It is only in the last year or two that the thought of falling down stairs has begun to bother me.
As a child I recall my mother’s hushed tones as she shared the news with one of her chapel-going friends that ‘Elsie has had a little fall’.
In view of the fact that falls, both little and big, were part of my daily routine, I found myself thinking: ‘So?’
More recently however I have begun to accept that falls can be quite unpleasant and are probably best avoided. This change of heart was brought about by a sudden trip on a projecting paving stone that laid me flat on my face. How much worse – I found myself thinking – would it have been if I had been coming down stairs. And so I set about compiling a dreadful collection of imagined falls, all vividly visualised and justified on the grounds that ‘forewarned is forearmed’.
One of the more dramatic examples is the one I would bring into play when descending a steep mountain path, especially whilst carrying a full rucksack. It starts with a sudden stumble, followed by the forward lurch, hands grasping hopelessly at thin air, as I plunge down ten feet onto jagged rocks. I’ll spare you the rest of the story. Suffice it to say that it doesn’t bear thinking about. Yet think about it you must, if you don’t actually want it to happen – or so the theory goes.
A momentary misstep whilst descending a steep flight of steps in a Cornish fishing village was the source of the latest addition to my repertoire. It can happen when you are swinging your trailing leg past your standing leg in order to plant it on the next step down. If you catch the heel of your shoe on the edge of the step above, believe me, you can find yourself being catapulted forward in a particularly alarming way. Thankfully, I have that one covered now.
‘For goodness sake’, I hear you say. ‘Why not be sensible and stay at home?’
All good, sound advice. But, admit it, an ordinary flight of stairs can be a bit scary too – and not just when going down. Picture this one. You’re going up to bed and are halfway up when you suddenly remember that you’ve left your hot water bottle in the kitchen. The moment you turn around and decide to go down again introduces a degree of disorientation that is fraught with danger. This is one of those moments when it is wise to interrupt the autopilot and encourage the conscious mind to take over the controls.
Of course, once you start thinking about this stuff, you risk forgetting how to go up and down stairs altogether
And let’s not forget about ladders. One of the worst mistakes with ladders is stepping off what you believe to be the lowest rung – only to find you are still five rungs up. Horrifying.
Your 5 rungs to go scenario reMinds me of school.
We had fire escape practice and for one dormitory, about 30m, off the ground there was a canvas tube down which we were supposed to slide using our feet and elbows as brakes.
The instructions said that the first two down the tube were to hold the hoop at the end of the tube vertical so that others coming down would have a slide which curved off at the end thus slowing them even more before landing. The two most senior boys were delegated with the responsibility of going first without this slowing aid.
However there was a big snag – the tube finished some 3m above the ground! And not only did you exit at considerable speed but landed on a heap of other boys….
Needless to say this was a closely guarded secret so that next year’s escapers would not be forewarned!
Your 5 rungs to go scenario reMinds me of school.
We had fire escape practice and for one dormitory, about 30m, off the ground there was a canvas tube down which we were supposed to slide using our feet and elbows as brakes.
The instructions said that the first two down the tube were to hold the hoop at the end of the tube vertical so that others coming down would have a slide which curved off at the end thus slowing them even more before landing. The two most senior boys were delegated with the responsibility of going first without this slowing aid.
However there was a big snag – the tube finished some 3m above the ground! And not only did you exit at considerable speed but landed on a heap of other boys….
Needless to say this was a closely guarded secret so that next year’s escapers would not be forewarned!
Hi Dave. I think the ‘answer’ is to cancel the autopilot. It only works until it doesn’t! Being in every moment fully – until you’re horizontal – is the only way! Obvs!
Good sound advice.
I’ll give it a try
I have always been interested that one can mark the change as to when someone is seen to be “old” when people stop saying I/he/She “fell over” and start saying I/He/she “ has had a fall”
Absolutely …
Hi Dave Falls are known to be the beginning of the end for some people. It certainly was the case with Poll, my mother. I’m certain, and Ive tested my certainty, that one’s balance and sense of balance can be dramatically improved with practice. This is not a guarantee against falls, but coupled with good reactions, it can be an important layer of protection against injuries, sometimes serious injuries that result from falls.
Because almost everyone is not terribly good at getting down to exercise and practice about these things, here’s an exercise you never need to worry about getting down to, You just have to do it.
In the morning, throw your socks on the floor in front of your feet. Keeping the knees as straight as possible, bend down and pick one up, and in one fluid movement put one foot across the opposite knee. Stabilise yourself in this one legged position and pull on the sock. Repeat on the opposite side. This exercise will improve your balance. If you take it further, the yoga position Vrkasana is very good practice, standing on one leg with the other leg tucked up onto the groin and stabilising the breathing, then repeating with the other leg.
Thanks for taking the time to explain this Rod. If it proves to be a surer way of getting the socks on I’ll be sure to give it a try.
David, I think you need another hobby…..
Thanks Chris but I have quite a few already
Not old until you have to sit down to put on your socks, I’m told!
I think about it a lot these days. Certainly since my mother tripped over nothing in her bungalow and took 6 months to recover.
And, since having a new hip which has left one leg shorter than another leaning me more prone to trips.
Ironically, I actually feel steadiest when on two skis journeying down a slope…
I used to consider every single step and terrible end-case scenario when I used to walk with my babies strapped to my chest. Only falling once in a slippy field and landing, mercifully on my back.
Did you know that iPhones have a recording function that records your daily step balance and consistent if step? It notices how much time you spend with one leg up – identifying that if this reduces significantly you are more at risk of a fall as you are not practicing balancing on one leg.
My antidote to fall worry,- much like Rod’s solution – is to balance on one leg at a time while cleaning my teeth. With trying to remember to stand up straight and to exercise my pelvic floor – there seems much to do!