I fell over and couldn't get up - what exercise do I need?

[Frenchcremefraiche]

Basically that.

I fell over twice yesyerday. I wasnt hurt but couldn't get myself back up from kneeling/proposal style and had to ask strangers for help. I'm 46.

When I got home I tried again and on one side I can just about do it with a lot of effort but on the other I can't. I dont know why, I just cant.

Is it yoga/pilates or something else that will help?

I already walk/swim/strength train several times each week. I'm overweight (working on it).

Dont be concerned about me falling over btw. They were both my own stupidity. One was a slipping on wet paving and the other was treading on my trouser hem.

Ouch. Could you genuinely not get up because of lack of strength, or were you in a tricky spot eg slippery or on gravel that you couldn’t push off from without hurting yourself?

My PT makes me do burpees every session and I have to end each session lying on my back and getting up without pulling on anything. He’s mean but it helps.

Ouch, hope you’re okay, I’ve noticed quite a lot of slip hazards recently with the deluge of rain but would recommend wearing shorter or more fitted trousers to reduce a trip hazard!

strength training (which you’re already doing) and core stability is where I would start, loads of free videos you can find on YouTube. I do reformer Pilates and in just 6 months have felt a big difference in my core strength. It’s good to future proof yourself now by building muscle and the Pilates really focuses on being strong on both sides so you’re balanced.

What strength training are you doing?

I guess from kneeling it’s your glutes that get you up. Ie squats and lunges come to mind but in my view they’re basic exercises covered by strength training which is why I’m asking.

edited to add my sympathy for falling over. I also did this weekend and it did quite shake me too.

Squats and step ups to build your leg strength.

If you frequent the gym use the quad machine also or cable machine with ankle straps.

Was it lack of strength in the leg that had the foot flat on the floor to push your body up? If so you need to strengthen your quads with squats and lunges as someone just said.

Or was it that you had nothing to hold with your hands for balance and were worried you would fall again as you pushed up in which case you also need more core strength for stability. Although the faster you can complete the move from leg strength the less your core is needed.

Pushing your whole body weight up using one leg like that is tough if not a regular exerciser or overweight. I don’t exercise enough but I just tried it and one side is definitely weaker than the other but I could do it. Being a bit shocked at having just fallen won’t make it easy either. Recognising it as a warning to tweak your routine is a good thing though so well done.

Practice!
I developed a similar fear during Covid. I have been doing squats and deep squats and practicing being in a crouch position.

Get into the position you struggled with, but with a chair nearby. Do it several times in a row. Do it daily, one more every day. It will get easier through a combination of muscle memory, balance and increased strength.

Using your arms to balance or counter you is good, too. I sometimes need to swing my arms to create the momentum that helps just enough to get me past that pivot point where you are basically stuck!

Not to try and read too much into your post but I am a bit concerned that a 46 year old who walks, swims and strength trains regularly has a hard time getting up from
the floor.

have you been checked out at the doctors? I wouldn’t say that’s typical even if a bit over weight.

Check out Sally Gunnell's social media feed. She's very big on connecting the type of exercises you should do to maintain strength and flexibility for everyday tasks as you get older (e.g. getting up off the sofa, lifting luggage to overhead bins, carrying shopping bags).

Strength training for glutes, quads. Functional exercises - squats, lunges, Burpees, mountain climbers for the core / floor position, bear crawls.
Best way to get up is to crawl to nearest object (wall, chair, couch, bed), get into kneeling, hold or lean on object with upper body, and step up.
You can also do "backwards chaining" where you pull yourself backwards up onto something (Google it).

What I would do is think about each movement involved in getting up, then break down the movement into exercises. If that makes sense.

You could also see your local leisure centre and see if they have any strength and balance groups running, or your GP practice might be able to refer you to a suitable professional to help. There are often classes you can go to that are specifically tailored to stuff like this.

Turkish get ups. That is literally practicing getting up,

Yes, check with your GP - balance issues can be a sign of something underlying that's not right; I wouldn't ignore it/try to patch it up with exercises.

Thanks everyone. I was worried people would be mean but no one has been so I'm releived!

I hate burpees but yeah, I can see how they would help so maybe I have to just suck it up. I was thinking I need to incorporate lunges so I'll look into those.

I can get up by pulling on something but if there isn't anything to pull and I'm having to rely on my own muscles, like yesterday, then I get stuck.

Look on youtube for videos showing senior citizens how to get up from the floor without assistance. Useful to know, whatever your age.

Sounds like you need to improve your muscles around the ankles, knees, bum and thighs and core. I would see a physiotherapist if you cannot get up and you’re only 46. They will give you targeted strengthening exercises for what sounds like quite advanced muscle weakness.

Also I would sit down/ kneel and get up from it every day. As practice.

You already do a lot of exercise. Yoga will make your more flexible, and you may also need to work on your balance, but it's not really clear if that what it is you need.

It may be simply be a question of technique, so as others have said I would try simply practising. Sit on the floor and try various ways to get up (do it near a chair so you can use that to help if you get stuck).

I'm in my 60s and do yoga so I'm constantly getting up and down off the floor during those sessions so I have various techniques. But for me an easy way is to get into crouching position and then push up on the ground with my hands. In proposal position, press on your thigh with one hand and the ground with the other hand.

I think yoga would really help.

You sound as though you have some strength, and what you need to work on is core, mobility and balance.

I've also recently seen some Instagram posts/reels about exercises for mobility/getting up from the floor. I can't find any just now, or remember any of the posters' names, but they should be easy enough to find.

If you roll onto your hands and knees can you get up. It does sound worrying though.

sounds like your thighs are weak. if you were in the “proposal” position on one knee and couldn’t stand from that. going up lots of stairs multiple times a day would help.

Falls physio here. The technique you need to work on is called backward chaining.

https://www.physio-pedia.com/Backward-chaining

Increasing evidence that using your body to do functional activities and using your own weight as resistance against gravity is a very effective exercise, more so than doing open-chain weights in a single plane (such as you would do weights at the gym).
pilates also excellent for strength and balance.

I echo a pp who recommended you see your GP about this. Given your age you should be able to get up from the floor.

Agree with PP, this sounds a bit worrying. In the moment, shaken up from falling, possibly cold and wet from the conditions, embarrassed as well, might mean the OP struggled.
But if she still struggled when trying it at home, calm and not hurt, especially given the amount of exercise she does, that's a bit concerning.
I'm 50, overweight and do a lot less exercise than OP, but I just got up from the floor 3 times in a row (different methods) without any difficulty, and I wasn't holding on to anything.

Get a bean bag and sit on it, make sure you get up and dow lots of times. Within a month you will have cracked it.

This is concerning - are you very overweight? Look up functional fitness classes.

Is your walking on the flat or uphill? My thigh muscles and glutes are pretty good, and I'm sure it's from hauling myself up the insane inclines on the South West Coast Path on.a regular basis.