Since we’re into fall now, let’s talk about falling. As we age, falling can become more and more of a risk. Unless we work really hard, those of us who are over 30 are losing muscle mass, a process which accelerates as we get older and older. Our balance may get more precarious. Our bones get more fragile. All these things put us at greater risk of falling and of having injuries that are difficult to recover from.
Interestingly, in a small study done on Pilates for people classified as high risk for falls, the greatest predictor of actual falls was fear. Having positive movement experiences that were not targeted at improving balance or strength or even core control moved people out of the high risk group. There was no significant correlation between strength and risk in this study.
What does that mean? It means that we are people who need to keep moving. We need to keep our focus on doing what we can do rather than dwelling on what we can’t do. We need to take ownership of our experience. (Yeah, it sounds pretty darn woo-woo to me, too, but it turns out to work.)
Don’t know where to start? Poke me. I can help.
No comments:
Post a Comment