Essential Points:

• Falls Can Happen to Anyone: Falling is not just a concern for the elderly; people of all ages are at risk. Understanding how to fall safely can significantly reduce the likelihood of injury from unexpected falls.

• Injury Prevention Through Fall Training: Learning to fall properly, through techniques from martial arts and parkour, can protect against common injuries like hip fractures, wrist sprains, and traumatic brain injuries, even in everyday situations.

• Healthcare Providers Should Embrace Fall Training: While balance and strength training are essential, fall training is an often overlooked but crucial skill for injury prevention. Just like knowing how to use an emergency brake, learning to fall safely could be life-saving.

Updated: 10/27/24

Falling Is Everyone’s Problem (Not Just for the Elderly)

It’s easy to assume that falling is a problem only older adults need to worry about. After all, we usually hear stories about elderly relatives slipping on icy sidewalks or tripping over household rugs. But the truth is, everyone is at risk of falling, regardless of age or health. It’s not just a winter hazard or something that creeps up in retirement. Whether you’re 30 or 60, an unexpected fall can happen to anyone at any time.

Here’s a surprising statistic: 1 in 4 adults over 65 will experience a fall this year, and the medical costs associated with falls in the U.S. are a staggering $50 billion annually. (1) That’s not a typo, $50,000,000,000. And while older adults bear a greater share of these falls, younger people aren’t immune. Ever slip on ice? Miss a stair? Trip over your dog? Exactly.

The good news is, falls don’t have to mean broken bones and ER visits. There are ways to minimize your risk of injury if you know how to fall properly. In this article, we’ll talk about why learning how to fall is essential for your safety, what kinds of injuries are most common, and how techniques from fields like martial arts and parkour can make all the difference.

The High Costs of Falling: Why You Should Care

Let’s face it, no one thinks about falling until it happens. But when it does, it can result in everything from a bruised ego to a life-changing injury. Common injuries include (1, 2):

• Hip fractures

• Wrist injuries

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) - Dive deeper on TBIs here

For older adults, a fall can be the beginning of a downward spiral. One moment you’re walking to the mailbox, and the next you’re in rehab learning how to use a walker. And it’s not just the elderly, athletes, outdoor enthusiasts, and even office workers are at risk of falling in unexpected ways.

The Case for Fall Training: A Missing Piece in Injury Prevention

Despite the billions spent on fall-related injuries each year, fall training isn’t widely used. Most healthcare providers focus on strengthening muscles and improving balance, which is important, no doubt. But what if, despite your best efforts, you still fall?

Let’s say you’ve been doing balance exercises for months. Your strength is solid, and your posture is on point. But then you step outside on an icy sidewalk and, BAM, you hit the ground. No amount of strength or balance can save you from certain environmental hazards. That’s where learning how to fall safely comes in, and it’s exactly why I call the skill of falling the missing link of fall prevention.

I’d argue that learning how to fall should be part of everyone’s fitness and wellness routine, just like stretching, cardio, or weightlifting. It’s an overlooked form of injury prevention that could drastically reduce the severity of injuries when falls do happen.

Common Injuries from Falls (And Why They’re Preventable)

When people fall, the way they hit the ground determines whether they walk away with a bruise, a sprain, or a broken bone. A few common injuries include:

• Hip Fractures (3)

  • Often requires surgery and months of rehab

  • Common in older adults due to weaker bone density

• Wrist Injuries (4)

  • Happens when you instinctively extend your arms to break the fall

  • Can result in sprains, fractures, or dislocations

• Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) (5)

  • Can occur from hitting your head on the ground

  • Even mild head injuries can have lasting effects

The key takeaway here? These injuries aren’t inevitable. With the right fall training, you can reduce the impact of falls or avoid serious injury altogether.

Where Can We Learn Safe Falling Techniques?

So, how do you learn to fall without getting hurt? One great place to start is with martial arts. There’s a concept in judo and other martial arts called ukemi, which translates to “receiving body.” (6) The goal of ukemi is to absorb the force of a fall so you can land safely. Practitioners learn techniques like breakfalls and rolls to spread out the impact of a fall, reducing the chance of injury.

Modern Fall Training: Parkour’s Influence on Safe Falling

Parkour athletes have taken the concept of ukemi to the next level. Unlike martial artists, who train for specific throws or attacks, parkour practitioners practice falling in real-world scenarios, like tripping while running or landing safely from a high jump. This style of falling is called parkour ukemi and you can dive deeper on it here or learn some of the specific techniques here.

What’s fascinating about parkour’s approach is that it focuses on dynamic movement and unexpected falls. This means learning how to adjust your body mid-fall, roll with the momentum, and get back on your feet as quickly as possible.

Both martial arts and parkour techniques provide practical ways to protect yourself from injury, whether you’re stepping off a curb or taking a tumble on a hiking trail. Both are suited to limit injury from a fall, but I believe parkour ukemi is more suited for everyday life.

Why Healthcare Providers Should Embrace Fall Training

Healthcare providers have done a lot to promote strength training and balance exercises, but fall training is still relatively rare. That’s a shame because even the best balance can’t protect you from unexpected falls.

Think about it. If you were driving a car, you’d want to know how to use the emergency brake, right? Most of us will never need to use it, but it’s there if we do. Learning to fall is like knowing how to use the emergency brake. You hope you never need it, but if the situation arises, it could be the difference between a sprained wrist, a broken hip or worse.

Final Thoughts: The Time to Learn Is Now

Here’s the thing, falls WILL happen. Whether it’s tomorrow, next year, or decades from now, you will likely experience a fall at some point. The question is, will you be ready? Knowing how to fall is a skill everyone should have. It’s not just for athletes or older adults, it’s for anyone who wants to move confidently and safely through the world, including you.

So, why wait? Start practicing fall techniques today. You don’t need to join a judo dojo or dive headfirst into parkour training, though that could be fun! Start small by learning how to roll out of a fall or practice slapping the ground to dissipate force. Matter of fact, go and check out my falling tutorials to get the ball (and you!) rolling. Because at the end of the day, falling isn’t just something that happens to other people. It’s something that can happen to you. And when it does, you’ll be glad you took the time to prepare.

If you want to dive deeper, check out some of my other articles on fall prevention, injury-proofing your life, and building better balance. And if you’re serious about staying safe and healthy long-term, book a coaching session with me today or start simple and tackle my Beginner to Intermediate Balance Program.

References

1. Facts about falls. Older Adult Fall Prevention. Published May 9, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/falls/data-research/facts-stats/index.html

2. Mekkodathil A, El-Menyar A, Kanbar A, et al. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of fall-related injuries: a retrospective study. BMC Public Health. 2020;20(1). doi:10.1186/s12889-020-09268-2

3. Ilic I, Ristic B, Stojadinovic I, Ilic M. Epidemiology of hip fractures due to falls. Medicina. 2023;59(9):1528. doi:10.3390/medicina59091528

4. Ye J, Li Q, Nie J. Prevalence, characteristics, and associated risk factors of wrist fractures in Americans above 50: the Cross-Sectional NHANES Study. Frontiers in Endocrinology. 2022;13. doi:10.3389/fendo.2022.800129

5. Thompson HJ, McCormick WC, Kagan SH. Traumatic Brain injury in Older Adults: Epidemiology, outcomes, and future implications. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2006;54(10):1590-1595. doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2006.00894.x

6. Judo Info. Understanding Ukemi (Falling Techniques) by Brandon Lee. Judo Info. Published April 23, 2020. https://judoinfo.com/lee/

Thanks for reading the first article on Science of Falling. I would love to hear about your experience with falling! Comment below.

Happy falling!