Regrets stink. Stay Ahead of Them.

Awareness is your real fall prevention

There’s usually more to a fall or a trip than the story someone tells.

Yes, there might’ve been a rug. Or a tricky curb. We move through the day without thinking much about how we’re doing it. One task blends into the next. A reach, a step, a turn. It all feels automatic, especially when we’re already thinking two steps ahead. It’s not always about rushing, but it’s often part of the mix.

I recently commented on a New York Times article about fall prevention and over 600 readers clicked “recommend”. It was a Times Pick too. That told me something.

Here’s what I wrote:

I’m not saying rushing causes all falls. But in the stories I hear, especially from people 60 and older, it plays a part more often than not. The NYT article focused on evidence-based prevention, and it was full of smart, practical steps.

Things like:
✔ Strengthening your legs, especially the quadriceps
✔ Wearing the right footwear—no floppy sandals, please
✔ Removing clutter and fixing lighting
✔ Using grab bars and railings
✔ Doing balance and mobility work like tai chi
✔ Getting help for dizziness, fear of falling, or side effects from medications
✔ Even using walking poles to retrain posture and stride

All great advice. But even with all those tools in place, we can still fall, often because of what’s happening in our minds.

Rushing shrinks our awareness. Our focus narrows to the task, not the movement. We become automatic. And in that split second of distraction: reaching, turning, stepping too fast, we miss what the body needs to do to stay upright.

As we age, sometimes the strongest thing we can do is slow down and actually notice. That doesn’t mean moving slowly. It means moving deliberately. Staying connected to our surroundings and our own shifting balance. Balance moments are the nooks & crannies in between movement. It’s not about standing still or holding a pose; it’s the quality of how you move through something. That’s been a first principle of mine for a long time, especially with clients in the studio. Most people don’t lose their balance while they’re planted. It gets tripped up in the transition. The step. The turn. The reach. Staying connected makes all the difference. And how you respond in those moments? That matters big time.

Try this today:
- When you get up from a chair, pause before taking your first step. Check in.
- When reaching into a cabinet, feel your feet and how you’re grounded. Or not.
- When descending the stairs, pause to tune into the aspects of your descent.

These micro-moments are your fall prevention practice.

Pay attention to exactly what you’re doing. There’s no other place to be. Regrets stink. Don’t set yourself up for it.

I want to share a few replies that sprang from my comment. I always find the biggest real-life learns are from the people who comment much more than the actual article.

I know many of us are used to doing ten things at once, but multitasking movement is riskier than we think. Slowing down isn’t about giving up. It’s about being smart with the body you have today and protecting the freedom to keep moving how you want, when you want.

Because it’s rarely just the rug.
It’s often the mindset.

And that’s something we can change. 🌀

Let’s hear your voice if you have a comment.