Avoid Falling At All Costs

Just looking at this image terrifies me. I have fallen and it did not have a happy ending.

Mike and I were in Paris in the late fall (that word!) of 2018. We arrived mid-day and to enjoy the beauties of Paris we took a walk through the Luxembourg Gardens.  At dusk, we walked toward the Seine, looking for a bistro.

We strolled through a narrow passageway with restaurants and shops on each side. Suddenly, both of my feet were swept sideways, I swear as high as my head. I had missed two small steps inside the doorway to the bistro. I remember seeing two young women standing at a small table. When I was in mid-air, I saw their horrified expressions, as they must have seen mine.

The next thing I knew a man was lifting me to my feet asking, “Are you all right?” to which I replied, “No, I am not.”  I somehow knew that I had shattered my left upper arm bone. A doctor at a Paris hospital confirmed my diagnosis early the next morning.

So with a sling and pain pills that my American doctor later explained to me were Tylenol – proving once again the power of the placebo – Mike and I reversed our travels. Five days later I was in the doctor’s office here in California. Nine days after that my arm was surgically put together with eight pins. Time, physical therapy, and  Balance healed the injury. But the fear of falling remains.

No matter where you live, you probably know that a couple of weeks ago California got blasted by an “atmospheric river.” We definitely needed the water, but really. I try to take a daily walk and for days after the rain, many of the trails were slick with puddles, mud, and wet leaves.

When I approach a slippery path I slow way down because I want to make sure I am not walking like the young woman below.

She walks leaning backward, which is so common in our culture that it’s almost  impossible to perceive –  a true cultural blind spot.

I’ve added a plumb line at the center of her pelvis to show how the weight of her head and spine sit behind her center of gravity. When you approach a wet patch aligned like this, you greatly increase your risk of a fall. Imagine her trying to ice skate or ski in this alignment, and you’ll have an immediate understanding  of  what would happen.

For her to be safe walking on a slippery surface she has to shift her torso forward so her body weight is above her legs. The image below of Teddy Roosevelt demonstrates how forward the torso needs to be to walk efficiently, naturally, and safely.

So when I see any wet or icy surface, I lean forward from my hips so my feet are under my torso, not in front. It reminds me of being in Japan on a 12-day temple trek. One day we had to summit a mountain top covered by ice and snow. When our fellow hikers started slipping and sliding, the guide kept saying, “Get your feet under you.” But they didn’t know how to do that. I had to stop myself from shouting: “Lean forward!” which would have solved the problem.

Whether there is a perilous situation or not, begin right now to imitate President Roosevelt. It will keep you safe, give you spectacular posture, and make walking easy and efficient.