Topics – “Preparation for falling” workshop (March 13th, 2024)

Posted on April 13, 2024 by mariolam

This is posted on http://functionalfitness.martialgym.info

Key concepts and takeaways

  • Key vulnerable points – head, tailbone / spine, wrist/knees and pointies 關鍵易受傷點 – 頭部、尾骨/脊椎、手腕/膝蓋和尖銳部位
  • The “dirty” approach (Does not have to be perfect) – Threshold – the effect of the last pound. 20/80 rule
  • Physical readiness – Circulation, Stretch, Strength, Neural (循環、伸展、力量、神經)
  • Purpose driven training (有目的的訓練) – there is a difference between general fitness and preparation for falling
  • ASAP method – Avoid 避免, Share/Spread 分散, Absorb 化解, Protect 保護
  • Mindset preparations – you are worth it, the work is worth it, pay now or pay later, your love ones are worth it and you are the only one that can make a difference

Factors affect impact and therefore damage 影響衝擊嚴重度的因素

  • body weight – 身體重量 (Shēntǐ zhòngliàng)
  • distance to ground – 到地面的距離 (Dào dìmiàn de jùlí)
  • speed and direction of travel at time of impact – 撞擊時的速度和方向 (Zhuàngjī shí de sùdù hé fāngxiàng)
  • reaction speed – 反應速度 (Fǎnyìng sùdù)
  • rigidity – 剛性 (Gāngxìng)
  • spread over time and area
  • impact area – 影響區域 (Yǐngxiǎng qūyù)
  • awareness, preparation and choices 意識、準備與選擇

Exercises

  • Warmup – wake yourself up mentally, wake up your muscles, do all these before leaving the house
  • Stretch and Strength – 1) fingers and wrist, triceps (protect your wrist and face), 2) abs and neck (protect the head and tailbone), 3) thighs, hip and knees (to transition levels or rebalance) 4) calf, foot, ankle and toes (for rebalance)
  • Neural – reprogram your reflexes, play games that need fast reflexes or coordination

Simulations and practical situations

  • Sit down and stand up 坐下和站起 (Zuòxià hé zhàn qǐ)
  • Falling forward 前倒 (Qián dǎo)
  • Falling Backward 後倒 (Hòu dǎo)
  • Recovery from tripping over 絆倒中恢復 (bàn dǎo zhōng huīfù))
  • Being pushed from different directions 從不同方向被推動 (Cóng bùtóng fāngxiàng bèi tuīdòng)
  • Off the line of fire 避開危險區域 (Bìkāi wēixiǎn qūyù)
  • Change direction of fall 改變摔倒方向 (Gǎibiàn shuāidǎo fāngxiàng)
  • Walking up and down stairs 上下樓梯 (Shàng xià lóutī)
  • Getting up from a squat 從蹲下起身 (Cóng dūnxià qǐshēn)
  • Picking something up from ground 從地上拾起物品 (Cóng dìshàng shí qǐ wùpǐn)
  • Lowering yourself onto the floor 蹲坐到地板上 (Jiāng zìjǐ dūn zuò dào dìbǎn shàng)
  • Getting up from a fall 從跌倒起身 (Cóng diē dǎo qǐshēn)
  • Helping someone get up after fall 協助某人起身 (Xiézhù mǒurén qǐshēn)

ASAP Method

Avoid

  • Prevent avoidable mistakes (e.g. clutter, medication, eyeglasses, rushing, etc) 防止可以避免的錯誤 (Fángzhǐ kěyǐ bìmiǎn de cuòwù)
  • Avoid unnecessary risks (e.g. rushing, ice, ego, etc) 避免無謂的風險 (Bìmiǎn wúwèi de fēngxiǎn)
  • Believe that there is something you can do about it 采取行动解决问题 (cǎiqǔ xíngdòng jiějué wèntí)
  • Balance and re-balance 平衡及調整 (Pínghéng jí tiáozhěng)
  • Take pauses 暫停片刻 (Zàntíng piàn kè)
  • Improve strength, agility and mobility 加強力量、敏捷性和活動能力 (Jiāqiáng lìliàng, mǐnjié xìng hé huódòng nénglì)

Share / Spread

  • Spread impact over bigger landing area (e.g. rolls) 將衝擊散佈到更大的範圍
  • Spread the impact over longer time 拉長衝擊時間

Absorb and reduce

  • Go with the flow, don’t fight it 順應動力
  • Avoid amplification and perpendicular impacts
  • Relax to absorb the impact 放鬆以吸收衝擊
  • Free up the legs and move (physical and mental) 移動身體
  • Avoid panic – play on the ground, go through simulations 避免恐慌 (Bìmiǎn kǒnghuāng)

Protect

  • muscle tone 肌肉張性
  • healthy bones and body weight 健康的骨骼和體重
  • use of protectors (e.g. hip protectors, walkers, grab bars) 使用保護器具
  • fall alerts to call for help 跌倒警報
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Workshop – Preparation for falling (March 13th, 2024)

Posted on April 2, 2024 by mariolam

Date: March 13th 2024 Saturday

Time: 10 AM – noon

Location: Bonsor Senior’s Community Center in Burnaby

Details: https://anc.ca.apm.activecommunities.com/burnaby/activity/search/detail/19502?onlineSiteId=0&from_original_cui=true

Falling down is one of the biggest hazards for seniors. It is not just about the pain it caused from broken bones and bruises, it is about the long term impact to your body, mobility, quality of life and self-confidence. Some falls can actually change your life forever.

Yes, you do want to prevent avoidable mistakes. However, you cannot control every scenario, sometimes falls can be caused through no fault of your own. This workshop teach you how to recover from imbalances, how to lessen the impact, how to protect your vital body parts, etc. It also explain why just leading an active lifestyle is NOT ENOUGH.

In this workshop, you will learn all the 4 steps of preparation: Avoid, Share, Absorb and Protect. You will learn exercises that help you reduce the impact on landing. Most important of all, you will go through some every safe simulation of falling and imbalances to program your brain so that your body know how it feels and you take your first step towards reprogramming your body to react differently.

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Recovery from injuries

Posted on December 28, 2023 by mariolam

Learning how to recover after an injury is just as important as learning how to train. When we are young, we tend to trust that the body will heal itself over time, and it is true to a certain extent. However, it is usually not up to 100%. When the body heals up to around 80%-90%, your brain may feel that it is good enough because you don’t feel the pain all the time—often only a single spot versus a whole area, a very specific angle versus hurting most of the time, only when you put pressure on it, or only when it rains. The result is the same: your body is left compromised at 80%. Then, over time, as your body ages or if you reinjure the same area, an 80% heal from a starting point of only 80% will leave you at 64% functionality.

You may ask what is that last 20% that one loses? Because of the scar tissue, you may lose mobility which in turn affect your range of motion and mechanics. You may feel weak when you perform certain function. Lack of strength often exposes you to balance issues and mechanical problems. You may start to compensate for that weakness using some other body parts and potentially causing secondary fatigue and pain.

The following is not intended to be exhaustive, and it does not replace advice from a doctor or therapist. It simply provides a complementary perspective and highlights some key points.

  1. Do NOT engage in vigorous rubbing of severe bruises within the first 24-48 hours. Instead, apply ice -Avoid vigorous rubbing of severe bruises within the first 24-48 hours. Think of bruises like burst pipes; applying ice stabilizes the vessels, similar to reducing water flow to facilitate appropriate repairs. For any injuries, the best approach in the first 24 hours is still the RICE method (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) unless the doctor/physio tell you otherwise for that specific instance.
  2. Avoid intense self-massage over muscle layers, and refrain from applying excessive pressure to your lower back, as it may not be beneficial – muscles are not arranged side by side where you have access to everything from top; they are layered over each other. Intense massage by a non-professional can damage the upper layer without really addressing the deeper layer tissues. The method we teach in Martial Gym is to find the “sore spot” and then move the body so that muscle layers have to move. This movement allows much better access to the deeper level muscles / nerves without damaging the top layers.
  3. Exercise and activate weakened muscles – relevant stretching and strengthening help with healing. This is a physio’s area of expertise. However, often because of the time and cost involved, people stop seeing the therapist or stop doing the prescribed exercises too soon. You have to persevere and continue with the prescribed exercises beyond for a bit longer so that the area can completely heal.
  4. Differentiate between the sensation of “good hurt” and “bad hurt” – Distinguish between “good hurt” and “bad hurt” especially during exercises like stretching and strengthening. You expect discomfort or some level of pain when you first get back to using the injured muscles. Make sure you do everything slow and mindful to get the maximum benefit from each of the exercises. Do pay attention to the intended muscles; a shooting pain may indicate nerve pinching, while a stretchy feeling on the target muscle is likely a positive sensation. Memorize how it felt is important because it provides a reference baseline as to how it feels in normal state versus when something is off.
  5. Enhance blood circulation to facilitate the recovery process – Promote blood circulation to facilitate the recovery process. Blood flow acts as a vehicle, carrying away dead or inflammatory cells for disposal, and delivering essential nutrients to support healing. Using “hot and cold treatment” is quite effective in enhancing blood circulation.
  6. If there is no improvements after a week, do seek professional help – It’s crucial to obtain a visual assessment like an X-ray for accurate diagnosis and treatment, especially after an injury or fall and you have severe pain or when you hit your head or land vertically on your tailbone. Even if you choose not to go to the emergency initially but if the pain is not going away or even getting worse after 2-3 days, make sure you seek professional help. You have already paid medical insurance, do use it when you need it!

Note: These guidelines are not exhaustive, and for comprehensive advice, consult with a healthcare professional or therapist.

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Falling forward

Posted on November 23, 2023 by mariolam

As seniors, our recovery rate tends to slow down, and our bones are more fragile than they were in our younger days. Healing from a broken bone takes longer, and unfortunately, it may never feel 100% again. For some seniors, breaking a hip bone can be life-changing.

None of these can entirely prevent falling nor can it guarantee zero injuries. It simply help lessen the extent of the injuries. Remember the concept of “threshold”, this means that every person’s bone density is different but there is a threshold for each bone. If the impact is less than a certain number, then it is just a bruise. However, if it exceeds the bone’s threshold, the bone will break. All we are doing is aiming to reduce the impact below your bone’s threshold so that nothing will break.

This article is specifically about how to respond to regain balance when you feel a sudden force pushing from behind or pulling from the front, potentially causing a frontal fall. This force can be generated because of inertia, an intentional push or pull of your upper body or an imbalance. In the discussion below, this is referred to as a “force-to-front”.

Reduce the height by pushing the butt backwards

When we were kids, we didn’t have to learn how to fall. It seems so natural. When baby learn how to walk, they fell and try again countless times. What is different is that we grew a lot taller and heavier and so there are much higher chance of hurting ourselves.

Lets take another example, if you drop a crystal glass from six feet up versus dropping it at half the height, the reduced height means that the risks of it breaking is a lot less.

(The diagram below illustrates how to reduce a person’s height while attempting to rebalance themselves after a shove from behind or a pull forward.)

Reduce the weight in front by pushing your butt backwards

The force of impact is proportional to your body weight. Therefore, That is one of the reasons why kids can sustain some falls without breaking any bones.

If you eat healthy and remain active and retain a healthy body weight, you are reducing the potential impact if you do fall. So maintaining a healthy body is a nice goal over time. However, whatever your current body weight is, on a frontal fall, you can still reduce the impact by shifting your body weight backwards so that there is less weight in the front and therefore the chances of breaking your wrist or arm is lessened.

(The diagram below illustrates how moving the butt backwards help negate the “force-to-front”. The biggest mistake is to resist against the incoming force which helps amplify the attacking force. The diagram shows the net effect if you fold your upper body and manage to move your butt backwards.)

Net-out effect

If you manage to decrease/absorb part of the “force -to-front”, you not only bought yourself more time to react, you are reducing the speed of the fall. This will help reduce the force of the impact.

(The diagram helps illustrate how folding the body “takes away the surface” for the “force-to-front”, rendering it less effective. If you stand straight and stiff, therefore a perpendicular surface for the “force-to-front”, 100% of the delivered force will be delivered against your body).

Soften the landing

Our technique for landing softly involves a specific sequence: “finger-tip, fingers, palm, and a slight bend in the elbow.” The following animation attempts to illustrate this specific sequence of the hand.

Some seniors have very still fingers and/or wrists. It is very important to start stretching them so there is some “give” in the hands since that is the primary landing gear if one do fall. You do not need to be ultra flexible, all you need is some “give” just like the protective cover on your cell phone.

If you observe professional basketball players, they wear well-cushioned shoes to support their jumps and landings. They follow a specific order when landing: starting with the ball of the feet, lowering the heels, and bending at the knees and hips. Professionals never land with straight legs or flat feet.

If you happen to fall forward, your hands act as your default landing gears. Comparing this to landing with the legs, the sequence should mirror each other: “reach out with your finger-tips, land on all the fingers or the ball of the hands, land on your palm, and then bend your elbow to absorb.” This method, inspired by professional players, helps absorb most of the impact, with the remaining force mitigated by other skills.

To make landings softer, it’s crucial to avoid abrupt stops. During moments of panic, muscles tense up, and the instinct is to push out, which is counterproductive. If you freeze or push out while falling, you’re essentially fighting against the ground, and the ground will win. Softening a landing isn’t instinctive for adults, so we need to reprogram our brains through simulations. By practicing and experiencing simulated falls, we can train ourselves not to panic and learn to land in a sequence involving multiple body parts. This spreads the impact over a longer duration, reducing or avoiding its intensity.

One additional aspect to consider when softening your landing is to avoid letting any sharp parts of your body touch the ground. For instance, make sure to keep the tip of your elbow away from the surface, and be mindful of the point of your shoulder joint. It’s also advisable to be cautious about your nose and teeth making contact with the ground. By paying attention to these details, you can help ensure a less damaging landing.

Share the impact

A full-size extra-large pizza is overwhelming for a single person, but when shared among many, each person only gets a small slice. This principle extends to the concept of impact. If the force of an impact is distributed over a larger surface area, each part of the body absorbs only a fraction of the force. Conversely, if a specific body part has to endure the entire impact, it becomes too much.

Rolls are a technique that embodies this strategy of distributing impact to reduce the risk of injuries. Since it’s a more advanced technique, we’ll delve into it further in future videos and/or in-person classes.

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