Movement for Life: Fear of Falling

by Lauren Walker

Since Autumn is upon us, I thought it pertinent to talk about Fall. The leaves are falling and it got me thinking about Fall prevention! My clients have a varying range of mobility issues and a very realistic concern is falling.

Fear of Falling

Life is unpredictable, so its important to mention, I cannot necessarily prevent people from falling. Sometimes it just happens! Even those who do not have mobility issues can find themselves in these moments. The good news is, I’ve had clients come to me and say, “I lost my balance and fell but I was able to get back up.” The fear of falling has nothing to do with falling itself, but the ability to get back up.

Learning to Get Back Up

Being able to get back up requires your entire body, therefore developing overall strength is imperative. I teach my clients to lunge and squat properly, as this develops hip strength in a functional way. This doesn’t mean you go and do this on your own because practice means mastering the movement. That’s where I come in as a trainer.

Overcoming the Fear

Clients I work with have a legitimate fear of not being able to get up after a fall. Recently, I had a client tell me a story about just that. She found herself in an unbalanced situation and lost her footing,

“I had the strength to get back up! That’s been such a fear of mine, and now I know I can do it.”

I appreciate, her fear came from a genuine place but the only way to alleviate her fear was to work on making her stronger.

If you live with that same fear, take steps to help yourself. For more information on our Personal Training services please call 289-356-2140