to live.
Take my father, who at 84 graduated from hospice. He now has two choices: lie in bed or keep moving. Although his house is safe and he uses a walker, the advanced stage of his COPD and cardiac health mean that he will probably keep falling down as long as he keeps choosing to get back up and more power to him. He doesn't want to spend another year in bed waiting to die. As the ACA comes up for review and educational senior Fall Prevention programs (like those offered through the National Council on Aging) are being targeted by the new administration, I want to promote the idea that falling down isn't necessarily a failure of Fall Prevention services. It seems that if we aim to keep people out of emergency care for most of their senior years, we would be doing great. We must develop alternatives to ER treatment for Falls. In our community we have a pilot program called "Community Paramedics" who deal specifically with this demographic.
Maria Young, Senior Safety Officer, Alameda Fire Department
We know fear of falling is one of the predictors of falling because in the frail it represents loss of freedom, devastating injury. In Fall Prevention classes I often see the phrase "falling is not a natural part of aging" and it means that we should strive to prevent falls. In theory I agree but I would also argue that at some point it's the reality of super-advanced aging and the will to live.
Take my father, who at 84 graduated from hospice. He now has two choices: lie in bed or keep moving. Although his house is safe and he uses a walker, the advanced stage of his COPD and cardiac health mean that he will probably keep falling down as long as he keeps choosing to get back up and more power to him. He doesn't want to spend another year in bed waiting to die. As the ACA comes up for review and educational senior Fall Prevention programs (like those offered through the National Council on Aging) are being targeted by the new administration, I want to promote the idea that falling down isn't necessarily a failure of Fall Prevention services. It seems that if we aim to keep people out of emergency care for most of their senior years, we would be doing great. We must develop alternatives to ER treatment for Falls. In our community we have a pilot program called "Community Paramedics" who deal specifically with this demographic.
Maria Young, Senior Safety Officer, Alameda Fire Department
6
@Tessa Young I agree with your posting. I became a fall prevention instructor after my grandma died from a fall. Falls indeed can be prevented. Senior & Community Centers, Hospitals, Fire Depts, the Area Agency on Aging Offices must take a "proactive approach" in their various communities to raise awareness about falls & to educate steps to prevent falls using evidence-based fall prevention programs. In Florida, I teach the 4 week, evidence-based, OAA grant funded, "A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns about Falls" Program (MoB) for seniors in various communities including at libraries, churches, senior & community centers. Our Area Agency on Aging Offices (AAA) have trained MoB instructors/ facilitators such as myself who go around in the various communities instructing the various, OAA grant funded, evidence-based, fall prevention programs including the MoB, TJQMBB... recommended by the NCOA. Each state office selects certain NCOA fall prevention programs to fund for their residents. So, contact your State Office for Elder Care in regards to evidence-based fall prevention programs. https://www.ncoa.org/healthy-aging/falls-prevention/falls-prevention-programs-for-older-adults-2/ In fact, some Fire Dept Community Service Officers in Florida are supporting the NCOA fall prevention programs by providing us a venue to teach at and even instructing the MoB programs themselves. Just a thought on how to get started the MoB programs in your area to help prevent falls.
2
Now 83, I retired from full time work at 76. During my last 10 at work and since, I've fallen at least 15(True) times. what saved me from Any bone breaks was the fact that a friend fell in his parking lot at night, tripping over a trailer hitch, and broke both wrists. I'm a klutz for sure, but I keep my wrists straight, Not bent while I'm falling. You don't have to believe this--
2
It's a pity newspapers don't have editors anymore. In the old days an article like this would have had a diagram and probably an animated cartoon as well to show what it all means.
-dlj.
20
Great article, however I have had both my hips replaced. When I only had one, I fell on my "other" side. Now? I have to be incredibly "zen" and mindful and not fall -- EVER. Particularly hard as I live in New Hampshire and we've had a lot of snow and ice!
2
Met an acquaintance who at 93 had a broken arm presumably due to a fall. He had been a paratrooper during D-day. I think there comes a time when all the planning will not help but its a good plan to try.
3
Good for him! He had a broken arm. He did not injure his head or spine!
6
Don,
All paratroopers, and particularly your friend, have to remember the Maxwell House cartoon, "Gentlemen, we must do something about that last drop."
-dlj.
2
I'm now 70, and last week while leaving a Mexican mall I fell at an unexpected change in sidewalk level. Remarkably, my Army parachute training from nearly 50 years ago kicked in automatically, and I "executed" a nearly flawless "parachute landing fall", complete with the full roll over on my side and back. I actually laughed as I stood up afterward. Knowing (and having endlessly practiced) how to fall surely saved me from what was potentially a terrible injury.
18
Watch slippery tubs and scatter rugs!
2
I've fainted and hit my head more than once. Sometimes, I know I'm going down and sometimes I don't. No physical therapist has ever even mentioned how to fall when I've consulted them for various arthritic joints. Perhaps this should be on their to-do list for every client, especially older ones.
5
It would be very helpful to have diagrams of the right way to fall in this article.
18
Has anyone ever clocked how long the average "fall" time is? I don't think I could manage to recall and execute this advice within, say, two seconds. (But I'll try my hardest to remember!!!)
7
You won't have time to think, but don't give up on the idea. You just have to practice enough that it becomes automatic. See rab from Indiana's comment. He had practiced enough years ago that falling correctly was a subconscious automatic response.
Everyone will fall occasionally, there is no completely avoiding it (unless you never get out of bed!), so practice how to fall correctly. Slowly, on something soft at first please (don't throw yourself on the ground!). If you practice regularly, your chances of landing well when you do fall will increase. There are no gaurantees, but we can push the odds in our favor.
1
Minor warning note: Spiral staircases seem to be tricky and dangerous. I say this anecdotally not from experience or research.
1
At at age 85, if I fall to my side do I risk fracturing my hip? I wonder which is worse a fractured wrist or hip?
5
As a nurse I'd suggest that breaking a hip will immobilize you and cause a difficult recovery with the possibilit of many complications. A wrist is not good but at least you can be upright!
5
Thank you. That's what I thought. I fell forward and fractured my radius or ulna. It was inconvenient but not as bad as my hip replacement
1
The fractured wrist is worse. A hip repair/replacement, while major is less disabling to the eldery than an inability to eat, wash, groom, and dress oneself.
I'm surprised you don't reference dancers. Years of all kinds of dance training taught me how to fall. And the principle underlying martial arts falls might be traced back to the spiritual concept of yin/yang--giving in and flowing with at the right time, vs resisting or moving outward at the right time.
5
As an unwitting stuntwoman--at best--I don't plan. I have heard drunks fall correctly and don't get hurt as bad--guess you are not recommending that, right? Or are you?
4
They say that falling is a risk later in life, so I just tell people I'm practicing, and don't worry unless I'm down for over 10-15 seconds.
3
"Tuck and roll" learned from high school football saved me from two severe falls over fifty years later. It was automatic. It is also important to tell bystanders "leave me alone" while you self assess any damage to yourself.
3
I always told my patients that if they suddenly felt as if they were about to faint they should immediately get down on all fours and roll over onto their back. They should do this promptly, wherever they were, except unaccompanied and in the middle of a street. Then If possible put their feet up upon the closest elevated object. If none was available, at least bend their knees. I have fainted only once. I had time to do just that, and even enough additional time before I lost consciousness, to tell my wife that I loved her just in case I was not going to wake up.
2
Relaxing and using my butt and side has worked a couple of times as my new 40-pound puppy has tripped me up crossing a major intersection. I recall the many strawberries from not clearing hurdles on a cinder track in high school, fifty years ago. However, "Tai Chi foot" saved me more times than not.
3
The key: "in no way resisting the momentum of the fall". I'm a 55 year-old skateboarder who falls on cement multiple times a year for the last 45. The key is to relax, let the momentum guide you and roll, roll, roll. Your body should naturally emphasize the meat areas and avoid the boney ones - especially your head (this is why helmets can help you try more difficult tricks by helping to distribute the impact). Practice often enough enough on grass, sand or gym mats and time seems to slow down. Your mantra: "rag doll". Do it, then get back up again and have fun skating.
9
As a frequent faller--due to a lifelong disability--I'm well aware of another risk in falling--bystanders rushing over and trying to yank the person who's fallen up. I suppose it's a natural reaction--no one wants to leave someone just lying on the ground, and I think there's an almost unconscious reaction of wanting to undo the fall. But I've come close to having my arm dislocated by helpers pulling on it. And if someone has broken a bone, pulling someone upright can make a bad situation worse. By all means go to the person's aid, but let them guide you in assisting them.
32
Nice idea. But I fell on the ice last winter, and let me tell you, it happened so fast there was no time to react. I was just really lucky that I didn't get hurt beyond an impressive looking bruise.
13
Me too. Black ice and I was down before I realized I was slipping. Broke my ankle, hit my head and side of body, but no other injuries.
5
I just returned from Vermont, and while there was introduced to "micro spikes," which are like mini crampons. They changed everything for me. I know I can't wear them indoors, so the plan is to practice attachment and removal until it becomes smooth and worth the effort even when just walking to the next building.
This article and the comments remind me to practice falling, sooner than later.
comments reminds me I need to learn to fall, sooner than later.
This article and the comments remind me to practice falling, sooner than later.
comments reminds me I need to learn to fall, sooner than later.
3
I fell on black ice on my deck last year, dark, 5am, taking dog out and was the first freeze. I went backwards very fast but I did actually relax. I had always been taught to relax when rolled by a wave in the ocean and somehow that reflex kicked in. Very painful but I avoided any broken bones or a concussion. Made me get a medic alert though. My teenage daughter was sound asleep and would not have looked for me for some time.
1
There are 130.4 million visits to the emergency department every year, per the cdc. which would make 7.9 million visits for falls more like six percent of the total, not "more than a third" as the article suggests. What you meant, and the link you provides suggests, is that falls are about 1/3 of INJURY RELATED visits to the emergency department. which might be true. Please correct this.
4
My wife, an RN and black belt in aikido, has been teaching a six hour, 4 week course locally to fit seniors, and has presented on the curriculum at a conference. She is not "selling" a curriculum but teaches as a volunteer and has a Facebook group where people try to open-source about best approaches to teaching this stuff. https://www.facebook.com/groups/183688925301847
and videos I shot of her mostly to share with her students for reference. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvDyI_M38AerHf5dEOljVVAgi6a5zq9Jz
She does not recommend trying to learn this on your own but a good judo or aikido teacher should be able to get you going....
and videos I shot of her mostly to share with her students for reference. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvDyI_M38AerHf5dEOljVVAgi6a5zq9Jz
She does not recommend trying to learn this on your own but a good judo or aikido teacher should be able to get you going....
3
I actually learned to fall "the right way" when I was younger and riding horses. It can be learned and does become instinct. Always walked away without serious injury even as I got older and quit riding.
Right up until I had my infant son in my arms and didn't realize the chair I thought I was about to sit in had been moved earlier by my toddler (it was the middle of the night and I was operating on instinct). Wrapped my arms around the baby to protect him and made no effort to save myself. My tailbone hurt for months! The baby was fine though, lol.
Right up until I had my infant son in my arms and didn't realize the chair I thought I was about to sit in had been moved earlier by my toddler (it was the middle of the night and I was operating on instinct). Wrapped my arms around the baby to protect him and made no effort to save myself. My tailbone hurt for months! The baby was fine though, lol.
5
Relax, bend your elbows, bend your knees, turn your torso sideways ...
All this in less than 0.5 sec before you hit the ground!
And no, unlike the paratroopers or marital arts experts, my falls are unannounced and unexpected. I only know I fell when I'm flat on the ground.
All this in less than 0.5 sec before you hit the ground!
And no, unlike the paratroopers or marital arts experts, my falls are unannounced and unexpected. I only know I fell when I'm flat on the ground.
15
Agreed. The advice in the article is absolutely correct but knowing some information at the cognitive level doesn't mean it reaches your limbic nervous system which reflexively tenses your muscles in response to threat....faster than thought. Extensive rehearsal can offset this reflex but most people aren't able or willing to put that kind of time into getting to that point. Paratroopers have to do it. Martial artists want to do it. Dancers enjoy doing it. The rest of us.....
2
I'm a doctor who fell a couple of years ago, and there was no time to twist. What probably saved me was tucking my chin down so the back of my head didn't hit the concrete as hard as it might have otherwise. I still developed a subdural hematoma which required surgery a couple of weeks later, but had I not tucked my chin in as I fell, I could have gotten a fatal injury. So to the naysayers out there, yes, there is some room to teach about falling, and think about it in advance.
9
This is a great article on a very important topic. Unfortunately, there is very little scientific evidence that people can learn to fall safely. What little evidence there is focuses on young healthy adults. I hope one day we can teach our patients to fall safely with full confidence that it is going to help them.
3
Since I do polo and hunter-jumper riding there is a constant risk of falling. All this advice is well and good but is only useful to a point. Parachute jumpers and stuntmen know exactly when they're going to fall, on to what, and how. And they practice. Falling from a moving horse can take many trajectories with forces from different directions and while it may be possible to cover one's head with one's arms in a fraction of a second, little else can be done, and practicing is out of the question. The advice I have gotten from other experienced riders is "roll." That may be the most you can think about while contemplating one's mortality, and maybe not even that much.
6
Yes, people who ride horses have to learn to fall properly. You hang on as long as
possible until that moment you know you must let go from this running, jumping, whirling creature... then TUCK and ROLL! Works most every time.
possible until that moment you know you must let go from this running, jumping, whirling creature... then TUCK and ROLL! Works most every time.
3
It is puzzling that so many commenters are asking for a video. Please just google "how to fall" and look for videos.
4
Has the NY Times laid off so many employees, it doesn't have an in-house artist? Descriptions that include "Then they roll over on the latissimus dorsi muscle..." mean nothing to most people. A series of drawings would help.
Readers can search YouTube for "how to fall without hurting yourself."
Readers can search YouTube for "how to fall without hurting yourself."
11
They go on to explain that the latissiums dorsi is "the large, flat muscle running laterally down the side of your back"
Seemed understandable to me.
Seemed understandable to me.
7
If you want to stay loose when you fall, I would recommend doing it when you're drunk.
10
As an awesome klutz, I am grateful for this article.
9
As a septuagenarian I've head my share of falls over the years. One fall in particular, about 40 years ago, stands out. It was winter and I was walking into a store. There was an unseen patch of ice in front of me. I still remember it clearly. One moment I was walking along, the next I was on the sidewalk. The thing about it was that there was no time interval of the fall itself. One moment I was up, the next I was down. Altogether very strange and, fortunately, no injuries.
9
I still recall being 8 years old and watching my ballet teacher fall down the stage stairs at my parochial school's Xmas show rehearsal. Unhurt, she explained to concerned parents that, rather than trying to fight gravity, she had "let herself fall." Never forgot that lesson- though I admit I haven't always followed it, as my scraped hands have evidenced.
7
Superb article -- this should be touted and expanded to all people.
Falling is as important to learn as swimming and CPR -- probably more so.
As a combatives coach, I teach this and explain: You may never be attacked by a criminal assailant, but I can virtually guaranty that if you live long enough you will fall, and if you don't know how it will likely be serious, maybe even deadly.
Falling is as important to learn as swimming and CPR -- probably more so.
As a combatives coach, I teach this and explain: You may never be attacked by a criminal assailant, but I can virtually guaranty that if you live long enough you will fall, and if you don't know how it will likely be serious, maybe even deadly.
11
I learned to fall as described in the article in martial arts class, but I believe anyone can learn to do this with only a few hours' practice. Our bodies tend to want to fall backwards rather than forwards, since the butt is a much better landing pad than the head. It is true that many if not most of us will extend our arms automatically to brace ourselves if tipped forward, but that can lead to painful wrist breaks. The trick is to accept that you are going to tense up, brace yourself, and do other things that will result in a more painful fall, but adapt to that before you make impact. It seems like there wouldn't be enough time, but there is. If your reach forward to brace, quickly turn your thumb outward and fall on the side of your hip and leg. Falling sideways is a lot less painful than falling forward. Think of collapsing as you hit the floor like a pile of fabric. You will be tense, but if you consciously turn your body and try to relax, the fall is a lot less painful. How to practice? It's simply. Practice going to the floor and getting up again without using your hands. If you are not in physical shape to do that, at least practice going down without using your hands, pivoting yourself to the more well-padded parts of the body. Certainly being muscular or even a bit plump makes falls easier than bony people who have to be careful to avoid hard knocks. But anyone can learn to do it.
2
Other than not banging your skull on the concrete the article doesn't say much about positioning or protecting the head in a fall. My experience in a couple of falls during my lifetime has been that jerking my head to prevent hitting it has left me with terrible and debilitating pain in my neck. In these particular falls, and I realize that this would not be true in all cases, I probably would have been better off just bumping my head.
Very helpful advice. Thank you. (Agree that a video would also be helpful.)
I survived a bad car crash because I was asleep in the backseat therefore could not brace and my body was free to rumble around the inside of the car with no resulting injuries. both driver and passenger in front seat were severely injured.
1
A GIF or video would be helpful!
A video would help a lot. It's difficult to visualize the written description.
1
I tripped over a cable at my gym and fell forward. What saved me? Chatuanga Dandasana. Land in a perfect low plank. Stood up to much surprise of the surrounding exercisers. Just kept walking.
3
I tripped on a broken sidewalk one evening and launched face forward. My hands were in my pockets, so I couldn't use them quickly enough to break the fall. At the last millisecond, I had enough presence of mind to jut my chin out so that I wouldn't break my nose and teeth, and then I rolled over. I did break my jaw on one side from the impact, but it didn't need to be wired. It happened so fast!
2
Yea I'm a physical therapist and when falls often happen, the person falling barely has time or ability to react, tuck in head and fall on fleshy parts and roll with it. But this is good to know.
2
This is a great article detailing an often over looked way to minimize the impact of falls. Unfortunately, the scientific evidence that it is possible to learn to fall safely is fairly limited. Researchers at the University of Illinois recently reviewed all of the research on teaching people to fall safely (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27592402). A total of 217 participants were involved in 13 investigations. Overall it was found that a martial arts type roll was the most effective strategy to reduce the landing forces on the body. Although there was some evidence that the impact of the fall can be reduced with training the vast majority of research was conducted in college age individuals. Only 1 investigation include individuals over 65 years and it only examined falling from a kneeling position. Therefore, it is uncertain whether the skills can be utilized in real-life settings.
Despite this limited evidence there is reason to believe teaching people to fall is worthwhile. First, the volume of anecdotal stories regarding “safe” falls seems to indicate there is a valid approach. Secondly, from a scientific stand-point it is well established that seniors can learn new motor skills. So there is a good chance that seniors at risk for falls can learn to fall safely. At the motor control research lab at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign we are testing this possibility.
Despite this limited evidence there is reason to believe teaching people to fall is worthwhile. First, the volume of anecdotal stories regarding “safe” falls seems to indicate there is a valid approach. Secondly, from a scientific stand-point it is well established that seniors can learn new motor skills. So there is a good chance that seniors at risk for falls can learn to fall safely. At the motor control research lab at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign we are testing this possibility.
3
Here is a working link to the above mentioned article https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27592402
1
There's beautiful and intelligent work done within the context of the Feldenkrais Method(r) that teaches people these very skills. It is not hogwash at all. We learn at a body level, not at the level of our intellect. Please check out a Feldenkrais teacher near you. This is core curriculum to their work. I personally teach classes on "Falling Up". Learning the trajectory from the ground up and then retracing the movements from up to down. It is all quite learnable. But writing about it doesn't teach it.
2
This is really bad advice. If you try to fall onto your side you will most likely break your hip, especially if you are older or suffer from osteoporosis. A better way is to try to avoid falling at all by improving your balance through exercise, yoga, physical therapy or other reasonable means to fit your situation. Using paratroopers and martial arts experts as examples here is absurd.
9
I remember vividly about a mid-air discussion I had with myself about how to fall...I was tripped as I handed off the baton in a 4X100 meter relay in a Senior Olympics Track Meet. I was running flat out, and probably had a little extra time in the air to make the decision, but it was, as suggested, to roll and put the meat down first. I hit on my shoulder, rolled over and slid on my thigh. A little road rash, yes, but nothing broken. A massive injury to my dignity, however!!!
3
Recovering from a broken foot, broken hand and tooth from a fall as I read this. My foot went out from under me slipping on some mud and I went forward-horizontal and landed on my teeth. I've fallen a few times since and crumpled up every time, determined not to go the hard way again, and it's gratifying to know I've been doing it right. Now I just need to not need the advice.
4
Drop and roll - I should know, having suffered through both a fractured back and a broken hip!
3
I learned how to fall in high school wrestling. We'd run in place then fall and do push ups, then repeat. I, being light, got used to be thrown by wrestlers way stronger than me. This experience came in handy when at the age of 25 while riding a motorcycle I t-boned a Buick Riveria that pulled out in front of me. I was going about 35 mph and the Riveria was about 10 feet in front of me, giving me only 1/5 second to react, which is way too short to do anything, including tensing up my body. Luckily, I cleared the car and went sailing through the air. My wrestling reflexes then kicked in, I landed on the asphalt and rolled perhaps 50 feet. I walked away with only a broken thumb and a sore shoulder. Without that wrestling experience who knows what would have happened to me.
11
All of this is hogwash. A fall can happen so quickly that it is impossible to follow any of these rules of falling. You hit the ground before you can change into one of the approved positions. The difference between paratroopers and stunt people is that they practice falling till it is second nature and they know when they are going to fall. The rest of us try to avoid falls but when we have an incident we don't need some medical professional scolding us for not doing it right.
24
I respectfully disagree.. It doesn;t take that much time to rotate so your side hits the ground first. It doesn;t take that much time to loosen up and roll with impact.
I don't have practice falling but I do fall sometimes. I invite you to relax and in that split second when you realize you are falling allow your body to soften rather than tense up. That may not result in the best positions to spread the impact but I have found I can minimize the scrapes and bruises. At 72 years old I'll take what I can get.
2
My wife the RN (and aikido black belt) says: I have taught many fit seniors in our town how to fall, having developed a six hour curriculum "from the ground up." Yes, it has to be taught slowly and it has to be taught over and over until it is muscle memory. But it is Very Doable.
1
Please I want to see a video!
14
Search "How to fall in Kung Fu" and you will find a video by Patrick Fulop on practicing back and side falls. And always "glue" your chin to your chest as soon as you loose balance -protect your head.
At the least the illustration could show the right position, instead of reinforcing the wrong!
A uneven sidewalk was the mystery arm that got me. Lucky for me sports training kicked in. I was able to roll my self mid air and fall on my side allowing my shoulder arms and hips to take the brunt of the fall.
Sure was lucky!
Sure was lucky!
4
The only way this would really work for most people is if they practice falls-- and it becomes a habit!
Otherwise, one's instincts are to put one's hands out.
Don't paratroopers and martial arts practitioners practice tumbles until it is second nature?!
You can't expect the average person to remember how to do this correctly -- especially not on the near instantaneous way down!
Otherwise, one's instincts are to put one's hands out.
Don't paratroopers and martial arts practitioners practice tumbles until it is second nature?!
You can't expect the average person to remember how to do this correctly -- especially not on the near instantaneous way down!
5
incorrect assumption. I'm disabled and was taught to fall this way by a physical therapist. You usually can make the effort to fall more safety. I fall a lot and am seldom hurt.
14
there's a lot more time than you might think (having taken many falls skiing & climbing over 40 years with no major injury) - it does take practice but you don't have to be a professional. my worst fall recently was stumbling over bad pavement in Istanbul, and even there I was able to tumble safely while thinking to hold my camera aloft during the fall
I have done all of those "don't" falls, including smack onto my face and flying up in the air and landing flat on the back of my head (now is the time when someone makes a joke about that explaining so much about me...go ahead and get it over with). I have suffered concussion and broken bones. But doctors always tell me it could have been much worse, and that I must know how to fall (practice makes perfect?). Rather than consciously realaxing my body, when I feel myself falling, I simply sink into a kind of resignation. Instead of worries about medical bills or disability, what goes through my mind is, "Oh, jeeze, here we go again." So being more of an Eeyore than a WInnie or a Piglet might be working in my favor. Good to know.
I can tell you from personal experience, though, that if you slip and go horizontal in mid-air, there is no tucking or rolling on your list of options. You are coming down on your back and head.
I can tell you from personal experience, though, that if you slip and go horizontal in mid-air, there is no tucking or rolling on your list of options. You are coming down on your back and head.
7
I took a few years of gymnastics as a kid. Coach would instruct us to jump off the beam over and over--four, scary long feet down to a pipsqueak--whistle in mouth. "You have to learn to fall!" he'd say. But I'll tell you this: thirty years later, I am glad for the lingering muscularity and instinct to crumple when I fall. Both protected me the other night, when the ice, this time, directed me to the ground. And by the way: put your girls in sports. (For fun, and muscles, and easy falls.)
14
So a few years ago I was in a large supermarket chain when I happened to slip on some grapes (they were on sale that week) on their floor and I did a split. My right leg slid out and then my two legs were completely pushed apart. A little girl also fell on some grapes at the same time. I was in my 50s. And I wasn't ready as I was overweight and hadn't been exercising.I believe I would have been more limber if I had been stretching and doing the usual exercises. Not that that's an excuse for the supermarket not cleaning up the grape spill. I have known people who were younger and of proper weight and all that who feel and broke legs and backs. Thankfully I was wearing sensible shoes and that was noticed by the workers who helped me up. I waited for an ambulance, waited forever in the local ER. Had to see an orthopedist. I had injured my illiotibial and groin area, etc. Had to go on medication. Then, their insurance company wound't settle with me because they claimed that my pain was due to aging. I consulted with a lawyer who told me I wasn't injured enough for a court case but should have a settlement. Eventually they settled with me although I was in pain for many years and my hip area has never felt right since. It took years to resolve this. They called an ambulance for the little girl but she was ok and went home. I was never afraid to walk around until that happened and I have noticed how broken the streets are in my neighborhood.
17
I studied falling in taekwondo years ago . But it was not called falling it was called "meeting the earth." I liked this terminology because it was so much more user-friendly. ;)
19
No need to publish, just a quick not that this article seriously needs visuals. Especially when trying to describe all the ways to distribute weight during different falls.
5
Aikido is great for learning to roll and fall. I once went flying over the handlebars of my motorcycle, rolled and landed on my feet. A slight bruise on my hip and shoulder the next day. A bit of skill and a bit of luck.
5
Quite a bit more than a bit of luck. You're lucky you didn't get killed, especially with the drivers we have here.
Crossing the street with the light not too long ago a bicycle messenger blowing through the light knocked me over. Up went my feet right over my head. The trip down was fast but somehow there was plenty of time for visions of walkers, casts, pills, and medical bills. Pouf! I landed flat on my back, but cushioned by a backpack in which I always carry at least three heavy plastic bags for groceries and the like (trying to make these 3 bags last for the rest of my life). Like landing on a cloud. My head did not touch the pavement. No bruise, no muss, no fuss. Lesson learned: bring your own bags. Save the environment. You will be rewarded by the universe.
46
Hey! How about an instructional video or, at least, a series of illustrations?! You have to practice falling correctly as you would in judo classes in order to automatically fall correctly (muscle memory) especially when you slip on black ice as I did when I broke my wrist (surprise and no time to think).
10
It is never too late to practice and learn. Judo is great for teaching the best ways to fall and protect yourself. With caution, even older folks can profit from a little judo instruction.
5
When I was 40 I learned to use a long bamboo cross country ski pole as a walking stick in winter. When I was 60 I got a cane with a big head with steel points for walking in winter. My friends make fun of me for having the winter cane but it is really worth it especially when there are patches of ice on the sidewalk. I can walk pretty fast with the cane and I feel so much more relaxed and secure than without it. The bent shape is actually better than a ski pole for walking. It has a wrist strap. I sometimes walk miles with my cane in the winter.
13
As a judo instructor I teach new students how to fall, that is literally judo 101. Falling techniques need proper and consistent training as the event of unexpected falling is handled in the human brain by reflexes not logical thought. There is simply no time for that when a fall occurs. In judo we drill falling so that it shapes reflexes to be correct for a safe fall.
10
Where's an embedded video when you need one? I would have even accepted autoplay so I could learn it on this page and not have to go YouTube it.
3
Physical Therapists are paid to treat people after they get hurt so going to one may not be the best bet to learn how not to get hurt by falling or other reasons. One of the best gifts my parents gave me as a kid was tumbling lessons taught by a gymnastics coach. These folks and others (PE teachers, yogis, Tai Chi practitioners, etc) teach agility training for a living and can be very helpful.
2
That comment is very unfair to physical therapists who do so much more than post injury rehabilitation. A good physical therapist wants her patients to be as mobile, functional, and healthy as possible. That includes teaching you how to avoid injuries.
12
Good advice. I'm 73, have severe RA, severe balance problems, no muscles to speak of, very little padding and am unable to develop muscles due to the RA. Occasionally I do fall, but thanks to my Dad's incessant harping after I broke my collarbone playing football in grade school, when I fall, which I do, I just go with it.
People laugh at me because if I'm upright and lose balance and start to fall, I just collapse as slowly as possible into a compact bundle and then roll on over. It's terribly graceless and looks remarkably silly, I'm sure, but it works.
I fell recently due to extreme stupidity because my leg gave out while I was trying to climb up on a small table. I immediately let myself go with it and landed on my side. I got banged up, bruised and scraped, but no bones broken.
I did break my shoulder 3 years ago when a young cat clipped me on the ankles as I was in forward motion and there wasn't even time to relax before I was down, so it's not infallible, but if you practice mentally just falling and relaxing, you give yourself a better chance.
People laugh at me because if I'm upright and lose balance and start to fall, I just collapse as slowly as possible into a compact bundle and then roll on over. It's terribly graceless and looks remarkably silly, I'm sure, but it works.
I fell recently due to extreme stupidity because my leg gave out while I was trying to climb up on a small table. I immediately let myself go with it and landed on my side. I got banged up, bruised and scraped, but no bones broken.
I did break my shoulder 3 years ago when a young cat clipped me on the ankles as I was in forward motion and there wasn't even time to relax before I was down, so it's not infallible, but if you practice mentally just falling and relaxing, you give yourself a better chance.
8
Ellie - Your strategy of crumbling down into a compact bundle is excellent. My 93 year old mother-in-law started falling regularly and that's exactly how she tended to fall - not because she did it strategically but because (as she described it) her legs suddenly felt like they would not hold her up. She took several of these falls in various placed, including in a parking lot and never got hurt. (Of course this kept her in denial about her fall risk - she kept saying these were not "really" falls.) It wasn't until she stumbled and fell backward one day in her own home and fractured her pelvis that she finally admitted she had "fallen." Ever resilient, she bounced back from this fall because the fracture was a simple one. She lived another couple of years and then died suddenly of a heart attack while getting ready for dinner. All those years of daily walking and a lot of gardening kept her in pretty good shape right up to the end.
9
Fell last spring. Landed on my hands. It didn't hurt my wrists, but man my shoulder still hurts. Fell again last week on uneven stairs. Messed up my shoulder further . Ugh. :( I will practice this falling you speak of.
5
This is an article that could have used some diagrams or a video.
7
My girlfriends and I run in the early morning darkness and have taken the craziest falls - tripping mainly on concrete sidewalk cracks. But I agree that paratroopers and even martial art practitioners most likely have the knowledge that a fall is in their very near future. But as we are running along...chatting... and suddenly find ourselves airborne - time and thought process are both hard to come by. Plus - we are falling onto concrete. To go for an actual head over heels roll seems risky.
1
Well, at least thinking about my falling takes my attention away momentarily from the mess into which our country is falling.
2
The instinct to protect my head, and to fall on my butt saved me when a heavy truck hit me in the street when I was a teenager. It was my own fault. I went flying. The time seemed to have stretched, and I had time to think and control how to fall. I also thought I needed to apologize to the driver. I tucked my head in and fell on my hip, the only damage was a black bruise than my parents never discovered, so they never knew I made a mistake.
3
Riding my bike down a hill, a car turned in front of me - I hit the car and went sailing over the hood. With thoughts of protecting my head, I tucked it in and ended up doing a somersault in mid air, landing on my shoulder, rolling onto my back, standing up and walking away with a few bruises. Pretty much the 'judo roll' from my elementary school judo class many years back. The bike was not so lucky. In any case, though it I can't say I planned the move, It does illustrate the point of the article - landing the 'right way' can make a huge difference. I could have just as easily landed on my face or stuck my arms out with more unpleasant consequences.
2
Too complicated. Sorry!
2
The Feldenkrais Method, developed by Judo master and physicist Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, teaches you not only how to fall softly and with grace, but also how to easily rise back into an upright position. After participating in Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement lessons, I had a spectacular fall onto a stone patio several feet below me. Instead of bracing myself, I simply gave into gravity as time slowed down. In a horizontal position on my side, I was able to sense the force of impact travel from my ribcage through my pelvis and down and out through my foot. (My ribs felt less like a cage than a spring: with its many joints the ribcage is capable of movement and thus shock absorption). I got up laughing and exhilarated. My head and glasses never hit the stone, and I simply had a bruised thigh and cut on my elbow. Strength and agility are great, but no substitute for the kind of instinct that one develops in Feldenkrais. What's more, seniors, who are the most likely to fall and the most likely to be injured, love it because it is the most gentle 'exercise' class they have ever encountered.
1
Falling isn't the problem, it's the landing that hurts.
2
The absolute kings/queens of falling are Aikidoist's and Judoka. No other martial art(s) come closer. From day one in an Aikido school, you are taught to fall--not as an afterthought, but a an integrated part of their curriculum.
1
This is good advice for falling while walking, but what about when you are riding a bicycle with your feet clipped into the pedals?
2
I was with tour group when a 70-year-old woman tripped over a curb and hurtled forward across a sidewalk, landing in a hedge, sustaining nothing more than a couple of scratches. She explained she had purposely launched herself forward to avoid landing on the concrete, saying "those childhood gymnastics classes have come in handy." Needless to say, all of us were not only relieved, but impressed. The tour guide probably was the most relieved - SO MUCH PAPERWORK if one of your charges gets hurt. ;-)
4
I always have trouble following this sort of advice, because I don't understand things like how an expert quickly "distributes his weight." Huh? A slow-motion video that I could watch several times would be helpful. I just did a quick search online and could not find one, just home movies of people falling downstairs. Surely something is out there?
Seriously. Slow motion. For those of us who can't dance, either.
Seriously. Slow motion. For those of us who can't dance, either.
1
twist and land on your buttocks.... have done this twice after tripping on uneven sidewalks.... got a skinned knee once and not even a bruise the other time. I was, however, completely knocked down playing tennis (thanks partner) and got no bruises from that, so maybe I have just enough fat to absorb impact.
1
fell off horse, landed on butt, broke pelvis
When I was a serious rollerblader I used to practice rolling falls on soft grass. It looked silly but it worked and I was less afraid of falling and more prepared. Practice makes perfect.
1
Another way NOT to fall: if you're tilting backward,
do not raise your arms to try to regain your balance.
Falling backward with an arm raised above your head
is guaranteed to dislocate your shoulder ... leading to
excruciating pain and looonng rehabilitation time.
do not raise your arms to try to regain your balance.
Falling backward with an arm raised above your head
is guaranteed to dislocate your shoulder ... leading to
excruciating pain and looonng rehabilitation time.
Great advice but like anything else, we need to practice it, not just read about the technique. This would be a great opportunity for senior centers to host classes (using soft mats for cushioning).
4
Sounds like you need unagi
If I knew that I was going to fall I could plan ahead. But it happened so fast that I was lucky to get my hands up and come away with badly scraped palms and knees. No time for alternate positioning.
3
I trip and fall forward while running a few times a year and have done so for the past four or five years. I tribute it to a combination of not picking up my feet as much as I used to, combined with slower reflexes recovering from the stumble. So far, I have only lost some skin off the palms of my hands and a knee occasionally. I have never broken anything. I have, however, started wearing padded biking gloves to protect my palms while running.
4
Not picking up my feet as much as I used to, i.e., dragging my feet, has caused me to frequently trip and to fall a few times on NYC's uneven sidewalks. Then one time I fractured and seriously cut my nose. You're walking along, and then you're on the ground. No time to strategize. I now always, always look down while walking and concentrate on lifting my feet.
1
No video?
4
I'm an avid equestrian. Been dumped off a horse more than a few times over the years. It's amazing how even a quarter turn so impact is the flat of the scapula, ribs, and a butt cheek prevents injury and getting the wind knocked out. I haven't seen it as a skill that I learned. Instinct? Not sure...
2
The advice these experts are giving make logical sense. It is definitely most important to protect the head when falling, as it is the most vulnerable part of the body and direct impact to the head could be lethal. From a scientific standpoint, it also makes sense not to fall on bonier parts of the body such as the elbows and knees. This is because these parts of the body are hard and do not compress as much upon impact. This would cause the impact time to increase, decreasing the force exerted on the body. Falling on larger parts of the body such as latissimus dorsi, would also decrease the risk of injury, as the force of the impact is dispersed over a larger surface area. I agree with what these experts are saying and believe that this is important information for people to know.
In primary school, my brother and I both played rugby for the school team. During rugby practice one day, my brother was holding the ball, and while running towards the end of the field, was tackled by another player and suffered a serious injury to the head, causing him to be hospitalized for months. There definitely needs to be more awareness on this topic of how to fall properly as it something that happens often, and just one bad fall is needed to cost someone their life, or cause serious damage. It is even more important for people involved in sports, especially contact sports, to be educated on how to fall correctly to ensure that they are healthy and safe.
In primary school, my brother and I both played rugby for the school team. During rugby practice one day, my brother was holding the ball, and while running towards the end of the field, was tackled by another player and suffered a serious injury to the head, causing him to be hospitalized for months. There definitely needs to be more awareness on this topic of how to fall properly as it something that happens often, and just one bad fall is needed to cost someone their life, or cause serious damage. It is even more important for people involved in sports, especially contact sports, to be educated on how to fall correctly to ensure that they are healthy and safe.
2
One thing I always say to myself when it's slippery out is to take BABY STEPS!!! It's my way of remembering to take shorter steps--which make falling less likely. When it's really icy out I have a pair of yak-tracks (they attach to your shoes). They are not perfect (and don't last forever when they are used on bare patches of concrete pavement), but I get home from a walk with the dog in one piece.
7
I'm addicted to the "foosh", and have the plates and screws in my wrists to prove it. And the funny thing is...I actually know the paratrooper technique. I suppose I just haven't practiced it enough, so when I fall, I fall back on what I know - good ol' foosh. Luckily, it hasn't affected my brain in any way. Luckily, it hasn't affected my brain in any way.
5
This advice works best if you are able-bodied or that there are no weak links in your handicapped, stroked, or debilitated body.
Falling on an upper arm can induce a break at the shoulder--I know.
Falling on the butt, usuall the best fleshy place, risks the coccyx.
Work with your physical therapist, orthopedist, or other specialist, if you are disabled, to find the safest way to fall considering your own unique body and its disability weak points.
Falling on an upper arm can induce a break at the shoulder--I know.
Falling on the butt, usuall the best fleshy place, risks the coccyx.
Work with your physical therapist, orthopedist, or other specialist, if you are disabled, to find the safest way to fall considering your own unique body and its disability weak points.
3
Good article: essential info to avoid grief and pain.
There's no safe way to fall in love... Doh...
2
Happened to me not two months ago; emerging from the back of a restaurant with friends in almost-total darkness. Lost my footing, felt myself begin to go down and just relaxed - didn't try to break the fall with my arms or prevent it in any way. Let myself fall into a wooden wall with a huge bang, then straightened up, sweet-as-you-please, no injury, no nothing. You would have thought the building was falling down from the sound of my impact, but better the wall take the brunt than me. I was not injured in the slightest, nor did I fall on the ground. I got strong thighs, yo.
2
Time to pull out the thick foam exercise mat and practice falling until myy natural foosh instincts are retrained.
Young children are the best "fallers" because their weight to surface area ratio is vastly superior to that of adults. Because of the geometric ratio between body weight and size, the smaller you are, the more resistant you will be to falling injuries. This is why children can fly through the hair, flop face-first onto hard cement, and get up and brush themselves off with minor injuries while an adult doing the same thing would likely need an ambulance.
It's the same reason that mice can fall huge distances without hurting themselves, but a horse falling during a race often results in the horse having to be put down.
It's also why a cat can fall much further than a tiger without injury, even though the tiger is basically just a scaled-up version of the cat in terms of physiology.
It's the same reason that mice can fall huge distances without hurting themselves, but a horse falling during a race often results in the horse having to be put down.
It's also why a cat can fall much further than a tiger without injury, even though the tiger is basically just a scaled-up version of the cat in terms of physiology.
1
The late ballerina and teacher Ruthanna Boris fell so beautifully and safely in Serenade while Balanchine was choreographing it that he made it part of the dance.
The technique she taught works standing, running, even when holding a baby in arms while tripping at the top of a flight of stairs or when being shot at in combat. (I have used it in each of those emergency situations.
Here is what Ms Boris taught.
To a slow count of 8 "melt" slowly down and to your back on the ground without using your hands and to another slow eight without using your hands return from the ground to standing.
Do not jerk like a marionette with its strings cut but flowing melt down and smoothly flow back up. If you get to fast and are reaching the finish early SLOW.
After a half a dozen or so times, speed it up a bit.
Eventually be moving as fast as you can count.
In an emergency when you trip or slip and fight or hop for balance you will instantly start your flow into the ground and even if you go headfirst down the stairs, baby in arm, you will lose control half or two thirds of the way down and your center of gravity will be low like a child's.
I have taught police and soldiers to draw a weapon or knife while falling and melting into the ground so smoothly that the for does not realize you have cut or are firing until it has happened.
If you stumble or hit the ground under Chinese infantry doctrine you take a giant lunge step as you trip and gold into the ground while rolling onto your
The technique she taught works standing, running, even when holding a baby in arms while tripping at the top of a flight of stairs or when being shot at in combat. (I have used it in each of those emergency situations.
Here is what Ms Boris taught.
To a slow count of 8 "melt" slowly down and to your back on the ground without using your hands and to another slow eight without using your hands return from the ground to standing.
Do not jerk like a marionette with its strings cut but flowing melt down and smoothly flow back up. If you get to fast and are reaching the finish early SLOW.
After a half a dozen or so times, speed it up a bit.
Eventually be moving as fast as you can count.
In an emergency when you trip or slip and fight or hop for balance you will instantly start your flow into the ground and even if you go headfirst down the stairs, baby in arm, you will lose control half or two thirds of the way down and your center of gravity will be low like a child's.
I have taught police and soldiers to draw a weapon or knife while falling and melting into the ground so smoothly that the for does not realize you have cut or are firing until it has happened.
If you stumble or hit the ground under Chinese infantry doctrine you take a giant lunge step as you trip and gold into the ground while rolling onto your
I can no longer always aim a part of my body as I fall, but I do relax my muscles. If you land on any muscled part of your body when mucles are tense, it will hurt and often bruise. At minimum, keep your head from hitting anything solid.
I've only had one episode of syncope but apparently everything relaxed. Nothing hurt when I came to four hours later. That was just weird.
One thing I didn't see, but it may be in the article: as we get older or if you know your bones may break easily, don't sit in chairs without arms. If the only seats are on a sofa, sit at either end. Dining room chairs are OK if you use the table to help stand. In some situations, I stand rather than sit on an armless chair.
The reason? Many times, old folks don't stand then fall and break their hip. They break the neck of the femur by standing without support, then get almost to their feet. A broken hip will not support anyone, so he or she lands on the floor. It's an experience we should all avoid.
Use a cane or walking stick and don't worry about what folks think. I did have a young man intentionally knock my cane out of his way so his briefcase could be comfortable on the floor of a bus. There are jerks everywhere.
As long as you have the mobility to do so, gentle stretching exercises will keep you limber enough to help control your falls. The age at which this becomes difficult is not predictable, so listen to your body.
I've only had one episode of syncope but apparently everything relaxed. Nothing hurt when I came to four hours later. That was just weird.
One thing I didn't see, but it may be in the article: as we get older or if you know your bones may break easily, don't sit in chairs without arms. If the only seats are on a sofa, sit at either end. Dining room chairs are OK if you use the table to help stand. In some situations, I stand rather than sit on an armless chair.
The reason? Many times, old folks don't stand then fall and break their hip. They break the neck of the femur by standing without support, then get almost to their feet. A broken hip will not support anyone, so he or she lands on the floor. It's an experience we should all avoid.
Use a cane or walking stick and don't worry about what folks think. I did have a young man intentionally knock my cane out of his way so his briefcase could be comfortable on the floor of a bus. There are jerks everywhere.
As long as you have the mobility to do so, gentle stretching exercises will keep you limber enough to help control your falls. The age at which this becomes difficult is not predictable, so listen to your body.
2
A video would have been nice, showing how to fall properly.
Too late! Fell and injured my back last night. Rats.
Excellent helpful article.I first encountered PLF's, parachute landing falls when practicing for solo parachute jumping back in 1971.Hit and roll to disperse the downward vector force is the basic strategy, and it works beautifully, always!When crashing sideways, on a bicycle two years ago, I gripped the handle bar close to the stem,allowing the impact to hit the handle bar, and my side. Result , no broken wrist.
Aim for the meat, not the bone. Nice aphorism that pretty well sums up the article, though for many, "meat" might be too lean a term. Just hit the floor with your cushiony parts.
While the techniques described in the article may well be valid for falls that occur when walking, they do not apply to those sudden falls that can befall (no pun intended here) highly experienced, extremely fit, and very fast trail runners such as myself.
Last October, as I was running downhill on Mount Wilson Trail (CA), a trail that I have run hundreds and hundreds of times, in a minute moment of inattention in the trickiest, rockiest section of the trail, with a sheer drop to my left, I did, quite suddenly, fall, very hard.
I sustained a deep laceration, just below the right knee cap, which, felicitously, did not affect any of the tendons.
As of this writing, some three months on, the laceration is, at long last, closing. (I had to be hospitalized for three days, with severe blood poisoning, for the injury had been improperly cleaned in the E.R.)
Owing to my elevated running speed, the suddenness of the fall, and the nature of the terrain, it would have been impossible for me, or anyone else for that matter, to apply any of the techniques described in Kate Murphy's interesting piece.
Last October, as I was running downhill on Mount Wilson Trail (CA), a trail that I have run hundreds and hundreds of times, in a minute moment of inattention in the trickiest, rockiest section of the trail, with a sheer drop to my left, I did, quite suddenly, fall, very hard.
I sustained a deep laceration, just below the right knee cap, which, felicitously, did not affect any of the tendons.
As of this writing, some three months on, the laceration is, at long last, closing. (I had to be hospitalized for three days, with severe blood poisoning, for the injury had been improperly cleaned in the E.R.)
Owing to my elevated running speed, the suddenness of the fall, and the nature of the terrain, it would have been impossible for me, or anyone else for that matter, to apply any of the techniques described in Kate Murphy's interesting piece.
3
Another way to practice falling is contact improv, a modern dance technique. You can fall from all kinds of interesting positions.
Trying to fall onto your thigh risks breaking your hip. I've known several people who fell on their buttocks and broke their coccyx, a permanent injury. Wrist injuries, if they happen, are usually far less serious.
3
Watch Buster Keaton movies, slow motion if possible. Peter Sellers is very good also. Binge watch some Max Roach comedies when your snowed in...
Make that Hal Roach.
I have fallen off my new horse at the gallop. I was 64 at the time, and all I did was get badly bruised. In my opinion, what saved me from more serious injury was my helmet, and the fact that I did not have time to stiffen up or panic while falling. Also, 12 more pounds than what I weighed in high school. People sometimes underestimate the value of fat.
1
Having just returned from visiting a friend in a rehab center full of people, mostly elderly ladies, with broken hips, this article has encouraged me to look into learning how to fall.
Speaking of which, I saw a segment on a show one time about a professor who was studying some of the reasons that older people were likely to fall instead of being able to avoid falling after tripping over an obstacle. They did video studies of the difference between how younger people reacted after tripping compared to older people. It seemed to me that there might be something we could learn from these studies that would be useful as we age, but I never found any more information about the study.
Speaking of which, I saw a segment on a show one time about a professor who was studying some of the reasons that older people were likely to fall instead of being able to avoid falling after tripping over an obstacle. They did video studies of the difference between how younger people reacted after tripping compared to older people. It seemed to me that there might be something we could learn from these studies that would be useful as we age, but I never found any more information about the study.
3
I was able to do a quirky activity when I was young of riding a sled down a hill while standing up. As you can imagine that the only way I was able to enjoy such an activity, and the many inevitable falls, was knowing, intuitively how to fall. I wouldn't recommend this as a sport but now that I'm old and grey I realize I survived many sports falls, winter falls, aging falls, falls from grace as well, based on knowing how to duck and roll.
1
And don't forget to fall in slow motion so that you remember not to fall on you back, head, side, wrist, knee . . .
3
I tripped over an item walking at a brisk pace and instinctively chose to land on my side. (I know never fall forward with outstretched arms from growing up in the land of ice and snow where falls are much more common.) Unfortunately, landing on my side severed the radial bone where it connects to one's elbow. It is a very difficult bone to heal because it is generally NOT immobilized and just moving your wrist twists your radius. That being said, I would like to add that it may be better to land on the thicker part of your upper arm and to make sure your elbow is not between your body and the floor.
I've found another way to fall. - The Moody Blues, "After You Came" from Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (1971).
When you are skiing with poles and fall, this advice doesn't quite work and could result in a broken rib. it is better to slide like sliding into home plate. Sometimes you can bounce right back up.
5
I took a beginner's judo course at the Women's Liberation Center in LA back in 1969. All I remember is the "judo roll," but it prevented serious injury twice in recent years.
Stepping into a 4-foot drop in a dark parking lot one year, and then the next year tripping on an unmarked curb and tumbling over a heap of suitcases, I automatically tucked my head and rolled head-over-heels instead of going Splat! Pretty good for a Little Old Lady (LOL).
Stepping into a 4-foot drop in a dark parking lot one year, and then the next year tripping on an unmarked curb and tumbling over a heap of suitcases, I automatically tucked my head and rolled head-over-heels instead of going Splat! Pretty good for a Little Old Lady (LOL).
74
I'm handicapped and a physical therapist taught me to fall just that way.
2
Oh, sure, I'm going to do all that thinking and analyzing on the way down.
I fell on ice and broke my wrist more than 10 years ago (a "spring is in the air" March day). I didn't see a strip of very smooth ice. My two feet went up to the left and I came down on my right wrist. One minute I was happily walking; the next I was sitting on the ice with my insides going boing-yoing-yoing.
A couple of years ago I was walking through a basement at work, not realizing that the floor was wet (no sign out). I fell right down on my fanny and slid hitting my knee on a fire door edge. So, the fanny is a "soft" part? I hurt a lot, but since my back hurts all the time I figured that was the consequence of slamming it to the floor. Ten days later, I saw the doc. I have a compression fracture of my spine... so much for sitting on the "soft" spot.
I fell on ice and broke my wrist more than 10 years ago (a "spring is in the air" March day). I didn't see a strip of very smooth ice. My two feet went up to the left and I came down on my right wrist. One minute I was happily walking; the next I was sitting on the ice with my insides going boing-yoing-yoing.
A couple of years ago I was walking through a basement at work, not realizing that the floor was wet (no sign out). I fell right down on my fanny and slid hitting my knee on a fire door edge. So, the fanny is a "soft" part? I hurt a lot, but since my back hurts all the time I figured that was the consequence of slamming it to the floor. Ten days later, I saw the doc. I have a compression fracture of my spine... so much for sitting on the "soft" spot.
40
Well, it *is* possible, just FYI. Not easy, of course. I slipped on some tide pool rocks a few years ago and fell backwards (which also happened to be downhill). I distinctly remember thinking "Turn more to your side so you don't jolt your spine, knock the wind out of you, and bash your head," and then, "No, don't stick your arm out straight--you'll break it." It was a painful fall, but the only thing I broke were the two toes that were stuck between rocks.
"Oh, sure, I'm going to do all that thinking and analyzing on the way down."
No, you are not going to think and analyze. Falling properly is a trained reflex. Once you learn how to do it (which takes some practice), you just do it without thinking.
I think one of the best things almost anyone can do is to learn how to fall properly, because we all fall, sooner or later--it's how we are built, walking around upright on two feet. Seek out such training, from martial artists or wherever you can find it. You won't regret it.
No, you are not going to think and analyze. Falling properly is a trained reflex. Once you learn how to do it (which takes some practice), you just do it without thinking.
I think one of the best things almost anyone can do is to learn how to fall properly, because we all fall, sooner or later--it's how we are built, walking around upright on two feet. Seek out such training, from martial artists or wherever you can find it. You won't regret it.
1
I'm sorry that it happened to you, but you had not read this article prior to your falling.
Most likely you would have had a flashback if you had read it before and by incorporating a little bit of rolling motion during your fall could have prevented wrist fracture and compression fracture you sustained. You would be surprised how fast our memories work in the face of dangerous events.
Most likely you would have had a flashback if you had read it before and by incorporating a little bit of rolling motion during your fall could have prevented wrist fracture and compression fracture you sustained. You would be surprised how fast our memories work in the face of dangerous events.
1
I fell about a week ago while walking the dog at night. I fell on my side but fell on my artificial hip. That really scared me because I thought, what happens if a person falls hard on an artificial joint? I've been sore around the replacement hip but it still works.
What does happen if you fall on your hip and it's artificial?
What does happen if you fall on your hip and it's artificial?
9
Call your regular doctor to find out what you should do. Never wait on something like that.
2
I don't know if it's true or not, but a friend with an artificial hip said that her doctor told her if she fell on her hip, something else might break, but the artificial hip was pretty indestructible.
3
I had a very bad fall down icy steps two weeks ago. Fourty years of Karate training allowed me to do the things mentioned in this article. Instead of going to the emergency room I was able to share a laugh with everyone that saw my fall. I told everyone that the first thing I learned in Karate was how to fall. The next day I didn't even notice it.
15
So where's the video for the e-readers among us? It would have been far more informative. A YouTube URL for the paper folks would have done that as well. Please keep in mind our time is just as precious as yours. Thank you.
39
In retrospect, one of the most valuable parts of pilot training was a day getting knocked off platforms and learning to fall. 10 years later, I fell off an extension ladder, 15 feet, and hit the ground in a manner that would have been a poorly scored "parachute landing fall" but was adequate to prevent damage. Twenty years later, it has protected me through this foolish project of learning to ski well into my 40's. Let me encourage everyone with grey hair to take a class on falling. Many martial arts classes and senior centers offer them.
33
Tripping is a bodily experience that falls under Dionysus. Losing balance has a ritual quality, and you can see it in Titian's painting "Bacchus and Ariadne." If you look you can see the god tripping into the frame. See Detienne's "Dionysus at Large" where he goes over tripping. https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/titian-bacchus-and-ariadne
Our contemporary ideas around psychedelic tripping are coherent with this archetypal bodily action.
Our contemporary ideas around psychedelic tripping are coherent with this archetypal bodily action.
8
Fascinating. This is why I enjoy reading the comments section of the Times. Such breadth of knowledge exists in my fellow readers. Thank you.
2
Ah, Berkeley. Where would we be without you?
2
This article presumes that you can be sufficiently aware to fall correctly while sufficiently oblivious of the fall hazard.
27
Falling happens so fast !
2
Remember, the ground is your friend. The sooner you're lying down on it, the sooner you are out of harm's way and on your road to recovery.
And always, always, always, remember to tuck your head. Almost everything else will heal.
And always, always, always, remember to tuck your head. Almost everything else will heal.
27
It's almost just as important to protect your neck. In tucking your head you can end up landing on your cervical spine, and either fracturing vertebrae or wrenching them badly enough to damage a disk. Been there, done that. Necks don't heal very well. Whenever I see a football player land on his neck -- especially the side of his neck -- I cringe.
1
Thank you for covering this under reported topic.It would really be enhanced by including a video showing (not telling!) us how to fall. We ALL need to learn this skill.
120
Yes a video please!!!!
1
I have fallen the wrong way — foosh: falling on outstretched hands -- when I slipped on a patch of ice beneath fresh snow — and I broke my wrist.
And I have fallen the right way totally by accident: I was holding an armload of binders when I caught my foot in a fence. I didn’t want to drop the binders, so I hunched in and rolled sideways — and didn’t hurt anything when I fell!! I was sore, but not much. And completely surprised.
And I have fallen the right way totally by accident: I was holding an armload of binders when I caught my foot in a fence. I didn’t want to drop the binders, so I hunched in and rolled sideways — and didn’t hurt anything when I fell!! I was sore, but not much. And completely surprised.
52
A great reason why parents should applaud and laugh when a child falls and springs back up--not cringe in fear. Also to teach kids sports where falling is natural & expected. Since I was a child I've fallen off of bikes, ice skates, cross country skis, sleds, rollerblades, dogsleds and tripped while hiking--and I always laugh like crazy while doing it & find a way to push myself up almost immediately. Whenever I fall now as a 50 adult, I laugh and say to people helping me up, "Oh, don't worry, I'm REALLY GOOD at falling!" They think I'm crazy & a klutz, but what I really mean is that I am NOT AFRAID to fall, EXPECT TO fall (at times) and know how to spring back up. I've suffered many bruises, but none to my ego!
40
Just remember SLAPFALL.
1
Walking on uneven ground has helped me maintain my sense of balance. Walking around my lumpy acreage with gopher holes and backpacking on slippery granite has given me a kind of muscle memory that helps me react immediately so I can catch myself before gravity takes over.
16
It gets more difficult as you age.
2
Good practice is diving hand/head first from through a hoop at torso level and going into a roll.
5
Even if I had read this article before I fell and broke my elbow 4 weeks ago, I probably would have had the same result. Unlike a paratrooper, I had a fraction of a second after someone bumped into me while ice-skating to fall. I instictively threw my arm out, protecting my head, but breaking my elbow.
18
You can't protect yourself in every fall, particularly on ice, but learning the right techniques certainly lessens the probability of breaking bones.
Notwithstanding your admirable descriptions, slow-motion graphics/videos are what would be useful here.
21
Ha, well, I know from personal experience on an ice skating rink once upon a time, that there is most definitely a WRONG way to fall, and that is called FOOSH; FOrward OutStretched Hand (caps mine, but I think that's about got to be what it stands for). Therefore, not-FOOSH must be the RIGHT way to fall...
1
Sorry, that's Fall On OutStretched Hand, which does make more sense. There wasn't anything very "forward" in skating accident, indeed, all quite backward...
3
For those skeptics allow me to say (as one who has fallen from bikes, on ice skates, tripping over own feet, and once, amazingly, was knocked to the ground by a tiny little ping-pong ball)... Some falls are too fast to do much: like when standing still on ice, and your feet shoot out and you drop straight down. But most falls (at least most of mine) do allow some time to react, and this advice is good for those. And do note landing on a buttock or thigh is not the same as landing on a hip. Don't land on a hip. And also, worth repeating, if, when you are moving, you sense a fall coming, don't try to stop. All things being equal, a fall while moving hurts less, and allows you to absorb the blow my rotating, than one while still: just ask those ice skaters.
9
A martial arts practitioner I know said this: the chance that you'll get into a barroom brawl may be fairly small but the probability that you will fall is pretty close to 1 (a certainty).
21
Attend yoga classes. Practice balance by standing on one leg.
The best way to fall is to avoid it, if possible.
The best way to fall is to avoid it, if possible.
9
Falling is the easy part. The hard part is knowing all too well all the reasons why you have to get back up.
8
I think the key in this is to somehow spin as you go down, and hit is such a way that the spin is magnified. That causes some of the energy in your fall to be dissipated into the spin instead of having to be absorbed by your body. I know it worked for me once many years ago when a horse I was on stumbled on its front legs. I tumbled over its head and fell in front of it, hitting the ground on my shoulders and ending up on my back with my head facing back toward the horse. I got right up with no injury at all. Dumb luck but hey it worked (and thank goodness for the helmet).
6
The right way to fall is to be young.
90
Experienced skiers learn to use a forward facing fall to tumble and end up with feet & skis facing downslope. The results are spectacular, but rarely harmful. Similarly climbers practice self arrests for steep snow slopes by starting with a head first, belly up, slide on safe slopes, pivoting around on the ice axe to end up facing into the slope, with feet downhill. In a real fall or slide you need to automatically flip around on your ice axe by tumbling into position before you've built up too much speed
6
Excellent article.
I teach Dan Zan Ryu jujitsu. We practice safe rolling and falling in every class, and I offer a short class in safe rolling & falling. It's easiest to learn this stuff when you're young, especially if you're able to practice it on some kind of ongoing basis.
I teach Dan Zan Ryu jujitsu. We practice safe rolling and falling in every class, and I offer a short class in safe rolling & falling. It's easiest to learn this stuff when you're young, especially if you're able to practice it on some kind of ongoing basis.
10
Training on how to fall less dangerously is another thing that would benefit health care costs but that insurance companies probably won't pay for.
44
Why to pay? One can easily learn it for free. I really don't see your point.
Hooray for this article! I work out in the gym and have great upper body strength to push myself off the floor. But get this: I actually practice falling down and then practice getting back up. I'll say to myself, "Okay, you've taken a bad fall, now get yourself back up!" I will often pretend that I've broken a hip or sprained an ankle. This routine practice forces me to maneuver my body no matter where or how I take a tumble. A while back, I tripped and fell face first on a restaurant floor. I was able to pick myself up by using only my core and arm strength. People think I'm nuts for practicing my falling skills, but when they take their own Humpty Dumpty tumble, they'll understand my method in a heartbeat!
22
It seems every year I fall at least once on icy sidewalks. Just as others have said - it's so fast. One second I'm upright, and literally the next second I'm on my back. If I see the ice, I shuffle-walk & lean forward - that always helps - never fall with that strategy. The problem is with black ice.
18
Practice falling into a snowbank ( 3 feet high is nice) when you are skiing -- even as a beginner. Practice not shuffling your feet when you walk so that you don't fall forward (where your instinct will be to put out your arms and hands or you will fall on your head. Watch when you are walking and don't rush on stairs or on slippery surfaces. TAKE a CANE with you in the winter, and use it. (Better w/o the rubber tip.) Never leave paper on the floor.
Be aware that cuts on the head bleed copiously, but may not be esp. damaging.
Jumping from side to side -- really ??not for oldsters with replaced knees, bad knees, bad hips.
Frankly, you won't have time to think before falling... but if you relax as you go down you probably won't get hurt.
Be aware that cuts on the head bleed copiously, but may not be esp. damaging.
Jumping from side to side -- really ??not for oldsters with replaced knees, bad knees, bad hips.
Frankly, you won't have time to think before falling... but if you relax as you go down you probably won't get hurt.
13
Very good article that addresses something that most folks don't think about but probably should. I took tae-kwon-do classes a number of years ago and we practiced falling, which is a lot more forgiving on mats than in the real world. Rolling with the fall and spreading the force out is one of the keys to minimizing damage. I run trails now and inevitable go down at least a few times a year due to wet leaves, roots etc. Practicing falling has helps minimize the damage but it still hurts. Especially my pride, but only if someone else sees me fall.
I also recall that according to The Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe, the way to fly is to throw oneself down to the ground and miss. Have not mastered that one yet. I never miss.
I also recall that according to The Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe, the way to fly is to throw oneself down to the ground and miss. Have not mastered that one yet. I never miss.
15
I have been trained in the PLF (Parachute Landing Fall), however there have been times when my falls were a complete surprise (Like slipping on ice while taking a step). I am on the ground before I even know what happened. When I am completely caught off guard during a fall, I attempt to break my fall with my arms and hands, which has damaged my wrist to the point of requiring surgery. However, when I am on guard for a fall, I can roll right into a PLF position and come away unharmed. As I age, I am more cautious about where I plant my feet. I am also scared of harming the knee replacement I had three years ago. I think some refresher practice every few weeks especially during the winter would help make the PLF instinctual.
7
I'm sending this article to my mom, a 93-year-old who's already suffered a fractured wrist. Although too late, it might help in the future
1
I learned this technique in eighth grade gym class. The teacher got out the wrestling mats, lined us up in two lines and had us run onto the mat, roll, get up, continue and roll on the other side. Then line up at the far end and repeat coming back. I think we did for two gym periods, after which it became second nature. I have fallen a number of times in the last 57 years and the rolling lessons have kicked in automatically and have paid off.
I'm not sure of his name after all these years, but I think it was Mr. Sprague. So, Mr. Sprague (?), Thank You!
I'm not sure of his name after all these years, but I think it was Mr. Sprague. So, Mr. Sprague (?), Thank You!
30
Back when I was working in construction, I once fell about a dozen feet from the top of a ladder while nailing some paneling to the exterior of a house we were building. I had failed to secure the base of the ladder, and it slid out from under me. Kept the nail gun in my hand the whole way down.
I can't claim to have done this intentionally, but while I was falling I twisted around a bit so that I landed mostly on my right thigh and rolled a little as I hit the ground. Ended up with a bruise the size of Montana and could barely walk for a few days, but no lasting damage. Didn't even bother going to the doctor (mainly because I didn't have insurance).
So the advice given in this article rings true in my experience.
I can't claim to have done this intentionally, but while I was falling I twisted around a bit so that I landed mostly on my right thigh and rolled a little as I hit the ground. Ended up with a bruise the size of Montana and could barely walk for a few days, but no lasting damage. Didn't even bother going to the doctor (mainly because I didn't have insurance).
So the advice given in this article rings true in my experience.
11
Your local/county government or hospital may offer a series of (free) classes named something like A Matter of Balance, Stepping On, etc.
Call now because sometimes there are waiting lists.
Call now because sometimes there are waiting lists.
4
This is great advice - and I wish I had had it long ago!
I am not remotely elderly, but I have weak ankles (college stupidity). Every now and then, the ankle gives and down I go. Last year, this happened and I did the FOOSH move. Not smart. Both knees are a mess.
It's really too bad I didn't know about this plan. Those other areas of the body are nicely padded!
I am not remotely elderly, but I have weak ankles (college stupidity). Every now and then, the ankle gives and down I go. Last year, this happened and I did the FOOSH move. Not smart. Both knees are a mess.
It's really too bad I didn't know about this plan. Those other areas of the body are nicely padded!
9
This is generally sound advice. The problem is when you’re about to fall on a perpendicular object of volume rather than a surface, which is bad in itself and also will make you try to direct yourself from it in a way that makes the advice more difficult to follow.
5
The next time I fall I'll make sure to orient my body to the ground so when I hit, there’s a multistep process of hitting and shifting my body weight to break up that impact. I'll keep that in mind. Also, next time I drop a glass, I'll kick up with my right foot, kicking the glass unbroken back into my hand.
43
It sure does seem like you'd have to practice it. Fortunately, sometimes the body just knows what to do.
I remember riding my bicycle across town (in NY, that is), and being unable to get out of the way when a taxi rider opened his door. The bike smashed into the door, the back wheel came up off the ground, and I came up off the seat.
It was one of those slow-motion moments - I remember it (or, at least, I imagine remembering it) as if I was almost flowing through water. My body leaned to the side, and I effortlessly rolled over several times on the ground, and without any apparent conscious effort on my part, spontaneously began to come up off the ground after the final roll and ended up standing on my feet.
I quietly walked over to the bike, picked it up, and got back on. This was in my late 40s, so it wasn't just a matter of youth.
Just a few weeks ago, leaving a party and walking down a poorly lit sidewalk, I lost my footing as I started to descend a 6 step stone stairway. I certainly didn't have any conscious sense of what I was doing, but I lost and regain my footing, then missed the next step, lost and regained my footing, and actually did this 5 or 6 times before landing upright on the ground. If someone had witnessed this they certainly would have thought I was having some kind of seizure.
So, practice if you can, but if not, trust the wisdom of your body. It can be quite magical.
I remember riding my bicycle across town (in NY, that is), and being unable to get out of the way when a taxi rider opened his door. The bike smashed into the door, the back wheel came up off the ground, and I came up off the seat.
It was one of those slow-motion moments - I remember it (or, at least, I imagine remembering it) as if I was almost flowing through water. My body leaned to the side, and I effortlessly rolled over several times on the ground, and without any apparent conscious effort on my part, spontaneously began to come up off the ground after the final roll and ended up standing on my feet.
I quietly walked over to the bike, picked it up, and got back on. This was in my late 40s, so it wasn't just a matter of youth.
Just a few weeks ago, leaving a party and walking down a poorly lit sidewalk, I lost my footing as I started to descend a 6 step stone stairway. I certainly didn't have any conscious sense of what I was doing, but I lost and regain my footing, then missed the next step, lost and regained my footing, and actually did this 5 or 6 times before landing upright on the ground. If someone had witnessed this they certainly would have thought I was having some kind of seizure.
So, practice if you can, but if not, trust the wisdom of your body. It can be quite magical.
16
experienced skiers learn to tumble when falling forward so that your feet & skis end up downslope; similarly for steep snow, we'd practice ice axe self arrest from a head first position by doing a rollover, again ending with feet downhill
4
Maybe because it's winter and lots of my colleagues have fallen lately, but I've been spreading the gospel of relaxed falling to the side. The timing of this article is perfect! I think maybe I learned to do theatrical falls (stage combat) early enough that they became second nature, so when I actually fall: skateboarding, skiing, tripping down stairs or on ice - my pride is more bruised than my body. Meanwhile a friend of mine has suffered multiple wrist fracture due to her instinct to brace with her arms.
10
“Aim for the meat, not bone,”
Correct. Studies show that slightly obese people are the least likely to be injured in a fall.
Correct. Studies show that slightly obese people are the least likely to be injured in a fall.
5
This is a good and helpful article. It should be reprinted annually.
9
When I was very young, my parents sent me to judo classes, where we learned more than anything, the art of falling. As a young guy, I had spectacular falls including tumbling down a very long flight of aluminum steps in the darkness of New Haven Coliseum (concert). I raced (and crashed) bicycles in my 30's and 40's. I'm 58 now and have never broken a bone due to a fall, which I attribute to those judo classes I took as a kid. Send your babies to judo classes! (or similar)
11
You will either instinctively do the right thing or you won't. Engaging in roughhousing and contact sports at an early age while you are closer to the ground and everything is still flexible is probably the best training.
6
That's not instinct; it's a trained response, and can be learned and improved at any age. In fact, the research is clear that fall training is extremely valuable for people over 60.
11
Google 'Falling,' a series of video demonstrations on how to fall safely by Janet Rosen [ totally free] on you tube.
The link is long [ if allowed] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t21vguEmFlw&list=PLvDyI_M38AerHf5dEO...
This would be a great course to teach seniors - maybe everyone.
A true confession: even tho' I once learned techniques in judo, I fell about a week ago and broke my wrist.... senior statistic.
The link is long [ if allowed] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t21vguEmFlw&list=PLvDyI_M38AerHf5dEO...
This would be a great course to teach seniors - maybe everyone.
A true confession: even tho' I once learned techniques in judo, I fell about a week ago and broke my wrist.... senior statistic.
38
Nina is right. This "rolling while falling" works, but it has to be practiced. I was trained at about age 10 in a judo class to fall. It was the first thing we had to learn. Thickly padded floor, and we fell over and over, rolling on our side and shoulder blade, to the left and to the right, never straight forward or straight back.
Then, after several hours of classes, when we were judged ready, we were thrown, over and over, by larger kids, slowly and gently at first, then faster and harder. We fell, rolled, and sprang to our feet. It became second nature.
Since then I have fallen while bicycling, skiing, down entire flights of stairs, and I have never broken anything. But it must be practiced. Oh, and never put your hands in your pockets, or fumble for keys, while going up or down stairs, and keep one hand on the rail.
Then, after several hours of classes, when we were judged ready, we were thrown, over and over, by larger kids, slowly and gently at first, then faster and harder. We fell, rolled, and sprang to our feet. It became second nature.
Since then I have fallen while bicycling, skiing, down entire flights of stairs, and I have never broken anything. But it must be practiced. Oh, and never put your hands in your pockets, or fumble for keys, while going up or down stairs, and keep one hand on the rail.
65
A short video of proper falling might have been useful here.
268
Absolutely right, Mr./Ms. WhoZher. Let's demand that articles include url's with "how to" videos, + where to find more info on vital topics like surviving/avoiding falls. Listem. NYT editors. We need more than just Who,when,where,why especially when stakes are high and lots of validate methods exist.
Meantime, use the search engine of the National Library of Medicine at pubmed.gov.
DoubtingT
Meantime, use the search engine of the National Library of Medicine at pubmed.gov.
DoubtingT
3
It's called a PLF (parachute landing fall) and you can see it on YouTube
2
Video of fall training: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCSlY8NOf4c
6
Yes, I remember as a child jumping off the roof of the garage, hitting the grassy hill and rolling down like a paratrooper. But that was when I was ten. Baby fat is a marvelous thing.
Were I now to jump, tuck, and hit my side, as was my wont long ago, I'd break a hip.
Were I now to jump, tuck, and hit my side, as was my wont long ago, I'd break a hip.
32
That was my first thought too. Won't landing on a thigh increase the odds of breaking a hip? I'd rather a broken wrist than a hip.
13
Don't roll onto your hip, roll onto the side of the back. Imagine a line from the top-side of your haunch to the meaty part of the shoulder blade. That area is all muscle and can absorb a lot of force.
9
Wrists and hands are delicate, and can be tough to repair.
A side breakfall allows your thigh, upper arm and the fleshy part of your side to hit all at once, dispersing the energy of the fall. The more you concentrate the energy in one small area, the more you are likely to cause a break -- particularly in small, fragile bones such as the wrist and hand.
Rolling works, and so do breakfalls -- they really do. (From someone who studies aikido.)
A side breakfall allows your thigh, upper arm and the fleshy part of your side to hit all at once, dispersing the energy of the fall. The more you concentrate the energy in one small area, the more you are likely to cause a break -- particularly in small, fragile bones such as the wrist and hand.
Rolling works, and so do breakfalls -- they really do. (From someone who studies aikido.)
4
I can't say enough about how great this advice is. It recently saved me from injury when I fell down a subway escalator (my knee buckled), and I am 61 years old!
But to really get the benefit of it, you have to practice it, because after drilling the maneuvers it will become second nature. You have to overcome fear of falling to practice. I was trained to do these moves by a personal trainer who does martial arts. I asked her to help me with this a couple of years ago after I tripped on a sidewalk crack and fell.
We practiced in a heavily padded boxing ring. First we started with squatting and rolling over and then dropping down from a standing position and rolling over. I did not have to get pushed down. But repetition helps.
When I fell on the escalator I somehow realized in a split second that I had to tuck in and go with the roll down to the bottom. I reached the bottom with no broken bones and only a scraped shin. It was a miracle, but I attributed it to this training. I am willing to go public here if this helps anyone.
But to really get the benefit of it, you have to practice it, because after drilling the maneuvers it will become second nature. You have to overcome fear of falling to practice. I was trained to do these moves by a personal trainer who does martial arts. I asked her to help me with this a couple of years ago after I tripped on a sidewalk crack and fell.
We practiced in a heavily padded boxing ring. First we started with squatting and rolling over and then dropping down from a standing position and rolling over. I did not have to get pushed down. But repetition helps.
When I fell on the escalator I somehow realized in a split second that I had to tuck in and go with the roll down to the bottom. I reached the bottom with no broken bones and only a scraped shin. It was a miracle, but I attributed it to this training. I am willing to go public here if this helps anyone.
209
Done it; it works. I am one of those "old guys", also.
19
On slippery ground I think, "Keep your knees loose and take short steps".
2
As a former paratrooper let me say with respect to "The Right Way to Fall" that the "parachute landing fall" is performed at the instant one hits the ground. The landing is anticipated and has nothing to do with accidental falls as might occur on a wet bathroom floor. I know that your advice is well-meaning, but nobody is going to perform a PLF while falling down the stairs.
Pete Smith
Lehigh Acres, FL
Pete Smith
Lehigh Acres, FL
86
I think it depends. I caught a heel on a hem at the top of a staircase at work (an old mansion with steep steps) and toppled a full flight and my instinct to ragdoll and somersault definitely kicked in (thank goodness). Muscle memory is a wonderful thing!
7
Great I see a new fitness craze. Beginner falling; intermediate falling; and ironman falling.
115
don't forget the great Cross-Falling
9
I have to agree with the recommendations. I figure skate as a hobby and in the 1990's I fell backwards, my right skate arcing up and it's blade crashing down through my left boot tongue and piercing that ankle. Then, 2005 I caught my left toe pick and (going forward) landed on my left elbow, breaking that "funny bone" and sending me to the ER, surgery and an 8 week recovery. Then 2 months later (going backward) I fell backward, caught the rear of my left blade in the ice and heard a loud pop. I've been lucky not to hit my head. All falls were very fast despite the fact that I was going slow. Matter of fact, most figure skaters told me their worst falls were slow speed, like mine. Interestingly, about 6 years ago I went over the handlebars of my bike while taking a wet curve (at slow speed) and fractured my left collarbone. Then I realized all my injuries were on the left side of my body.
After my 1st 2005 fall, my coach told how to fall: basically relaxing and rolling. And while that knowledge was helpful, falls are fast, after all the distance between your head and ground is less than 6' and gravity is quite the accelerant.
After my 1st 2005 fall, my coach told how to fall: basically relaxing and rolling. And while that knowledge was helpful, falls are fast, after all the distance between your head and ground is less than 6' and gravity is quite the accelerant.
12
Take up Chess- it's safer.
1
I am age 74 and have "balance issues". I am most concerned with negotiating stairs. Stairs in theaters with short landings interspersed with groups of a few treads, with or without handrails with breaks at landings, seem especially treacherous to me. Are there any special hints for how to take a fall down stairs? The only thing I know to do is never fail to use a handrail in the hope of preventing a fall in the first place.
28
I always carry a small torch (flashlight) in my pocket and it comes in very handy in dark theatres.
11
Turn yourself around and go down the stairs backwards. This is the correct way to negotiate a steep flight of steps on board a ship. If you do trip you should fall forward - a short distance into the stair tread itself.
8
Get a cane.. folding ones work. Take steps one at a time going down. make sure your weight is solidly on one foot before transferring for the nest step. Take your time. Both knees are now replaced and I don't really need the cane, except it is awfully handy on stairs esp. those without handrails.
4
Very helpful. The problem is that many falls happen so quickly and are unexpected (ice).
59
That is why the advance drilling helps. A different instinct kicks in.
23
As someone who figure skated a great deal, probably falling a dozen times an hour from a variety of directions, I agree that ice can be treacherous. Skaters learn by practice and seldom get hurt. The bad fall on ice is going over backwards where your feet scoot out in front, so walking on an icy pavement, say, is a matter of never getting your weight far enough back or relying on traction at your heels. You don't have to crouch, but just make sure that the foot that's about to bear weight is flat underneath your CG and hopefully backstopped by the other foot.
Falls are so fast that you really have to have that falling to the side thing on flexed arms programmed into your head. Not easy if you're older and justifiably afraid to learn it.
By the way, I'm no fan of those clip on ice cleats that have no teeth at the heel, just for the above reasons.
Falls are so fast that you really have to have that falling to the side thing on flexed arms programmed into your head. Not easy if you're older and justifiably afraid to learn it.
By the way, I'm no fan of those clip on ice cleats that have no teeth at the heel, just for the above reasons.
4
What Nina says!
You might be surprised. As a self proclaimed "good faller", I had two big ones in the past few years. One was pitching over my handlebars on a bicycle and the other was tripping head over heels on a fairly treacherous, all-rock trail in the White Mountains (NH). On both occasions I was caught by surprise but ended up only with bruises and scrapes, nothing broken. I can distinctly remember each phase of my fall and what I did to adjust for the "landing", and each fall felt like they lasted 20 second instead of a split second.
You might be surprised. As a self proclaimed "good faller", I had two big ones in the past few years. One was pitching over my handlebars on a bicycle and the other was tripping head over heels on a fairly treacherous, all-rock trail in the White Mountains (NH). On both occasions I was caught by surprise but ended up only with bruises and scrapes, nothing broken. I can distinctly remember each phase of my fall and what I did to adjust for the "landing", and each fall felt like they lasted 20 second instead of a split second.
5