She doesn't really. She needs to be able to LAND.
There is a morbid scenario that exists for those in the 60+
demographic and it goes something like this:
-Fall and break hip
-Go to hospital to get hip fixed
-Catch pneumonia while in hospital
-Go to nursing home to recover
-Never recover and pass away
All from one simple little slip and fall. What do slipping
and falling have to do with jumping and landing? A lot,
really, and the primary similarity lies in the speed with
which they occur and that is:
FAST
In the blink of an eye, a snap of the finger, bam! It has
happened. Grandma (or Grandpa) has gone from standing
upright to lying on the ground in agony.
There is good news, though. There is a simple and very
applicable training protocol that can be modified to help
those who need to be prepared for this type of "fast"
activity.
Plyometrics is the training protocol that helps athletes to
jump higher and run faster. It is a very advanced protocol
developed in the former Soviet Union and distributed in the
U.S. by an excellent coach, Don Chu.
While jumping up and down might not be in the cards
initially, if ever, for grandma/pa, here are some quick and
simple tips using a modified plyometrics protocol to help
him/her become more "fall-proof".
Fall-Proof Plyometrics Protocol
1. Start With Step-ups First - This is especially
important for those who are quite unaccustomed to any
exercise. Simple step-ups are more than adequate as a
place to start.
2. Start Small - A 1-2 inch change in elevation is plenty
initially. Eventually the individual will work to a 4
inch, 6 inch, then 12 inch elevation change.
3. Plyometrics works in three directions:
a. Up (the easiest)
b. Down
c. Lateral - left and right (the hardest)
The first progression set in the Fall-Proof Plyometrics
Protocol would look like this:
1. Step-ups with 1-2 inch elevation
2. Step-downs with 1-2 inch elevation
3. Lateral Step-ups (both left and right) with 1-2 inch
elevation
Practice step-ups UNTIL MASTERY before moving on to
step-downs.
Practice step-downs UNTIL MASTERY and then move to lateral
step-ups.
Once the lateral step-ups HAVE BEEN MASTERED, start a new
progression set.
Use a higher elevation change and begin again with step-ups.
Repeat this process until lateral step-ups with a 12 inch
elevation change have been mastered. Depending on the
individual, this may take as long as six months to
accomplish.
Once an individual has mastered all types of steps with a
12 inch change in elevation, he/she is probably ready to go
back to the 1-2 inch elevation change and begin practicing
jump-ups.
However, having said that, it may be that a large portion
of the older population would be better served by simply
performing a variety of step-ups. Moving into jumping is
completely an individual decision.
My number one goal in this article was to let people know
that there are simple training paradigms available to help
those of a more mature demographic avoid suffering the same
fate as many thousands of their peers as a result of a fall.
It's really irrelevant if these people actually get to the
jumping version of a fall-prevention training program
because even a stepping version will make them more
resilient to serious injury if/when they do fall. The
point is they have a choice and they can take action.
----------------------------------------------------
Troy M. Anderson is the owner of Anderson Training Systems,
LLC, a fitness coaching business based in Tempe, Arizona.
Troy is often referred to as "the MacGyver of coaching" for
his unique ability to build effective fitness programs
using only the most basic equipment. For more articles and
instructional video , visit http://www.atscoaching.com
Fitness Ain't Pretty-RESULTS ARE!
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