Getting Up From the Floor

You sit down on the rug with a grandchild, and then you look around for a table edge, a chair arm or a hand to pull on. For many adults over 60 the floor quietly drops off the list, and each year of avoiding it makes the way back harder. This book is a calm, step-by-step plan for keeping that skill, or winning it back, with a sturdy chair, a sofa, a cushion and a wall.

You start with a safety check, a home check and an emergency plan, then loosen the ankles, knees and hips and build leg strength with the sit-to-stand. Only then do you practice going down to the floor, using a stable support and a helper, and learn three ways of getting up so that your plan survives a sore knee or a stiff wrist. Stairs, curbs and uneven ground, core and arm work, and weekly plans from cautious to confident follow, with a Strength Log that shows your progress in plain numbers.

Inside you will find:
• A ten-question check for who should ask a doctor or physical therapist first, and clear signs for when not to get up on your own
• A Floor Ladder of four levels, from chair work to floor practice with a helper to getting up alone
• An eight-move mobility warm-up with a three-minute short version
• Sit-to-stand technique, two simple tests with age tables, and a six-step progression
• Three methods of getting up from the floor, and a calm plan for what to do after a fall
• Step-ups, curb and rough-ground habits, and a 15-minute routine for core, back and arms
• Three weekly plans with checkpoints, a room-by-room home review and a seven-day start

Written as general information, not medical advice. It cannot diagnose or treat anything and cannot promise that you will never fall. Please ask your doctor or physical therapist before you begin if you have a heart or lung condition, weak bones, dizziness, a balance problem or a recent operation, and always use a stable support and keep a way to call for help within reach.