Why judo is great for senior citizens

Here's an interesting article about teaching senior citizens how to do judo break-falls to save them from fracturing their bones.

Salient Points:
While we tend to think of heart disease and cancer being the big health issues of older age, the reality is a fall is far more common — and can be as catastrophic for some. Falls are more likely once you reach 60, with three in ten over-60s falling at least once a year. This is due to a combination of factors, including deteriorating muscle strength and poorer eyesight.

In the Netherlands anyone over 60 is eligible for a five-week course that’s been shown to nearly halve the number of further falls.The secret? People are taught judo-style falls that prevent broken bones. The course was developed by Dr Vivian Weerdesteyn, a professor of human movement science at Radboud University Nijmegen — and a former junior international judo black belt.

"Everyone thinks there’s no time," acknowledges Dr Weerdesteyn. "They’re wrong. Even the fastest fall takes up to 900 milliseconds to reach the ground. The body is alert to a loss of balance within 100 milliseconds. So you have 800 milliseconds to do something."

During half of each two-hour session, participants complete a low-tech obstacle course designed to replicate daily trip hazards. "We know there’s a moment when you’re pushed off balance when you can either recover or lose it and fall over," says Dr Weerdesteyn. "So many people lose that ability to regain balance as they age."

Yet research shows it’s possible to re-learn the skill — by experiencing loss of balance repeatedly. Indeed, perturbation balance training or tripping people up deliberately so they learn to regain their balance, is a "feasible and effective approach to falls reduction in a clinical setting", according to a review in the journal Gerontology & Geriatrics.

Since its introduction in 2007, this Dutch course has been shown in trials to be remarkably effective. It costs £310, with part or all of the bill picked up by Dutch health insurance.

In collaboration with Activ Studio, starting in December, we will be offering a special exercise program called Judo Fitness, which is a modified form of judo training that does not involve fighting. Like the Dutch program described above, Judo Fitness will be suitable for senior citizens and working adults who want to be stronger, fitter, more agile and capable of doing judo style break-falls.

www.kljudo.com