Focus on Balance & Motion in Space

February 17, 2026

Balance Science, Balance Training, Fall Prevention

Olympic figure skating has mesmerized me this past week. The gravity defying jumps and lifts, the poetry of connection between partners, the graceful flow of movement across the ice, the high speeds, precision, and artistry. Amidst the spirals, swizzles, and multiple-rotation jumps in the air I am captivated by a seemingly simple component that only comes to mind when it fails – balance. I’ve also been catching up on brain research regarding the same. Researchers continue to develop a better…

Stubbed My Toe

October 6, 2025

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Balance Training, Fall Prevention

A stubbed toe – not a big deal, right? Except that when my little toe collided with the leg of a chair, it broke (my toe, that is, not the chair). While I didn’t fall, a tiny fracture in one of the smallest bones in my body has managed to upend the last three weeks of my life. A broken toe doesn’t just hurt – it potentially makes me more vulnerable to a fall. As I seek safe, pain free…

Winter Walkways

February 5, 2025

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Fall Prevention, Uncategorized

Colorado winter, true to form, is whiplashing from extreme cold and snow to balmy spring-like weather. The sunny blue sky days entice us outdoors only to find treacherous conditions underfoot – walkways that change unpredictably from packed snow to slush to wet concrete to black ice. Of necessity, I find myself consciously tapping the balance lessons I teach as I walk my beautiful and large dog Rusty through the snowy neighborhood. (A shout out to neighbors who shovel their own…

Happy (and safe) Holiday Decorating!

December 17, 2024

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Fall Prevention

If you feel a bit unsteady while putting up the holiday decorations, know you are not alone – and take heed. Last year, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that nearly 15,000 people were treated in emergency rooms for holiday decorating-caused injuries, half of which involved falls. Standing on ladders, reaching, twisting, and leaning to get the lights or the ornament in the perfect spot, checking to see if the garland is draped just right while ignoring the boxes at our…

Conquering Gravity

January 5, 2020

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Balance Science, Balance Training, Fall Prevention

The Conscious Art of Balance Watching videos of my great-niece learning to walk, I am struck by her dedicated focus on the task of upright balance – and the pure joy in the accomplishment of that task. It reminds me of her delight when, as a wee babe, her father would fly her around the room in his arms. Now she flies through space on her own small feet. Balance is a wonder, an amazing feat (no pun intended) that we learn…

Move like a martial artist

July 9, 2019

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Balance Training, Fall Prevention

A wild 4th of July hail storm had me raking up downed leaves in the back yard, adding to my list of summer chores. From carrying bags of potting soil to pulling dandelions, winding up garden hoses, and mowing the lawn, the unending yard work engages me both body and mind. And as creaky knees and aching back threaten to undermine my efforts, these summertime tasks continually remind me to move like a martial artist – no matter the task.…

Balance, Motion, and Space

August 25, 2018

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Balance Science, Balance Training, Fall Prevention

On a beautiful late summer day in the Rocky Mountains, I joined participants at the Easter Seals Rocky Mountain Village Post Polio Wellness Retreat to teach a class on balance. People from all over the country came to Colorado to participate in classes and activities about living with post polio syndrome – a condition affecting polio survivors that includes muscle weakness, atrophy, and fatigue that can occur many years after recovery from the original illness. Post polio syndrome’s impact on balance may result…

Tuning In

March 26, 2018

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Balance Science, Balance Training, Fall Prevention

I had the privilege earlier this month of meeting students and staff at the Colorado Center for the Blind and going along as an observer on a cane travel excursion. Steve, the instructor, and the two students led the way – with their keen perception and their canes – on a trip through downtown Littleton to find donuts and bagels at a shopping center down the road. Throughout the journey, Steve asked the students questions about the surroundings and talked…

Fall Prevention Awareness Day

September 22, 2017

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Balance Training, Fall Prevention

Fall arrived in Colorado today with a curious mix of summer sunshine and a chill wind from the west announcing the inevitable change of seasons. The day also marks Fall Prevention Awareness Day (and the beginning of Fall Prevention Awareness Week); not the prevention of shorter days and cooler temperatures, but a reminder that although the fall season is unavoidable, taking a fall is not. The National Council on Aging (NCOA) started the observance a decade ago to help people understand that…

Fall Prevention: Facts & Tips

August 3, 2017

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Balance Training, Fall Prevention

At a fall prevention event I attended last week, I was surprised to learn that falls are the number one call for help to the Arvada Fire and EMS Rescue in Jefferson County, Colorado. That is, the fire department assists people who have fallen more often than it responds to fires or any other emergency requiring medical services. The Fall Prevention Fair and Cookout was put on by TRIAD, an organization in Jefferson County that helps seniors stay safe in…