😨 Afraid of Falling? Ironically, That Fear May Increase Your Risk of Falling

Sounds kinda backwards, doesn't it?

A bit like saying...

"The harder you try to fall asleep...the harder it becomes." 😄

Or maybe you've heard the old saying...

"Use it or lose it."

As cliché as it sounds, there's a lot of truth in those five words.

After nearly 30 years of working with older adults, I've learned something that surprises many people.

Fear of falling isn't just an emotion.

It changes HOW we move.

And over time...

The way we move can change our bodies and our brains and eventually or capacity to do s*&t!

It Usually Doesn't Start With a Fall

Most people don't wake up one morning and say,

"Well...today I'm afraid of curbs." 😄

Instead, it happens little by little.

Maybe you slipped getting out of the shower.

Maybe you tripped but caught yourself.

Maybe a friend broke a hip.

Or maybe you've simply noticed you don't feel quite as steady as you once did.

So...

Without even realizing it...

You begin making little changes.

You walk a little slower.

You skip the stairs.

You park closer to the store.

You avoid uneven ground.

You reach for furniture (aka, furniture surfing 🏄‍♂️

You stop walking around the neighborhood.

You may tell yourself,

"I'm just being careful." and sometimes you are.

But, sometimes...

Fear has quietly started making decisions for you.

One Client I'll Never Forget

One of my clients immediately comes to mind.

Physically...she was capable of much more than she believed.

But somewhere along the way she stopped trusting her body.

She wouldn't step off a curb without holding her husband's hand.

Uneven ground?

Nope, absolutely not.

A few stairs?

Only if someone was beside her AND a railing

The interesting part?

It wasn't because she wasn't strong enough.

It was because she no longer believed she was.

🔑 Sometimes the biggest obstacle isn't weakness.

It's a loss of confidence.

Then Something Happens...

When we stop doing difficult things...

We get worse at doing difficult things.

Imagine that. 😉

It sounds obvious and I've been known to be called Captain Obvious.

But there's actually some fascinating neuroscience behind it.

🧠 Your brain is constantly adapting to how you move/think.

Every time you practice (or even think about) a movement—walking, climbing stairs, stepping over a curb, getting up from a chair, or recovering from a stumble—your brain strengthens the neural pathways responsible for those skills.

Think of those pathways like hiking trails.

The trails you walk every weekend become wide, smooth, and easy to follow.

The trails nobody uses anymore?

Nature slowly begins taking them back.

Your brain does something very similar.

It strengthens the pathways you use often.

And it gradually prunes or weakens the connections you no longer use.

So...

If you stop climbing stairs...

The brain gets less practice climbing stairs.

If you stop walking on uneven ground...

The brain gets less practice adapting to uneven ground.

If you stop getting down on the floor...

The brain gets less practice figuring out how to get back up.

🔑 Movement isn't just exercise for your muscles.

It's practice for your brain and nervous system.

After all, no brain, no pain, no movement, no NOTHING...including the capacity to do things.

Therefore...

Fear leads us to avoid movement.

Avoiding movement gives the brain fewer opportunities to practice.

Over time...

Confidence...

Strength...

Balance...

And coordination can all begin declining together.

That's a cycle worth breaking.

Another Client Changed My Perspective

Years ago a client looked at me and said,

"Ryan...I'm afraid to get down on the floor because I don't think I'd ever get back up."

She wasn't talking about exercise.

She was talking about life.

She avoided the floor completely.

No stretching.

No playing with grandchildren.

No confidence that she could recover if she ever fell.

So that's where we started.

Not on the floor.

We started by building strength.

Improving mobility.

Practicing simpler movements.

One success led to another.

Eventually...

She got down on the floor.

Then...

She got back up.

I'll never forget the smile on her face.

It wasn't because she'd completed another exercise.

It was because she'd taken away a fear she'd been carrying for years.

That's real progress.

Confidence Is Like a Muscle 💪

The more you use it...

The stronger it becomes.

The less you use it...

The weaker it becomes.

Confidence isn't something you magically wake up with.

It's built.

One successful repetition at a time.

One curb.

One stair.

One walk.

One victory.

Success builds success.

Being Careful Is Smart 👍

Living in fear?

Not so much.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with:

✔ Using a handrail (I do!).

✔ Wearing supportive shoes.

✔ Taking your time.

✔ Asking for help when you need it.

That's wisdom.

But if fear starts deciding where you go...

What you do...

Or what you stop doing...

It may be time to challenge that fear a little.

Safely.

Gradually.

One step at a time.

The Goal Isn't To Become Fearless

Let's be honest...

I'm not trying to convince anyone to go hiking across the Sandia Mountains tomorrow. 😄

The goal isn't to become fearless.

The goal is to become more capable.

There's a big difference.

As people become stronger...

Move better...

Practice more...

And rebuild confidence...

Fear often begins taking a back seat.

🔑 Key Takeaway

Fear has a funny way of shrinking our world.

First it's the uneven trail.

Then the curb.

Then the stairs.

Then the neighborhood walk.

Before long...

Life gets smaller.

The good news?

Confidence can grow too.

Every safe repetition tells your brain,

"I've done this before...I can do it again."

That's how confidence is built.

Not through wishful thinking.

Through experience and doing!

My Thoughts

After nearly 30 years of working with older adults, I don't believe my job is simply preventing falls....which we can't do.

My job is helping people continue living the life they want.

Walking around the neighborhood.

Traveling.

Gardening.

Playing with grandchildren.

Carrying groceries.

Getting down on the floor...

...and getting back up again. 😉

That's why you'll rarely hear me say,

"Today we're going to work on not falling."

Instead, you'll hear me say,

"Today we're going to help you become more capable."

Because when people become more capable...

They usually become more confident.

And when confidence improves...

Life often gets a whole lot bigger again.

😎

Final Thoughts

One of my favorite sayings is:

"Motion is lotion."

I don't know who coined it originally (I'd give a PT named Gary Gray credit for it).

But there's some truth to it.

Movement keeps our muscles working.

Movement challenges our balance.

Movement builds confidence.

And movement reminds our brains,

"Don't prune this pathway...I'm still using it." 

So if fear has caused your world to become a little smaller...

Maybe today is a good day to take one small step in the other direction.

Not because you have to.

Because your future self will thank you for it.