Motor Skill Acquisition of Safe Falling and Landing as a Strategy for Fall Injury Prevention Across the Adult Life Span

Background: Falls represent a major public health and occupational safety concern across the adult lifespan, with both incidence and injury severity increasing with age. Data from Afa Insurance, which insures approximately 90% of the Swedish workforce, show that workers aged 55 years and older have a twofold increased risk of sustaining fall-related injuries leading to more than 30 days of sick leave. As statutory retirement ages continue to rise, the proportion of older individuals exposed to occupational and daily-life fall hazards is expected to increase further. Despite extensive efforts in environmental modification, EHQS work, exercise programs, effective methods for reducing injury risk at the moment of impact remain limited. New approaches to fall injury prevention are therefore urgently needed in both working life and retirement. 

Objective: The aim of this presentation is to provide a synthesis of the Swedish studies (2018 – 2026) in working-age and older adults, adopting a broad perspective to determine the feasibility of acquiring novel motor skills for safe falling and landing, and to evaluate whether such learning can meaningfully contribute to fall injury prevention. 

Methods and Results: Over an eight year period, a series of experimental studies and three randomized controlled trials were conducted to examine the acquisition, retention, and transfer of motor skills related to controlled falling and safe landing techniques. Participants spanning a wide age range (18–87 years) demonstrated substantial capacity to learn, with approximately 70% showing measurable improvements, and to retain these skills over time. Training resulted in systematic enhancements in movement strategies, impact attenuation, and postural responses during voluntary falls, as assessed using the Strömqvist–Bååthe Falling Competence Test. Importantly, meaningful learning and retention were also observed in older adults, challenging prevailing assumptions regarding markedly reduced motor plasticity in later life. 

Conclusions: These findings indicate that structured training in safe falling and landing, delivered over a relatively short period (10–12 weeks), is feasible across the adult lifespan and represents a promising, yet currently underutilized, strategy for fall injury prevention. Integrating motor skill acquisition into workplace and community-based fall prevention exercise programs has the potential to reduce the burden of fall-related injuries in aging societies. However, we acknowledge that further research is required, including larger-scale and long-term longitudinal studies, to confirm the durability of these effects and to determine their impact on real-world fall incidence and injury outcomes.