I have just started reading "FallProof!" It's a textbook for balance and mobility training for fitness instructors by Debra J. Rose. It’s amazing and hard to put down. As we age, the body changes presenting it’s own set of challenges to maintain balance and mobility. It's kind of vague though and we all think “Yeah, someday I may have to deal with that”. Someday is now. Debra Ross suggests some age-simulation activities to better understand aging.
Apply a thin coat of Vaseline to your eyeglasses so that your vision is blurred when you put them on. Suddenly we know what it is like to have vision problems such as cataracts.
Black tape applied on the outside edges of your glasses simulates the visual field loss of glaucoma.
Plug your ears with cotton balls and ask a friend to give you a set of instructions in a soft voice.
Place dry macaroni in your shoes to experience the discomfort of arthritis.
Wrap your knees with athletic bandages. Go from sitting to standing to walking. It’s kind of hard with stiff joints.
Tie rubber tubing around the ankles. Try to walk and maneuver around objects on the floor. Not only does the stride length become shorter with walking, but the base of support a bit narrow.
Prepare yourself!
