Reader’s Digest Australia & New Zealand – May 2019

38 | May• 2019

LEARNING TO NOT FALL

arenowencouragingpeopleofall
agestolearnhowtofalltominimise
injury.Theybelievefallingneeds
tobeviewednotsomuchasan
unexpectedhazardtobeavoidedbut
asaninevitabilitytobepreparedfor.
Trainingmayevenhavebeena
factordeterminingtheoutcomeof
theMorenobrothers’falltoearth.
OnetheorywasthatAlcideslived
becausewhenthescaffoldinggave
way,helayf latandclungtothe
platform,asprofessionalwindow
washersaretaughttodo.Asthescaf-
foldingfellintothenarrowalley,air
resistancemayhavebuiltupagainst
theplatform,slowingit down.Decel-
erationisthekeytosurvivingfalls
andreducinginjuries.Asthejoke
goes,“It’snotthefallthatgetsyou;
it’sthesuddenstopatthebottom.”
Alcides ultimatelyunderwent
16 surgeriesandwasina comafor
weeks.Butafteralongregimeof
physicalandoccupationaltherapy
tostrengthenhislegsandrestorehis
balance, he can walk again. “I keep

askingmyselfwhyI lived,”Alcides

toldtheBBC.“Ihavea newbaby– he

mustbethereason,toraisethiskid

andtellhimmyhistory.”

Giventhetremendouscostoffalls

toindividualsandsocietyandthe

increasingknowledgeofhowand

whyfallsoccur,itpaystolearnhow

topreventthem– andwhatyoucan

dotoreduceharminthesplitsecond

afteryoustarttofall.Someofthe

followingtipsarejustcommonsense

• andtooeasilybrushedasideuntil
  theoversighthascausedanaccident.
  Afewsuggestionsmightrequirea bit
  oftraining,oratleastsomepractise.
  They’reallworththinkingabout,no
  matterhowsteady you may feel on
  yourfeet.

BECAREFUL,EVENINTHE

MOSTORDINARYPLACES

Watchwhereyouaregoing.Don’t

walkwhile readingorusingyour

phone.Alwaysholdhandrails– most

peopleusingstaircasesdonot.Don’t

have your hands in your pockets, as

IF YOU DO FALL,DON’T DO IT LIKE THIS

Instead, protect your head and twist to land on your ‘fleshy’ parts

PHOTO: DAVE IMMS