A trial run by researchers from the University of Adelaide and the Basil Hetzel Institute at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, with support from the Adelaide University Judo Club, is exploring how judo-based exercise can help older people increase their physical performance, mobility and balance.
Lead researcher Dr Agathe Daria Jadczak said judo included techniques which could be amended to teach older adults how to minimise the chance of injuring themselves when they fall.
“It makes sense because if older people can learn how to fall safely, they can avoid fractures, injuries and not end up in hospital or have other negative health consequences, such as increased frailty risk," Dr Jadczak said.
If 80-year-olds being thrown around on judo mats sounds risky, it's not. In fact, taking up the martial art has proven to improve the physical health of participants.
“This judo-based program actually found that it’s safe for older adults, as old as 87 years, and that with this program, we could improve physical performance and balance, which can potentially prevent frailty risk and falls risk in older adults,” Dr Jadczak said.
Dr Meera Verma, technical coach at the Adelaide University Judo Club and co-developer of the judo program, said falling safely was a "secret power of judo".
“Learning how to fall safely, it’s a life skill," Dr Verma said.
"We are teaching older people how to lower themselves and roll down, protecting their head, elbows, hips, all things you could hurt in a fall. We teach how to protect those aspects of their body if they lose balance and go to the ground.”
Participant Helen Slater said she was conscious of the potential impact of falls on her quality of life.
“I was scared that life was going to change and I wasn’t going to be able to do all things I want to anymore, because I no longer had the ability and fitness to do it,” Ms Slater said.
“I haven’t stopped anything, and I’ve added more, since I started judo.”
Ms Slater said her judo group had learnt to "fall gracefully with style".
She put all her learnings into practice when she fell over in her front garden recently.
“I was OK because I was completely in control, I knew what was happening, I knew what to do, and I did it," she said.
Initial results of the trial show significant improvement in balance, physical performance and mobility and researchers are now looking to expand the study.
