The Fall
fall <fôl> (verb) 1. “move downward, typically rapidly and freely without control, from a higher to a lower level” // 2. “lose one's balance and collapse”
Falls are usually a result of an accident.
a misplaced step
a slip on an unseen object
a moment of dizziness or vertigo
a loss of our sense of placement in space
a misjudgment of our own ability or strength
a miscalculation of the sturdiness of another object
Depending on how you were raised, or on the kind of mindset you’ve embraced as an adult, a fall is either an invitation to retreat and take fewer risks . . . or it is a challenge to become stronger and test your limits again.
If surveyed, I would guess than upward of 75% of our population reacts to the risk of falling with doing less.
Yet, what our bodies actually need are for us to do more.
We need to . . .
build our strength,
increase our mobility,
improve our balance.
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I fell last week. I dropped approximately 8 feet to the ground after a missed grasp at a hold I was reaching for.
The result? Two dislocated fingers and a month’s worth of hand exercises.
After the incident, my thoughts over the following 24-hours included:
“that was so foolish of me”
“but I almost had it”
“it’s time to act my age”
“but I don’t want to act my age”
“my physical decline has begun”
“this is actually a call to increase my strength”
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The truth is that most of us are going to experience a fall at some point in our lives. It’s more of a when than if.
But the real question is “what kind of shape are you going to be in when it happens?”
Maybe two dislocated fingers is just dumb luck.
But . . .
No broken bones
No back or spine issues
Hardly even sore the next day?
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I often speak of the power of exercise, to . . .
relieve stress
improve our mood
manage pain
But an equally important benefit of exercise is that it widens our ability to absorb life stressors . . . emotional, mental, physical.
There’s no question that I am very fortunate . . . that I did’t get seriously injured.
There is equally no question that the padding of muscles, the flexibility of a mobile spine, and the strength of bones exposed to weight training helped to create that good fortune.
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What kind of shape are you going to be in the next time life drops you?