One Incredible Tip to Prevent Falls (Ages 65+) 

I'm over 80 and this is excellent advice . This is a fantastic channel ,and thank you for taking the time and trouble taking them !

Great advice! Thank you for posting! I'm a 71 year old mail carrier. Allow me to add another tip. Don't go fast up or down any stairs. Slow down, take small steps, and be sure the fore foot is planted before lifting the back. Most of my falls and near falls have been from catching the front of my shoe on a stair while ascending too quickly.

I'm 76, and I just stood up and turned experimentally. I naturally take an extra step rather than cross my legs over. I never thought about it before. Thanks for raising awareness.

It's nice to see that even on New Year's Day you take care of the elderly!

Thanks Will for your efforts. I'm 65 and my mom is 85, so we're both interested in almost everything that you put out. Good demonstrations and appropriate length. 😊

Love this. My son is 18 months and he's new to walking /running. This is how he instinctively has discovered how to turn. Biomechanics lesson from the early years for the elders

I’m a senior who has just discovered your videos. Thanks so much. This method of turning is extremely helpful. 👍🏾

Happy New Year ! Here’s to a fall-free 2024 for all of us !

I recently had a fall with too tight of a turn. Fell down a few steps and fractured my foot. Think I am lucky because I could have broken hip etc. Thank you so much for this.

I was overmedicated and had falls and broken ones. Since watching your videos and dealing with the meds I am no longer having balance issues. I have won 4 MVP trophies in billiards in the last year

Correct teachings. I like this teacher. He has correct knowledge. He is healthy, kind, joyful, honest. I feel good energy watching this channel. Happy New Year to all.

I am 77 and I overbalance and fall fairly regularly. Luckily, so far I have not had a bad injury. I am aware that it is only a matter of time before I hurt myself so today I will start taking advice from your videos which I thankyou very much for.

I was always told as a child raised by an older family to "pick up your feet when you walk". Marching steps are a bit exaggerated I think but certainly picking up your feet, not shuffling, is key.

Guys, if you step first with the leg closer to the direction you're turning, it will also help. If you move your "back" leg first, you're more likely to cross over and trip. Instead, Just point your toes of the front leg in the direction you want to go, so you'll be turning you're leg out 30 to 45 degrees on that first step.

Absolutely helpful, Mr Harlow. I tend to swing when I turn and have been quite close to losing my balance. This is an eye opener !

I hope you have a great new year, Will, and you hit half a million subs this year. I'm not 70 yet, but it's coming around the bend. I made a lot of right-angle turns in the house after watching this, just to see how my legs and feet move, and turns out (no pun intended) that I automatically make _rounded_ turns. I'll be mindful, though, to avoid sharp turns unless they're with the "marching steps." Lucky for me, I was in the marching band in high school, so that will come naturally. 😄

I'm so GRATEFUL that you addressed this, and SHOWED US how to approach turning correctly, THANK YOU!❤

As an ex-soldier, I've found that "half-stepping" also helps. Most importantly, don't get in a hurry. If the place isn't on fire, take your time 😊

That's good advice. What you call a marching turn is what I've discovered as stop, then turn, then go. That way I don't cross my feet, and I'm not pushed onward by momentum. Thank you.

Thank you Will. I fell in exactly this way 4 months ago. Your demonstration was accurate. Spent 3 months in 2 CAM boots with a broken left ankle and broken right foot. It taught me a great lesson about building my strength and balance before I hit 70 this year. Always enjoy your videos.

My tip would be to watch out when changing medications. If you start noticing postural hypotension, call your doctor. I had this condition twice in my life due to medication. One time I passed out and put a hole in the wall. Fortunately, I was just sore. Last time, I briefly lost consciousness and fell. I broke the head of my humerous at the shoulder socket. So be careful of changes in medication.

Thank you! Senior here. I was out walking rather fast, had to make a sudden left, took a hard left turn, and of course badly torqued my knee. Had a meniscus tear, and an insufficiency fracture added to my existing arthritis which was revealed by the MRI. Three months after not being able to stand or walk without collapsing, I am slowly recovering with help from physical therapy. This is invaluable advice, thank you!!!

Excellent. I will start this today since I've been falling over stuff or while carrying stuff. Understand I have to do manual labor at 65 as I have a mountain home that requires a lot of work. Hence, I am climbing ladders, carrying furniture like today and I stumbled with a table. I've already fallen off a 10' ladder because I thought I was using my smaller ladder and I missed two steps & down I went on a cement basement floor. Don't know how it happen but I moved a square bucket and my head and neck went into the bucket and was cradled. Some luck, huh? Broke the bucket though. I have not prepared at all for the aging process or implemented anything I should have. I do a lot of masonry work, laying block, repairs. I refuse to stop but I need to find a way to do it safely. Possibly I just never thought 66 was old. I have the mind of a 25 year old. The body of a 66 year old. I finally have started to feel the aging process which stinks. I guess it's time to make common sense modifications. I do like the marching steps because I'm always moving at top speed. I have pets, gates throughout the house of which when I'm in my Timberland boots make it a little tougher to hurdle these gates. I guess I will slow down. Implement marching steps and start acting my age. Ugh. Also, I am a woman with osteoporosis so there's that.Thanks for the tip and the wake up call I guess I needed. Nice job!

I’m 51, I deal with horrible balance and falls because of MS. This looks like a great idea. No one out of all the physical therapy I have had, mentioned this trick! I’m going to begin using this method! Thank you… I just subscribed 😊

My partners 92 year old mum had had a few falls. I watched her turning and she's always leading with the outside leg! She's starting to work on your advice but at her age it's a tough habit to break 😊

I'm a falls prevention teacher and I recommend your video 100%. I agree with all that you said regarding this exercise. Great book to buy for quick reference. Thank you. Gill Williams

Great tips and video. My 93 year-old mom has endured several falls. These tips have undoubtedly prolonged some lives and extended health span for some who followed your tips. Thanks a million from the San Francisco Bay Area in the States (Vallejo, California)! I will pass this on.

Great advice. I do full 360 turns clockwise and anti-clockwise, but you also need to bring the eyes into this exercise. Try it outside, somewhere safe, looking into the distance both left and right.

Before you revealed the tip, I thought of "stop and make a backstep with the foot on the inside of the turn, turning around the leg on the outside of the turn". Well, that is more like some dance step ... seniors, learn to dance, it is a gift that keeps on giving!

Thank you for this tip! I am 76 and have Mineries Disease. Falling is my biggest enemy.

This is exactly what happened to my mother more than 20 years ago. We were in the kitchen. Mom was finishing up something at the sink. She turned away and tried to start walking away at the same time, befory straightening out her legs and feet. She fell and broke her hip. I couldn't pick her up, but called out for help from the mailman, who had just gone by. He couldn't get her up either and said I should call an ambulance, as my mother was in a lot of pain, and may have broken her hip. I called my sister, who lived a few blocks away, and then the ambulance. The mailman stayed until my sister got there. My mother spent the next 5 weeks in the hospital, in great pain, while going through one new health crisis after another, until she finally died, just before we could have her moved home to care for her there. My mother did have a rolling walker, but only needed to use it when outside. I have a bunch of my own health issues now, and use my rolling walker to get around, both inside and out. Due to very bad knees, I walk very slow, so I am not likly to take a twist fall, but have fallen sideways from an armless chair twice after nodding off at the kitchen counter. Due to sleep apnea and other health issues, I am always exhausted, and often nod off. Anyway, the first time I fell out of the chair it took me several hours to get myself up, and I still don't know how I managed it. The second time, after trying to get up for a couple of hours, I called 911. They were able to get me up very quickly. Because I had woken up partway to the floor each time, I was able to break my falls, so I wasn't injured, just stuck on the floor. Now, when I need to sit at the counter or table, I keep my rolling walker on one side and the counter or tray table on my other side. My walker has handles, so it's like having an armrest on one side. Unfortunately, the seat on my walker isn't very comfortable which is why I rarely sit on it, even though it has arms on it. Parking it next to me to use one of it's arms is a big help though. I'm thinking of replacing the armless office chair that I use in the kitchen with one with arms. I use an office chair in the kitchen because it has wheels, so I can reduce the strain on my knees by scooting around the kitchen on the office chair. Rolling walkers aren't designed for scooting around while sitting on them, so misusing them can cause them to break. A couple of days ago I saw a demo video of a bathtub lift chair being used to help a lady who couldn't get off the floor on her own. You scoot your butt onto the completely lowered lift chair then use the battery powered control to lift yourself up. I think that this device is called Shower Buddy. I've decided to get one, and keep it in the kitchen, which is where I am at the greatest risk of falling off a chair after nodding off. This product has a weight limit of 300 pounds. It's available online at Walmart, so it's probably also available at Amazon. I'll compare prices before ordering. I live alone, so any reasonable steps that I can take to make myself safer makes a lot of sense.🤔😃 Anyway, thanks for your helpful video. Wish it didn't bring back such unhappy memories.

This video can be life-saving. I am 69 years old and although quite athletic (I work out at the gym daily and have for years) I recently have had two falls on the street. When each happened I had no idea why as I had not tripped over anything. In hindsight I realize that both were due to turning as you demonstrated in the video. Thank you so much! May be this is just me but I find that in re balance, i find it very useful to focus on what you are doing with your lower legs and feet in your videos (and less on hips and torso).

Absolutely brilliant! In fact, you don't need to be over 65 to follow these great instructions. Thank you, sir.

I am also over 80. This totally reinforces what my physio has said to me.

I'm an 80yo country boy and I cut a walking stick, works great. I will take your advise as well.

I'm 66 - and a half. Just a few days ago I injured my shoulder when I made a sharp right turn; I cartwheeled before landing very heavily. Fortunately, before long I was back on my snowboard and away again. It is the same shoulder that I injured while cycling last summer. Luckily I was wearing body armour on that occasion. However, before I become far too unbearably smug: I am well aware of the deterioration in my biomechanics and motor skills as I age. I am truly thankful that I am still able to partake in the recreational activities that I enjoy. That won't always be the case, and I really appreciate the guidance and advice from yourself and valuable viewer comments. Not only for the future - I've sent this video to a very dear friend of similar years; he suffers from Osteoporosis and is a little unsteady when walking after one - or two - motorcycle crashes too many. Thanks.

Nothing but tears and fears are left for me. I am 73. Yesterday, I went to my Silver Sneaker's gym. It's a giant gym and has an exercise room where the walls are covered in mirrors. I started doing balance exercises (walking backwards, side step cross overs, etc. The gym attendant came in and I asked her if she could advise me on various balance steps. She said, "Probably." She that she would call her Supervisor. She came back into the room and said that she couldn't help me because of liability issues. She said, "What if I fell and then blamed the gym... - I feel like I'm on my own, all alone. Nothing but tears and fears are left for me.

Happy 2024, Will. So thankful for your site with all that’s very useful and easy to follow demonstrations. I will share with my Sunday School class and Bible study group as we are all getting “up there” in years. In six months, I will be an octogenarian🤦🏼. Praying all have a safe 2024.

I am 76 and have fallen twice, both times I now realize while turning. Thank yiou so much for this video.... it may just save my life. I am practicing the marching turn.

Great tip.Yesterday I tumbled getting up from a chair at dinner table. Thought my foot had caught on something but what you described was what happened. Marching whilst turning from now on Thanks

This makes absolute sense. Falls are so dangerous, anything that can be done to prevent them is really important.

Thank you for this. I get thrown off balance a lot when I am turning.. Its scary. Another problem is I am in a hurry, or not thinking and just moving. I found, that I need to slow down and go slower and more carefully when turning. When walking also. God Bless.

Thank you for your video, very much appreciated. I am 80 and have scoliosis and have a serious balance problem and had a bad fall before Christmas doing exactly what you demonstrated by crossing my legs.

What timely advice. I just had a fall in the Bathroom after waking up in the morning still groggy from Lyrica I took for nerve pain from 5 months post bilateral TKR. Tripped on pajamas bottom when in hurry to turn to WC. Lesson learnt ~Walk slow upon first waking up, Hold onto something, No loose slippers & trousers...& go easy on drowsy medication. 😂

At 68 I am glad I found these videos.

I'm 77 and often walk for several hours on local commons with my camera and heavy lens. Currently they are very muddy and mostly flooded. I've slipped off the bank twice and recently got stuck in the mud in my wellingtons. A little trick I learned when walking through slippery mud is to walk a small number of steps, say 5 or 10, and then stop briefly, regain balance, then another small number of steps. This seems to break up the momentum you get when walking which leads to slips and falls. It doesn't make a walk slower, in fact it seems to make it faster, as you don't seem to be slipping and sliding about. A small number of steps - regain balance - continue.

Yep - I have caught myself doing that leg crossing thing multiple times! Thanks so much!!

In my 70s and was fairly mobile before my surgery. I was on my back in hospital for over 2 months with no walking, so had to work on that before they would discharge me. Had a very supportive Physiotherapist while in hospital. Only home for a week now and am really taking 'baby steps' to prevent any falls. I also have a loaner walker and a cane for now until I get some leg strength back. Have been researching leg strengthening exercises online today and found a few to start me off. I went from not being able to stand for a count of 3 when standing up from the bed edge to the walker, to now at least being able to use the walker indoors and cane outdoors. If the weather gets frosty outside again, I'll use the walker outside for more stability. I never thought of turning the 'bad' way before as I have always been over cautious when it comes to safety. Thanks for the demo in case I ever forget to be careful and try to take the short route to turn around.

In the shower; Closing your eyes to wash your face or hair can make you lose balance. Always keep an elbow touching the wall as a locator!

My mother had a fall and I think this was the cause. I will show her this. Thank you.

great, I love these tips!

Thank you Will Harlow!💛 Happy New Year!!🎉🎉

I'm in my 70s, and had to check and see how I navigate turns like that. Found out I don't do any of the things you showed, and I haven't fallen. So far, so good! Thanks for the video!

You are doing a wonderful job. No one knows about falls and the problems until they reach their seventies. Thanks for hea helping us with your specialist knowledge

Dr Harlow, thank you so much for this Tip to prevent falls.... I tried it , and it works so well, that I am delighted to walk and turn my foot without tangling in my "own two feet". I found out that if I start walking with my right foot, I count with that foot 5 steps( heel first) and count with that foot only , automatically will put you on the correct turn when using the marching step, when returning , if I start with the left heal of my foot, I count 6 steps, and march turning as the step guides , you will not tangle your legs. One can tray this until you find your own method for #march turning# ideally trying to excercise both legs. I am sure there are many ways to count your steps to turn to the left or right... I have been practicing in my back yard, before I go"# window shopping# aha!.. I found the way!!!! thanks again for your efforts to help us find mobility more enjoyable ...... Please accept a bit of our "sunshine" from Florida. we are having a lot of cold windy and rainy days ,the sun have been hiding somewhere...... Josefina Mccarty...

You're a great instructor, Will. Thank you for making these episodes short and succinct. So easy to be obedient to your lessons !!!!😂❤

Started watching will 9 weeks ago when I had mri to confirm l4 l5 bulging discs. Will is so easy to listen to and very informative. Thanks will I'm in the road to recovery I followed your advice from stiting to driving to exercising and the extra fluid intake.

Balance is especially difficult for me because I have severe scoliosis. My right shoulder rolls forward at all times, my hips are off and one leg is “shortened” by a hip rotation. Good luck to me!

Thank you Will. This one was very very useful for me.

Always be careful on stairs & curbs or sidewalk drop offs. My biggest falls so far are at those locations. For stairs I take a side ways strategy or even go down back wards holding the hand rails & never carry things in front of you when decending. For sidewalks & curbs these are always tricky because you may not be in familiar territory. As always be mindful & aware out walking.

I am over 80, thank you for the turning advice , it really helps, I didn't realise but I already practice the not too big step and the turning step by step, thank you ever so much.

Great tip! Thank you! I am incorporating it into my practice of being mindful (remembering) & taking things slowly & carefully! The secret of course is to making it a good habit!?! I live in a tiny unit. Blind in one eye, deaf in one ear, arthritis all over including sore neck & turning around carefully is imperative. Getting up from the floor with extremely sore knees I can’t kneel on, as long as I can reach a soft cushion which helps. Arms & hands are also getting weaker! Challenges of age! Watching more of your vids, thanks again. Short sweet & directly to the point -not complicated😊j

Thankyou! Will share this tip with my mother, who is turning 75 soon

Very useful. I'm less than 60 but with several health issues. Like you say it sounds silly but very useful indeed. Thank you so much ❤

I have taught marching for decades. If you want to turn to your left you should lead with your left foot and vice versa. This prevents foot tangle and keeps your center of gravity much more stable.

Thanks! I shared this with my 93 year old father-in-law and my parents who are in their 80s.

I'm 70. If you are losing your COG do this: Slow down and breath. When walking in a "busy" neighborhood lift your knees a bit and again - slow and breath. Literally turn your task into a slow motion scene and eff anybody who says "get a move on granpa!" cuz that happens sometimes as well. Slow. Breathe. Do squats, gently, and breath. It's quite popular in America to adopt shallow breathing as a lifestyle choice. When your body moves it will require oxygenation and calories. I've been avoiding the "I must burn gasoline to accommodate my lifestyle" lie for a very long time. Practice in your room the knee lifting - it's quite the workout. Walking is the ultimate primate movement. Running is joy to some.

Brilliant demonstration. Thanks .

Thank You Will. I am 83, I haven't fell over while I am turning, your advice will help prevent that. I have a droped foot which I am trying to cope with, it doe's trip me up by catching my toes when I am tiered and don't lift my foot high enough.

Thank you Will. I suffer from SLE which has badly affected my joints. I have had falls due to pain and postural problems but your video's are helping so much to correct this and to rebuild my muscles. Thank you so very much ❤

Hello Will, I have a 90 year old friend who is just starting to lose balance etc. I am passing on your turn info and sit to stand info and I have bought your book. Cheers from Adelaide Aus

THANK YOU. I just fell a week ago and have a GIANT bruise on my hip. I wasn't turning but lost my forward step out of the house on to our back porch. I was able to slow my fall by grabing anything nearby. My PT had me marching a year ago and I'll start doing that tonight. Thanks from Jerry, age 71 and my dear wife age 76.

Way back when I was 70, I had a similar experience. Now, I am very mindful of my physical orientation. Knowing how to fall has also significantly reduced my extent of injury.

Thank you so much! Falling is my greatest fear and now I know how to prevent it.

A suggestion, try a military turn as if in ranks. As you walk, and the turn point arrives try the following, (say a turn to the left) At the turn point, advance the right foot forward and set it down. (forward motion is stopped for a moment here.) Turn on the balls of BOTH feet to the left moving the upper body as well. On making the left turn you are now pointed in the new direction and from the momentary stop position now step forward with the right foot in a normal stride. With a bit of practice smooth easy and safe turns are common and no tangled feet!

I have had 2 bad falls and both were when I was walking in a straight line. The best advice I can give is if you are vulnerable to having a fall, DON'T try to walk quickly. Slow down,. It doesn't matter if you get to your destination a bit later but it does matter if by hurrying you land on your face (like I did). Doing this will give you extra time to stop the fall. This has worked well for me.

Thanks very much for this invaluable advice. I really appreciate it because I fractured two vertebrae recently and despite exercising and getting back to walking and "normality " as quickly as I can, I do find that my walking and turning skills have been a little diminished. This marching turn is brilliant and I have been practising it with greater confidence. Thanks again and best wishes to you 👌🏻

Am 84, have discovered that wearing sandals causes me to become more susceptible to falling, because the front of the sandal easily "stubs" on stairs, rough ground or other irregular surfaces, or objects.

Thanks for explaining safe turning method for senior citizens.

Thats great advice in 2022 I turned too quick and fell and broke my femur and spent months in and out of hospitals and therapy I wish I knew this then I am 73 years old and will turn a lot better after seeing this. thank you

Thanks for that tip about turning with a marching -type step. as I'm 89 I did National Service and we did lots of those marching turns.

This sounds like it works, and I suspect it does, albeit at the cost of more steps and a less natural sort of progress. I'm 70, have had three strokes, and my balance processing has been significantly affected. This has caused me to shuffle with my feet apart "to prevent falls." Paradoxically, that has meant encountering twice as many obstacles like sidewalk discontinuities, and the rocking motion it necessitates both throws my weight around and discourages any torso rotation. It also doesn't help that I'm legally blind, with about 80% vision loss... I fixed my gate (and my blocked torso!) by CONSCIOUSLY lengthening my stride and placing my feet in a SINGLE LINE, or pretty close to that. And I initiate ALL of my turns with the INSIDE foot, eliminating cross-overs AND keeping my outside foot free to correct for balance/momentum problems. I hope these tips help others, as I'm now able to walk confidently (and even run a bit) in a way in which I haven't in years! 🙏

I’m 72 January 4. This video is my birthday present 😂. Thank you.

Absolutely correct. You describe the precise reason my mother fell going out her front door. She was right in front of me but to get out the door she had to make a 90 degree turn to the right and though she had done it many times she fell over a 6-10 inch threshhold and broke her hip. and died not long after. I had never considered the mechanics of the situation, I thought she was moving too fast because she had left through that door for many years but you described the set up exactly. Many thanks.

I'm 75 and have fallen several times in the last few years, especially after several snifters, simply by turning right, abruptly. I believe I fell turning brusquely to the right without tripping myself up, but rather by shifting my center of gravity because one of my legs is longer than the other by a couple of centimeters (or an inch) due to aging. Anyhow, the marching step solution is something I think I can learn, and I'm going to do it. Thank you so much. PJT

Excellent suggestion

One should also look down once out of home to see the ground surface un even ground contributes to fall also

Turning causes me so much damage over the years ..your words are pure gold.✨🌟✨

Thank You Sir. I am 79 years old and have had frequently only breaking a bone in my shoulder. I will take your advice on turning using marching steps. William Simonds - 79 years old - Richmond, Virginia - USA

Listening to you caused me to immediately recognize why I have recently been having trouble with balance. Wow! Thanks.

Why wouldn`t you turn with the inside leg? There is no crossing over and the center of mass is much closer to where it is when going straight

80 here. Your videos are very good and a real service to older folks. Maybe 5 years ago I took some nasty falls and am now super cautious. Your advice will help. Thanks very much.

Brilliant, thank you. I have peripheral nerve damage from a spinal cord injury and I think this might be responsible for (some) of my tumblrs , or near ones. Sometimes I feel I learn more from your channel than from my neurologist & physio.

This is excellent thank you! I am 70, have early Alzheimer’s, and I noticed that I am starting to lose my balance more often. After listening, I turn too quickly and will work on this. Of course, living in Maine, we also have to worry about falling on our ice. We wear a pair of ice cleats (sp?) which really helps.

Very helpful. No matter how fit, how much we exercise, father time takes his toll.

Thank you very much. I’ve never never paid attention to what I do when turning but I certainly will now.!

I am only 59 but have MS and have fallen may times just walking or turning so this will help! All your exercises will be very helpful!

Fab advice. I wish my very elderly aunt had known about it. Might have saved her the agony of breaking her hip in a fall. Hope it saves lots of others from a similar fate. Many thanks for this video.

So true- I have fallen so much thank God I haven't broken any bones just scrape and scratches 🤕 ouch. Great advice and video. Thank you!

The same mistake I did and had a fall. Your video is very useful. I will be careful from now on. Thank you a lot.