New class aims to save lives of seniors at risk of falling

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – "How to fall safely."

That's the concept behind a new class being held by one Palm Desert gym owner who is eager to help her community prevent injury.

As people age, risk of falling – and injury stemming from those falls – increases drastically.

Kaiser Permanente says 1 in 4 people aged 65 and older report a fall each year across the United States. In California, that number is slightly higher – 27% of this age group have fallen. And according to the CDC, falls are the leading cause of injury for this age group.

According to Dr. Esfandiar Nasr MD, the Coachella Valley's Assistant Area Medical Director with Kaiser Permanente, the demographics of our region is one of the reasons this risk is especially relevant here.

"What makes us unique is we are a resort town with a higher percentage of retirees and active seniors, and that kind of has an inherent risk," Dr. Nasr says. A Health Assessment and Research for Communities study found 21,000 seniors (or 17% of the Valley's senior population) has fallen in the past three months; over a third of those falls resulted in injury.

Cheryl Cohen is the owner of Desert Fitness Collective. She's hosting a brand new class to show her clients how to prevent injury if they fall.

"Learning how to protect yourself when you fall, it's life changing. And a lot of the inquiries that I get from people, they want to improve balance because they're afraid of falling or they have a history of falling," Cohen says.

That sentiment is true for most of the students in Cohen's inaugural "How to Fall Safely" class. Lorna Curtis has fallen several times in her life. Most recently, she says, "Recently, I fell in in tennis shoes. I was probably walking too fast, got out of the car, fell, hit my head, got a black eye."

Cohen featured a jiu jitsu and judo instructor named Jeshua who used his martial arts background to demonstrate ways to fall safely. The key: distributing the impact and using your body as a shock absorber, rather than breaking bones trying to brace yourself.

"Tuck and roll. That's really it," Cohen explains. "Try and think of yourself as a shock absorber so that when that impact happens, you try and absorb it."

Students were taught how to use their arms to absorb the impact. They also practiced falling forwards and backwards from a safe distance to build correct muscle memory.

By the end of the class, Cohen says she hopes students walk away "maybe not perfect, but having the skills to go home and practice so that it becomes instinctive that if they do lose their balance, if they do start to fall, then the right movements are going to come into play."

If you're interested in signing up for the class, you can visit Desert Fitness Collective's website, or call or text (760) 421-5154.

Kaiser Permanente also offers some advice for seniors to keep in mind if they're looking for ways to prevent falls:

• Home safety assessment – make sure rooms are well-lit, remove tripping hazards or clutter, install grab bars & handrails
• Exercise regularly - strength training, balance exercises, yoga/stretching to enhance flexibility and coordination
• Review medications with your doctor to identify if any may cause dizziness or affect balance; be aware of side effects like drowsiness or low blood pressure
• Manage chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, or arthritis, which can affect balance and mobility
• Get regular vision checks to check for any impairment
• Stay hydrated - dehydration can lead to dizziness and falls
• Use a cane or walker as needed for stability

More prevention tips from Kaiser can be viewed on their website.