 |
 |
Hi, Ray, Mary Ann, BP, I used to work out in a martial arts school where we would actually practice falling. I would never suggest that you do the same, but there are some concepts that might raise the level of your falling 'artistry'. Poetry in motion.... 1. Train yourself to be constantly aware of your balance. Sensei taught us that our hara, or spirit (in the old way) is actually located approx. 2 inches below the navel. Modern equivalent: center of gravity. And as you study yourself, you find this is accurate. This lower back/abdomen/pelvic region is the core of your strength. It is involved in all your movements. It takes more stress than any other, and if your hara is out of line, you are off balance. Tai Chi is a very useful activity. With it's gentle, rocking motions, you really get in touch with your center of gravity. 2. Well, I'm not about to tell you to start practicing your falling. Without training and practice, it's very difficult to get good at falling. For any readers who are early into their PD 'career', you may still be strong and flexible enough to ask a local Aikido instructor for some help. With all the usual disclaimers, I recommend that you do this. 3. So if you can't become an Aikido expert, protect yourself. If you must go out and do your own shopping, or if you are determined to get out and exercise, get some elbow pads, knee pads, and riding gloves. Yes, one more nuisance to add to your day, but some are easy to put on, using velcro. Taking the hit on a protected elbow or palm could help you avoid a major pain in the butt! 4. Don't forget to keep up on your calcium intake. You can further protect yourself by eating foods that promote bone and cartilage strength. Sort of a dubious distinction, to be an educated and accomplished 'faller'. But the point is to be able to get up after you fall down. Hope these concepts are useful. Enjoy! Rick McGirr Email: [log in to unmask] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mary Ann Ryan" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Tuesday, April 05, 2005 10:05 AM Subject: Re: the art of falling > > The 7 or 8 falls I've had up till now I felt I could account for, not > > paying attention, etc., but this was completely unexpected and I've always > > felt fairly "safe" in the walker. is this just how it works? You > > suddenly lose your balance? > > > Ray, Jamie falls all of the time - some weeks he might fall once a day. I > try to emphasize that he shouldn't try to walk unless I am standing behind > him with the wheelchair, but you don't have that option. > > Jamie can't use a walker - he *picks it up* and walks with it, which is > extremely dangerous. He has learned when he falls to protect his head > because head injuries cause the worst out-comes. He has taught himself to > drop whatever he is holding and immediately curl his body while he raises > his hands to cover his head. Curling prevents neck injuries. > > He weighs 220 so he also has some extra padding. Luckily, the only thing he > has broken has been a couple of toes, his little finger and a rib. He has > bruises on his right hip and bottom, but he hasn't broken his hips or legs > (thank God). The bathroom is the scariest of places because of all of the > hard surfaces that can cause terrible injury - which is why we are building > an accessible bathroom. > > Hope that this helps. > --------------- > Mary Ann (CG Jamie 65/25) > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- -- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn