Hi, I'm Margaret from MelioGuide, and as part of the balance series, I thought it was important
to share some ideas about how to get up safely from the ground. And hopefully, the first
time you do this is not from a fall. I really strongly encourage my clients to practice
getting up from the floor on a regular basis so that it becomes more of an intuitive move
than in a position of panic that you're trying to remember, "What did they tell me that I'm
supposed to do?"
So I'm going to talk first about getting onto your side. So I'll just place myself into
the side lying position. Now, if you've fallen on your side and this side feels painful,
then you might want to, wisely, to choose to roll onto the opposite side so that that
arm can help you. For purposes of my mic and the fact that my speaker is behind me, I'm
not going to roll onto my back to get there. So I've rolled onto the side that is more
comfortable for me, or less painful. Now, this might still be a sore shoulder, so if
my arm's by my side, I can help myself to push up onto the less painful side.
I have a few options at this point. It would be to drag myself on one arm. So it requires
enough oomph, and this is where even just working on little side planks from a side
lying position, and this you could do from a firm bed, or when you do practice getting
onto the floor, just, once in a while, just practicing this little press. And this little
press is what you're going to use to bring yourself to the closest and sturdiest chair
that you see.
So I'm going to move my legs around and I'm going to gradually bring myself over using
a little step with the arm, bringing the knees up, and then using the strength of my legs
to push myself. Now, I've purposely taken off my shoes because they would create another
drag, more friction. So require a little bit more strength. But that's certainly depending
on the surface you fall, another variable. So here, bring the knees up, press. I could
rest my head for a little bit to get my breath. And then just do one more. Get it nice and
close. All right, this is as close as I'm going to get. Coming up, again, taking as
many pauses as you need in between.
From this position, we have a couple of options. And so, depending on how your legs are feeling,
now, this is a fairly slippery surface. I want to come down and then get myself in close.
And the slipperiness is a plus and minus. I want to lift myself again, putting most
of the weight on my unaffected side, or the happier side. So I want to use my right side
as my power side from my arm. But also, I'll be using the left knee as my power leg.
Now, obviously, whichever side is feeling best and strongest after the fall, you would
use that. Now, you can either go down from here or from the arm. I would suggest you
transfer some of the weight forward, pushing up through your arm, pushing down through
your foot. And then as soon as you can clear the chair, just pivot over into the chair.
I cleared it a lot more than you actually would need to. As soon as you know you can
get your butt over, you just scooch over.
Now, option two, from this position, you make it here, and you know you're not going to
have the strength in this knee, and this one's already supporting you, and this shoulder's
not 100%. So the option of rolling and doing the exact same thing on the opposite side
might not be a great one, but you can go and face the chair onto itself, and then bring
one foot back, the other foot back, and then pressing up, still with most of the weight
on the stronger of the two arms, then walk it in enough that you can then pivot around.
So that is one option. I'm going to slide back down here to share a second option. And
the second option is one that I actually teach a lot of my clients to do. They're always
surprised that it's so much easier for them to do on a day-to-day basis if they're in
an exercise class, or part of their home routine involves an exercise on the ground. I'm just
going to say that if you're choosing this next option, one
of the caveats I guess is that you have the flexibility to do this option. So I'm going
to lay on my back just to show you in terms if you lift your leg up, if you're able to
get anywhere in the fairly close to 90 degrees, between 75 and 90, on both legs, and this
is not terribly uncomfortable behind your hamstrings, then this next option that I'm
going to show is a real viable option for you to use.
So this next option, the second option, is one that you don't have to go flat on your
hands, you could do it from your knuckles if that's more comfortable for you. And so,
should you have come down onto your shoulder, rolling onto your stomach, a lot of people
don't think of it as a good place, but it actually is, as long as both shoulders are
feeling strong. You're going to, from here, tighten up your tummy muscles and push back.
So you need to get your butt up in the air behind you. So you're going to push back,
pushing through your forearms, butt is up. Now, this point, knees a little bit wider,
feet the same width as your knees, pushing up onto your knuckles or onto flat hands,
all depending on your wrists and your hands.
Now, this is the part two. Toes get tucked, and then, again, you're envisioning your butt
going up behind you. So I'm going to press and I'm going to walk my hands back. And as
soon as I can get my forearms onto my legs, I'm going to do that, taking the weight off
of my spine. And then I'm going to walk myself up. And this is a really nice option for many
people. And if you found that option worked well for you, you can practice it every day
coming down into the short-stop position and then coming down onto the ground. And from
here, just coming straight down onto your tummy, keeping your tummy muscles nice and
tight as you do so. And this is certainly a great alternative and a safe alternative
for getting up and down from the floor.
So I hope these tips are helpful for you. We all have very unique bodies and unique
histories in terms of aches and pains, and arthritic joints and joint replacements. And
so, if you do have access to a physical therapist near you that can help you work through your
unique challenges, that is a wonderful option. Otherwise, I hope help either of these two
options is a good one for you. Thank you for tuning in. I'm Margaret from MelioGuide.