The Best Exercises to Prepare For Falling Sideways

Falls don’t always happen either straight forward or straight backward. For instance, you might fall while rounding a corner, lose balance on a bike or skateboard, or try to correct a forward/backward fall and shift your weight to one side. Practicing falling to the side can help you prepare for dynamic, real-life situations. This drill follows the same steps as the backward fall, but with your weight shifted to one side.

1) Sit on a mat with your feet planted and arms extended. Roll back along your spine, taking care to keep your chin tucked and head away from the floor, while turning your body slightly to the left. Reach your left arm out to the side, and slap that palm on the mat on each rep.

2) Practice the full progression (sitting, squatting, standing) on both sides.

3) For a more advanced variation, lean your weight into the side that you’re falling toward — so much that you actually end up falling forward. From here, catch yourself on your forearms, as in the forward-fall stance.

Keep these tips in mind in the event of a fall:

• Lean in. You have some control over the direction of your fall, so lean your weight forward and to the side, if possible. Aim toward grass, dirt, sand, or snow and away from concrete, obstacles, and sharp objects.
• Stay loose. Bend your arms and legs, and never try to catch yourself with your hands with straight arms. Try exhaling through your fall to encourage a relaxed frame.
• Protect your head. If you’re falling forward, turn your face to the side and try to shift your weight sideways to roll onto a shoulder. If you’re falling backward, tuck your chin to your chest to avoid hitting your head on the ground.
• Aim for the meat. Landing on a meaty part of your body, like the muscles of your back, butt, or thighs, can help protect your tailbone, hips, knees, elbows, and wrists. If you’re falling straight forward or backward, try to turn your body to land on your side.
• Roll with it. Rolling into the fall is a good technique to help spread the impact over more of your body and avoid concentrating the impact on just one area.
• Slap out. If you’re falling backward or sideways, try extending your arms to the sides with palms down and slap the ground. This can help fight the instinct to catch yourself with your hands or elbows while also helping you position and brace for impact. This isn’t a requirement for a safe fall, but it can be helpful with practice.