Small-group training · Arlington, Virginia
Ready to fall safely.Get up confidently.
Small-group training for active adults 55+ in Arlington, Virginia. Learn what to do before, during and after a fall, at your own pace.
First workshops in early 2027
Practiced step by step
Gradual progress on padded mats
The stakes
Why it matters
More than
1 in 4
adults 65 and older fall each year.
Source: CDC
About
4.5 million
emergency department visits each year are for falls by older adults.
Source: CDC
88%
of hip fracture emergency visits and hospital stays are caused by falls.
Source: CDC
Falls are the leading cause of injury for Americans 65 and older (National Council on Aging). Even a fall without an injury can leave someone afraid to move, and moving less raises the risk of the next fall.
Our approach
Prevention lowers the odds. Preparedness lowers the damage.
We wear seatbelts even though we plan not to crash. Fall Safe Ready works the same way: it adds to the fall-prevention programs you already know.
Prevention
Strength and balance programs reduce how often people fall. They work, and we encourage them.
Preparedness
Falls still happen. Fall Safe Ready teaches you how to react when you lose your balance, how to land in ways that protect your head, hips and wrists, and how to get back up.
For organizations & partners
A hands-on next step for the people you serve.
Fall Safe Ready is built to work alongside established fall-prevention programs. Here’s where it fits:
Otago Exercise Program
For frail or high-risk older adults who need individualized strength and balance work
A Matter of Balance
For adults whose fear of falling keeps them from being active
SAIL (Stay Active and Independent for Life)
For ongoing group strength and balance exercise
Fall Safe Ready
For active adults ready to practice catching themselves, landing more safely and getting up from the floor
Fall Safe Ready is an independent program and is not affiliated with or endorsed by these programs.
Safety first
Every participant completes a health questionnaire, and anyone better served by Otago or A Matter of Balance is referred there.
Easy to host
A one-hour introductory workshop needs only a room, sturdy chairs and some open floor space.
Measurable
Participants complete simple before-and-after checks, so you can see results.
The skills
What you'll learn
Get stronger and steadier
Leg strength and balance that help prevent falls in the first place.
Catch yourself
Quick-reaction and stepping skills for when you trip or slip.
Land more safely
Protective habits for your head, hips and wrists, learned gradually on padded mats.
Get back up
How to get up from the floor safely, and what to do if you can't.
The program
How it works
Start with a check-in
A short health questionnaire and three simple checks used in fall-prevention programs (a 30-second chair stand, a standing balance check and a timed walk).
Practice in a small group
Patient, step-by-step instruction in small groups with a low participant-to-instructor ratio, and nobody pushed past what's right for them.
See your progress
Repeat the same checks at the end and compare.
Keep it up
Ongoing practice to keep the skills.
Start with a one-hour introductory workshop, which includes no falling practice. Then, if you’d like, continue with the full course: eight sessions over four weeks.
Evidence
Grounded in research
A randomized trial in Sweden with 200 adults over 65 found that participants learned safer falling techniques with no adverse effects and kept the skills 20 months later.
A major review of 108 studies (Cochrane, 2019) found that exercise reduces the rate of falls in older adults by about 23%, with the strongest evidence for balance and functional training.
Programs teaching judo-based safe landing to older adults are growing in Australia, Europe and Asia. Fall Safe Ready brings this approach to Northern Virginia.
Is this you?
Who it's for
Fall Safe Ready is for adults 55 and older who live independently and want to stay active, whether you’ve had a fall, had a close call, or simply want to be prepared. You don’t need to be athletic. If you can stand up from a chair, with or without using your arms, you can start. Many people begin in their 60s, while they’re strong enough to learn quickly.
Think of it as training, like learning to swim.
About
Meet Sarah
Sarah Gmyr
Founder, Fall Safe Ready
I’m Sarah Gmyr, and I live in Arlington. I started my career as an elementary school teacher in the US, the UK and Australia, and I’ve spent 18 years in health and public communications, including work with the US Military Health System. I’ve completed Otago Exercise Program leader training and am completing SAIL leader training (October 2026) through the Northern Virginia Falls Prevention Alliance at Marymount University.
Fall Safe Ready brings my teaching and health backgrounds together. I’m building it with a judo instructor and input from health professionals, because everyone deserves to know what to do when a fall happens, and to keep moving with confidence.
Questions
Frequently asked
Get started