The Art of Falling

By: Brittany Austin, National Director of Health and Wellness, Functional Pathways

We all know the scout’s motto “be prepared.” This motto applies to all different stages and facets of life. Being prepared for an upcoming exam, being prepared with all the key ingredients for a favorite recipe, being mentally prepared for a job interview, or being emotionally prepared to drop your child off at college. Whatever you are getting ready for, being prepared helps you relax and reduces fear and anxiety. When it comes to the fear of falling, being prepared is one of the best defense tactics. No matter how much we try and prevent them, falls happen.

Learning the art of falling is both a versatile and vital lesson. Think about your favorite sport – football, perhaps. When Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen gets sacked and thrown to the ground repeatedly during a game, they (usually, and hopefully) don’t get hurt. How can someone fall time and time again and not sustain major injuries? Because part of their training as an athlete was to learn the art of falling.

Approximately 36 million falls are reported among older adults each year, and roughly 3 million are treated in emergency rooms for a fall-related injury. What if there was something we could help falls be less detrimental when they occur? Many of us are familiar with what to do to prevent a fall from occurring: review your medications, exercise to improve strength and balance, have vision checked regularly, and make sure your home is safe; but we often skip over what to do if the fall occurs.

Let’s take a look at the key ingredients to falling safely:

1. Stay calm and loose. While this can be a challenge, staying calm will help you remain in control. Staying loose will also help to lower your chances of becoming injured. When your muscles are relaxed, the parts of your body react independently to the force of the impact. This helps distribute the force more evenly, rather than your muscles straining to hold your body against the impact.
2. Keep arms and legs bent. Although instinct may want to extend arms out to brace for a fall, this can increase the likelihood of a wrist fracture. Instead, keep arms and legs bent and aim to hit the ground with your forearms and palms. If you use an assistive device, such as a cane, let go of the device.
3. Protect your head. The most important part of your body is your head. If you are falling forward, turn your head to the side. If you are falling backward, tuck your chin to your chest to keep it from hitting the ground. If you are able, you can also use your hands for additional protection.
4. Land on the meaty parts of your body. This is one of those times where having more cushion is a good thing! Try landing on the more muscular/meaty parts of your body – your upper back, thighs, and/or buttocks.
5. Roll into the fall. Again, time to fight your instincts. While you may have the urge to stop yourself as quickly as possible during the fall, keep rolling out of the impact. This will help disperse the energy of the fall over a larger area of your body and avoid a single point on your body absorbing all the impact.

While doing everything you can to prevent falls from happening is important, it is also essential that you are prepared if a fall should happen. Learn more about Functional Pathway's therapy services and read our white paper on the Importance of an Effective Falls Management Program.

Resources:
https://simplifaster.com/articles/why-teach-athletes-to-fall/
https://www.cdc.gov/injury/features/older-adult-falls/index.html#:~:text=About%2036%20million%20falls%20are,bones%20or%20a%20head%20injury.