In praise of bike helmets
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Falls... the reality of aging.
Plenty written on what to do to help prevent falls, but I know more than a few people that would really struggle getting back up after a fall without some sort of support. My mom is currently working on this in PT after a few falls - the last in a parking lot away from anything to help climb back up. -
I only ride bike paths. From my garage it is short block in a townhome complex to the path or the sidewalk by the door to the bike path. From Bob's garage it is a short bit in a development to an intersection with stop signs to a bike lane for a short block to Tucson's Loop. The Loop circle a large portion of Tucson and has a spur that goes through a suburb. Rides of 138 miles can be done. It may be the best path in the US. People travel to Tucson in the winter to ride.
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I champion bike helmets. A dachshund mix leading a bunch of other dogs slammed into my front wheel years ago. My helmet was destroyed, but it had done its job.
That or my mother was right. I have a hard head. -
Best advice I’ve heard from a PT is to practice getting up from the floor every day, without any support or assistance.
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@adagiom - here's the info. Shrey Vazir is a physiotherapist; I'm on his mailing list and get an email once a week. Here's the one about getting up off the floor.
I basically never talk about my grandma in these emails.
But she taught me one of the most important lessons about aging, mobility, and independence.
And she probably doesn't even realize it.
Most People Stop Practicing This After Age 60
My grandma is 89 years old and has severe knee arthritis (both knees).
Yet she can get up from the floor with more confidence than many people 20 or 30 years younger than her.
What's remarkable is that she doesn't have a special exercise routine or a fancy mobility program.
Her secret is much simpler.
For years, she's sat on the floor every day to pray.
That's it.
Without realizing it, she's been practicing one of the most important movement skills for healthy aging:
Getting down to the floor and getting back up again.
Now most people assume that getting off the floor becomes difficult because of age.
Or because they're "not as strong as they used to be."
But as a physiotherapist, I've found something surprising:
For many people, the problem isn't strength.
It's practice.
Think about riding a bike.
If you haven't ridden one in 20 years, the first attempt feels awkward.
Not because you've forgotten how to ride.
But because your body has forgotten the sequence.
Getting up from the floor is similar.
Your body often remembers more than you think.
It just needs a reminder.
Here's Your Challenge
Over the next week, practice getting up from the floor once per day.Not after a fall.
Not when you desperately need to.
Practice before you need it.
If you're unsure how, here's a simple sequence I suggest (called the CRAWLS method)
C - Take a deep breath and stay calm R - Reach arm over and roll to your side A - Adjust one or both knees W - Walk one leg underneath your body L - Level yourself into a bear or a mini-plank position S - Slowly walk your hands back and stand up, or walk your legs towards your handake your time and move slowly.
Keep a sturdy chair nearby if needed.
The goal isn't speed.
The goal is confidence.
The Bigger Lesson
Many of the abilities we associate with "getting older" are actually skills we've stopped practicing.Getting up from the floor.
Balancing on one leg.
Climbing stairs.
Walking briskly.
Carrying groceries.
The less we do them, the harder they become.The more we practice them, the longer we keep them.
My grandma didn't preserve her mobility through some complicated program.
She simply kept using it.
And that may be the most powerful lesson of all.
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I fell off my bike on Thursday. Not a crash in traffic, I was just dismounting.
I misjudged the height of my right leg/foot clearing the saddle, so I went down.
I think it’s a matter of losing flexibility with age. It IS a tall saddle height that’s worked for the last 25 years, but maybe I need to do other exercise to stay flexible.
Anyway, although I don’t think my head hit the ground, and my (brand-new) helmet looked unscathed, I could feel that something moved inside my skull. No disorientation, and I put the bike in the car and drove home normally.
I went to the urgent care a few hours later, and they tested my reflexes, and said don’t worry unless I get dizzy or confused or nauseous, or experience vision changes, but if I do, go to a hospital.
So my head felt achy for a couple of days, but it’s getting better. I seem to have all my faculties and I’m practicing effectively.
I do feel the effects on other body parts. My neck, shoulder, hip, elbow, knee are sore. I feel like I’ve been in a bar fight.
But thank goodness for bike helmets. Maybe it could have been worse.
@RealPlayer I’m glad you’re okay. Protect your head! I’m a big fan of bike helmets. I had a concussion (even with helmet) in a bike accident nearly 30 years ago. Woke up in the street. I think I slid on wet pavement, but I have no memory of the accident.
Mr. AM traded bikes for one with a step-through frame several years ago when he was no longer able to throw his leg over the crossbar of his bikes. I don’t think you’re at that point, but it’s something to consider for the future.
@jon-nyc We love rails to trails! Gentle grade, off the road, usually through nice areas. The only thing I don’t like is the stanchions where the trail crosses a road. They’re there so cars don’t come up the trail. But suddenly I feel like I can’t steer well between them!
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Oh gosh, glad you're OK, RP.
So be alert for any new symptoms, dizziness, headache that doesn’t go away etc.
For sure. Several years ago a co-worker was in a taxi that had to stop abruptly. He lunged forward and hit his head on the partition separating the front of the cab from the back. He didn't think too much about it. A neighbor, hearing his vacuum running non-stop, found him the next day slumped on his bed, dead. Bleeding from his ear.
@Bernard oh dear that’s heartbreaking! And terrifying!
Re getting up off the floor, I can’t really do that without my hands. But I’m very good if I can use my hands, I don’t need any other assistance. We stretch almost every evening, on the floor in our bedroom, so we get down, do our routine and then get back up again. I also do a whole set of upper and lower body routine that I started when my knees started to go. So I some ways I’m pretty good.
What I can’t do is a single leg sit to stand, which would be good to be able to do if I ever get my foot surgery (which I hope to put off until forever…)
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I’m convinced that strength and balance training is something I need to do. I’m pretty sure that my weight loss in recent years is due to loss of muscle mass, not exercise or diet. Case in point: I can no longer lift the lid of my 9 foot Piano.
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I also had a fall over the weekend. Seems to be going around.
Bought a 30” kitchen base cabinet and decided to move it in to the the basement myself. Mistake #1 was not taking it out if the box. Mistake #2 was not removing the shelf, doors, and drawer to make it lighter. Mistake #3 was moving it upright rather than laying it down. Mistake #4 was thinking I’m still 25 years old.
About halfway down the stairs it got away from me. The slick cardboard on the bottom of the box slid way too easily on the carpet and I couldn’t stop it.
I ended up on the floor at the foot of the stairs with the box on top of me. Laid there for a while and took stock. Ankle scuffed, back hurts. Nice hole in wall. Found phone in pocket and figured I could call someone if I couldn’t get out from under the box.
Got out, took stock. Not too bad. Back of cabinet is broken, knee kind of hurts. Decided to spend the rest of the day on the sofa so as not to have to climb the stairs.
Got lucky. Next time I’ll lower it down the stairs with a rope.
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Yikes @steve-miller . These incidents are definitely a wake-up call. Glad it wasn't worse.
I was thinking about trying to get a cabinet down from the second floor by myself by sliding it down the stairs on its side.
Think I'll call a nice strapping young neighbor over to help me...or maybe two strapping young neighbors to do it for me....
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I’m convinced that strength and balance training is something I need to do. I’m pretty sure that my weight loss in recent years is due to loss of muscle mass, not exercise or diet. Case in point: I can no longer lift the lid of my 9 foot Piano.
@RealPlayer NPR's Fresh Air interviewed the author of "Fed Up" yesterday. It was really interesting and he talked about muscle loss vs fat loss.
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I also had a fall over the weekend. Seems to be going around.
Bought a 30” kitchen base cabinet and decided to move it in to the the basement myself. Mistake #1 was not taking it out if the box. Mistake #2 was not removing the shelf, doors, and drawer to make it lighter. Mistake #3 was moving it upright rather than laying it down. Mistake #4 was thinking I’m still 25 years old.
About halfway down the stairs it got away from me. The slick cardboard on the bottom of the box slid way too easily on the carpet and I couldn’t stop it.
I ended up on the floor at the foot of the stairs with the box on top of me. Laid there for a while and took stock. Ankle scuffed, back hurts. Nice hole in wall. Found phone in pocket and figured I could call someone if I couldn’t get out from under the box.
Got out, took stock. Not too bad. Back of cabinet is broken, knee kind of hurts. Decided to spend the rest of the day on the sofa so as not to have to climb the stairs.
Got lucky. Next time I’ll lower it down the stairs with a rope.
@Steve-Miller Yikes, Steve. Glad you survived. Yeah, it's easy to miscalculate, sometimes.
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I’m convinced that strength and balance training is something I need to do. I’m pretty sure that my weight loss in recent years is due to loss of muscle mass, not exercise or diet. Case in point: I can no longer lift the lid of my 9 foot Piano.
my weight loss in recent years is due to loss of muscle mass, not exercise or diet. Case in point: I can no longer lift the lid of my 9 foot Piano.
I know those lids are crazy heavy, but if you used to be able to, and now can't, it's something to think about.
Have you looked into any programs that offer guided exercises or PT for older adults?
@steve-miller oh dear!! I'm glad it wasn't worse, but that doesn't sound like much fun!
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There’s a physician turned influencer (though he still has a practice) who’s focus is ‘healthspan’ as opposed to lifespan. He talks about ‘being able to do the things you want to do in your marginal decade of life’. Strength training and balance are a big part of his regimen. One example he often uses is ‘you still want to be able to put your bag in the overhead compartment by yourself when you’re 80’.
He also talks about how we lose what he calls ‘explosive power’ which leads to falls. A young person can lose their balance too, but they’re far more likely to move their leg quickly forward (or wherever) to break the fall. He works on that as well as balance and strength.
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my weight loss in recent years is due to loss of muscle mass, not exercise or diet. Case in point: I can no longer lift the lid of my 9 foot Piano.
I know those lids are crazy heavy, but if you used to be able to, and now can't, it's something to think about.
Have you looked into any programs that offer guided exercises or PT for older adults?
@steve-miller oh dear!! I'm glad it wasn't worse, but that doesn't sound like much fun!
Have you looked into any programs that offer guided exercises or PT for older adults?
I've been doing some of the exercises recommended by this physiotherapist and have found them to be quite helpful. I was starting to feel like the stairs were getting a bit tougher to manage, but as soon as I started some of the exercises I noticed a significant change in how I climbed the stairs.
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From my Canadian physiotherapist this week, for anyone looking for a basic workout:
I want to be strong at 93. But I don't want to spend the next 60 years in the gym.
My goal isn't to spend my life working out. It's to exercise enough that I can spend my life living.
Playing with my kids. Travelling. Playing sports. Staying strong, mobile and independent well into my 80s and 90s.
So today, I thought I'd share something a little different:
My exact workout routine right now.
And it might be a lot less than you'd expect.
Here's what my week looks like:
MONDAY — Chest + Back
→ Bench Press or Push-Ups
→ Bent-Over Rows
Bench Press + Bent Over Rows
TUESDAY — Legs + Shoulders
→ Weighted Squats
→ Shoulder PressSquats + Shoulder Press
WEDNESDAY — Arms
→ Bicep Curls
→ Tricep PushdownsBicep Curl + Tricep Push-Downs
THURSDAY — Accessory Muscles
→ Calf Raises
→ ShrugsHeel Raises + Shrugs
FRIDAY — Upper Body
→ Bench Press or Bent-Over Rows
SATURDAY — Lower Body
→ Deadlift or Squat
SUNDAY — Rest
And throughout the week, I sprinkle in:
10–20 minute brisk walks after lunch when I can.🧘 5 minutes of stretching and mobility before bed.
That's it.
No two-hour gym sessions.
No complicated workouts with 12 different exercises.
Most days, my strength workout is literally one or two exercises.
The bigger point
Now, is this the "perfect" workout routine?Of course not.
There are things I could add. More cardio. More balance training. More mobility. More exercises.
But I've learned something over the years:
The best workout routine isn't the one that looks perfect on paper.
It's the one that fits into your actual life.
Especially in this season of my life, with two young kids, work, family and everything else going on, this is what works for me.
And because it's simple, I can actually stay consistent with it.
That's what I want you to take away from this email.
You don't need to build your life around exercise.
Build an exercise routine that supports the life you want to live.
Stay strong
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Oh gosh, glad you're OK, RP.
So be alert for any new symptoms, dizziness, headache that doesn’t go away etc.
For sure. Several years ago a co-worker was in a taxi that had to stop abruptly. He lunged forward and hit his head on the partition separating the front of the cab from the back. He didn't think too much about it. A neighbor, hearing his vacuum running non-stop, found him the next day slumped on his bed, dead. Bleeding from his ear.
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