Judo lessons to help 'older adults' combat falls

Judo coaches are being trained to teach skills to the wider public later this year

Judo is being used to teach "older adults" how to fall safely in an attempt to reduce hospital admissions each year.

British Judo is working with the University of Hertfordshire and Anglia Ruskin University, on the project which will see qualified judo coaches teaching safe falling techniques based on the principles of the martial art.

The aim of the Finding Your Feet programme is to reduce the fear of falling, and minimise injuries

Data from Age UK showed there were about 200,000 fall-related hospital admissions for over-65s a year in the UK.

According to the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), unaddressed fall hazards in homes cost the NHS in England an estimated 435 million pounds.

One in three adults over 65 and half of people over 80 will have at least one fall a year, according to the NHS.

Prof Mike Callan, of the University of Hertfordshire, is a member of the International Judo Federation Scientific Committee, and is leading the global roll-out of safer falling for older adults through judo.

He said: “Judo coaches have a valuable skill set as they understand the key principles of falling safely.

“By teaching these techniques to older adults, judo can make a significant contribution to a particular problem for society.”

Prof Mike Callan said he believed judo could help reduce dangerous falls for "older adults"

Training sessions are being rolled out to judo coaches for sessions to be delivered to the general public in the second half of this year.

About 18 different judo techniques have been adapted, including yoko ukemi, a sideways fall, which includes protecting the head.

Other key techniques include learning how to tuck the chin in when falling backwards, how to fall forward safely without using hands, and rolling techniques to get up safely.