Avoid Falls, How to create a new habit

Here’s our favorite tip for learning a new skill or creating a new habit:

• create a checklist of what you want to accomplish
• every time you stop, go through the list as or before you start

Let’s use neutral posture while walking as an example.   Here are a few items to have on your checklist:

• Roll shoulders up, around and back
• Dorsal Glide
• Imagine a straight line going down your side – ear/shoulder/hip/ankle
• Soften knees
• Deep breath
• Notice which foot you lead off with.   This can be helpful if you have a challenged foot, ankle, knee or hip.  We tend to start with the same foot and it’s often the challenged side that gets extra stress in that initial step.

Every time you stop during your walk, try to RESET back to neutral posture before you start up again.  Then forget about it. Eventually, you’ll do this without having to consciously go thru the list.  That’s muscle memory!

Why does this help to prevent falls? Anytime you’re “in your body” and in neutral posture, you’re focusing on where you are at that moment.  So often falls happen because we’re simply not paying attention.