I’m at a conference downtown, but staying at a hotel a 10 minute walk from the conference center. On this rainy morning I checked out and made arrangements to leave my car in the parking lot until the conference was over. Then, listening to Peter Attia’s audio book ‘Outlive’, I headed to the conference center, umbrella in one hand and protein bar in the other.
Not 50 feet from the entrance of my hotel there is a field with a diagonal, muddy path.
Listening to the chapter on Stability, literally at the point where Peter is discussing how important stability is, and how falls can be the pivotal point in a senior’s health, I started down the grass rather than muddy trail… and I wiped out.
I muddied my pants and my hand that was holding my umbrella. Back to the hotel I went to change my pants and wash up. Thankfully they let me back into my room I had just checked out of.
I don’t think I hurt myself further but now I do feel a bit achy in my hips. It’s not serious but something that will need to be monitored, and I will need to think more about my stretching routine over the next few days.
Oh, the irony of listening to this chapter and specific content around falls exactly as I made the decision to take this muddy shortcut and fall myself!
But what a great wake up call this was. Two things come to mind. First, did I really need to take this muddy route and save myself 20-30 seconds? I should make better, safer choices. Secondly, I’ve just started doing some stability work, specifically implementing balancing on one foot with my eyes closed as part of my workout regimen… I need to do more stability work. It might not have helped with the choice I made to take this path, but it could help with my ability to fall a bit better.
In the end I got a life lesson with a small slice of humble pie, or actually mud pie. 😜
As I get older a careless slip or a poor choice to push my capabilities, or climbing a ladder, or paying attention to my phone instead of uneven pavement, can lead to an injury and a slippery slope towards a less mobile and less healthy future. My focus on fitness needs to include strengthening my muscles that support my balance and ‘training’ for everyday living, as described in Outlive by Peter Attia.
Glad you are okay. Balance exercises mightn’t have necessarily helped with that situation but will help for other scenarios. My exercise therapist includes balance exercises automatically towards the end of our classes and the types of balance exercises are made harder based on our progression. I’m high falls risk so been an important addition to my workout. Round the world standing on one leg is a good one if you have a kettlebell. Works balance, core muscles and legs. I use a 6 kg kettlebell and do 10 around the worlds on each leg. I also have a foam balance mat and use that for standing on one leg routines.
I agree Sue, I don’t think I could have prevented the fall, but I think I could have been more graceful and/or not tweaked my hips the way I did… and am prone to do… for example, that’s the same spot that gets triggered if I miss a stair. That said, I can already tell it’s fine, and 5 years ago I know that a move like that would have led to 2-5 days of discomfort and maybe pain.
I’ve just started implementing balance as a part of my workouts. But this book, Outlive, has me rethinking a fair bit about what I do, and how I can adapt to think more about my health in the years to come.