Fitness

On Falling

How to cultivate balance for less chance of falling and better fitness.

As humans we are biologically programmed to avoid falling. We all know intuitively that if we were to fall frequently, we would eventually get hurt and cease to function well. Ironically though, it is our fear of falling that not only increases the likelihood of it happening, but also ensures the severity of a fall when it occurs.

What is falling?

The problem is that in order to avoid falling, we stiffen our joints. The ankles, knees, and hips lock in an unconscious attempt to gain stability. But this locking up makes us less responsive and therefore less likely to recover our balance. Also, the stiffening of the joints in the lower body shifts our center of gravity to higher up in the upper body and amplifies the force of impact during a fall. Just picture a 200-foot Redwood tree toppling over compared to an 8-foot Christmas tree. Much harsher, right?

Prevention is the best cure

So obviously the best cure for falling is prevention, and the simplest way to prevent falling is to cultivate better balance. This involves learning, or relearning, where the center of our body is.

• Re-learn your center of balance.

Practice this in the standing position by placing a yoga block between your upper thighs. Squeeze the inner thighs against the block and you’ll feel the legs unite like two bolts being drilled into the opposite sides at the base of a Christmas tree. You’ll also find that your spine becomes more stable and vertical.

• Remember where your midline is.

The next step to cultivating balance is to practice maintaining it while shifting the weight onto only one leg. Try this with one hand near a wall or table so that you can catch yourself easily and get the feel of dynamic poise. When you’ve gotten more comfortable standing on only one foot at a time, then you can challenge yourself by lifting the non-weight bearing leg higher.

• Have a good range of motion in the ankles, knees, and hips.

This will make you more agile in general, and specifically, this will increase your adaptability in falling and recovering. Practice lying on your back and hugging your knees toward your chest. See if you can fold the knees and hips deeply, like you are creasing a piece of origami paper. Alternate legs. Once you stand back up, notice how your legs are springier underneath your torso.

When you consider that true balance is falling and recovering, you’ll be less fearful of this dynamic process. Less fear means more confidence, and this will continue to build on itself!

Geoffrey Roniger is the owner of Freret Street Yoga. He has been teaching full time for nearly twenty years and is considered an expert in the field of adaptive yoga.