MSI Press Blog

  The following is a precerpt (book excerpt prior to publication) from Grandma's Ninja Training Diary (Leaver & Renz). "Help! I've fallen an can't get up!" I see articles all the time about people falling and being unable to get back up. It’s a common fear—and for good reason. I lived that reality when my 300-pound husband fell and I couldn’t lift him on my own. Strong as I am, I’m not dead-weight-a-foot-taller-than-me strong. Firemen came to help, twice in one day. That second fall sent him to the hospital, where scans revealed stage 4 Cancer of Unknown Primary—no symptoms beforehand. During his final months, falls became frequent. If I was out grabbing groceries or medicine, he’d be on the floor for long minutes before help arrived. He lost 50 pounds, but I still couldn’t lift him alone. It took neighbors, phone calls, and coordinated hoisting to get him back up. Now, my doctor frets over my own risk of falling, especially with osteopenia—courtesy of omepr...

  Learning to Fall: Lessons from Rock Climbing for Staying Active in Your 70s It wasn’t in a regular gym, lifting weights or walking on a treadmill, that I learned one of the most important lessons about fitness and longevity. It was on a rock wall—where falling is inevitable. Every climber in training falls, and falls frequently. But what separates the experienced from the injured is how they fall. That lesson isn’t just for climbing. It’s for life—especially for those of us in our mid-70s who are still active and working out nearly every day. Our bodies are more fragile than those of our younger gym peers, but that doesn’t mean we have to be fragile people. Learning to fall safely can make the difference between continuing an active lifestyle and being sidelined by an injury. The Art of Falling—Land on Your Butt! In rock climbing, you don’t just drop when you lose your grip. You learn to fall with intention . And the best way to absorb impact? Land on your butt. It sounds funny,...