Falling Is Not An Option: A Way to Lifelong Balance

By George Locker

Falling Is Not an Option: A Way to Lifelong Balance begins with an illuminating discussion about the nature of balance: its inherent beauty, its elusive source, its necessity, and its common loss late in life. The author details the importance of the postural muscles (those that involuntarily control balance and stability) and provides numerous examples of weight-bearing sports that require and enhance balance.

The second part of the book presents 15 postures and exercises derived from T'ai Chi, which are described in words and illustrated with 122 sequential photos of the author. These exercises activate and strengthen the postural or balance muscles, and develop the ability to create downward force to increase stability.

The postures and exercises – which do not have to be memorized and can be done at home - emphasize simple positions and small movements that are appropriate for those who have mobile impairments, including several exercises that acknowledge the common elderly struggle to sit down and stand up.

The book ends with a glossary of terms that clearly explain highlighted terms in the text that might be unfamiliar to the reader.

While Postural Retraining exercises were conceived for those who have lost stability and seek to regain it safely and incrementally, mid-lifers and athletes will equally benefit.

Falling Is Not an Option is presented in a clear, straight-forward style that is well-suited to the subject and audience.The author, who has studied T'ai Chi for 40 years, writes with authority and from experience. The section in which he discusses what balance is not, is particularly noteworthy.

Falling Is Not an Option is an original, provocative, and groundbreaking work. It promises to be a useful and adaptable reference and guide for health professionals and for anyone in need of an effective physical therapy to improve balance and stability (which is just about everyone).

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Sep 16, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098309749

Book preview

cover.jpg

©2020 All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Print ISBN: 9781--09830-973-2

eBook ISBN: 978-1-09830-974-9

table of contents

Dedication

Appreciation

Thanks

INTRODUCTION

Beautiful Balance

Graceful Aging

Teaching Seniors

Why is Balance a Challenge to Explain?

This Book

Ignoring the Future

The Problem

The Solution: Postural Retraining™

Part one: What Is Balance?

Strength?

Mental?

Skill?

Sense or Ability at Birth?

Balance is Knowledge

Postural and Phasic Muscles

Why Postural Retraining™?

Weight-Bearing

Benefits of Weight-bearing Exercises

Stimulates the Postural Muscles

Increases Bone Density

Relaxation

Warmth

Balance vs. Stability

Starting with Isaac Newton

Rooting

Movement is Not Balance

Balance in Humans

Don’t Spread the Legs

Bend the Knees and Ankles

What’s the Goal?

Part Two: POSTURAL RETRAINING™ ROUTINE

Where to Practice?

Clothing

Working with a Partner

Weight-bearing Posture

Body Elements

Foot

Ankle

Shin

Knee

Pelvis

Spine, Neck and Head

How to Stand

Both Legs Straight

Weighting the Stance

Double-Weighted

Single-Weighted

Weight Transfer*

Double-Weighted to Single-Weighted

50/50 (Both Feet on the Ground)

0/100 (Big Toe of Outer Foot Touching the Floor)

0/100 (Foot Lifted)

0/100 (Foot Lifted High)

0/100 Big Sidestep

Forward and Back

Taking a Step

Turning the Body

Walking Bear

Standing Bear

Stretching the Tendons and Ligaments of the Arms and Hands

Standing Up From a Chair

Sitting Down in a Chair

Squatting

Pain

Patience

Reward

Afterword

Further Research

Is Postural Retraining™ T’ai Chi?

Glossary of Terms*

Endnotes, Weblink, Exercise Video

Dedication

To Chris Molnar, my late wife, who encouraged me to deepen my practice, and whose love and example changed my life forever.

To Elena, my daughter: you rock my world!

Appreciation

I have had the good fortune to study Taijiquan and other Chinese martial arts for over 40 years with two masters/teachers. My first, Grand Master Cheng Hsiang Yu, was born in Shanghai in 1929. ¹ Master Yu was recognized as one of the foremost martial artists of his time.

When Master Yu moved to New York City, I was his first non-Chinese student Figure 1. He spoke no English, and I spoke no Chinese, but he opened a world to me that offered astonishing stability based on a new understanding of the relationship between the body and the ground.

After Master Yu’s passing in 2010, I studied with his senior student, Master Robert Murphy, a dedicated and exquisite teacher. Masters Yu and Murphy represent the pinnacle of doing and teaching Chinese martial arts. As would be true for anyone who had two great T’ai Chi teachers and practiced, I am far more stable at age 70 than at age 30.

Thanks

To Arthur Castle, Bruce Esrig, Bob Falvo, Paul Feinberg, Pamela Frank Garry, Michelle Gay, Betsy Jaeger, Nate Jeffery, Mike Sasko, Loretta Thomas, and Randy Young, for their help and support, and to Lester Lefkowitz, for photography.

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1 https://web.archive.org/web/20200918062622/http://taichi108.com/masteryu.html

INTRODUCTION

Beautiful Balance

Imagine a child walking along a stream. In some places, the bank is soft and yielding. In other places, there are rocks. The rocks are unreliable: some are firmly seated, and others are ready to tumble.

The child walks on the loose ground, avoiding the moss and sinking into the turf. At a crossing, the child places her toe down the bank, slides, and places her other foot on a rock. The rock wobbles, but the child switches feet again, finding another rock.