By Teresa Carr

Adams County Senior Council

Administrative Assistant

Information from Great Senior Living – Must Know Info About How to Protect Yourself – Everyone deserves to feel secure but as people age, their bodies tend to get slower and weaker, which can make them vulnerable to attacks by criminals. Fortunately, there are a variety of good tactics that older adults can learn in order to protect themselves.

Age and physical limitations do not have to prevent you from learning how to protect yourself. You can take self-defense training that teach you how to stay aware of your surroundings and focus on your safety. You will also learn to recognize where potential attackers could be lurking and where you could go to escape.

Such training also brings a host of physical benefits: You can improve your balance, coordination, stamina, strength, and flexibility. Even if you never have to use the techniques you learn in class, the exercise you get through self-defense training can have a positive impact on your overall health. Even if you don’t take a self-defense training, there are still things you can do.

Safety Tips: How to Avoid Being Targeted – Prevention should always be your primary objective. After all, the best way to stay safe is to not get into dicey situations in the first place.

Did you know that your body language and mannerisms can give off signals that make you more likely to be a target for criminals? It turns out that age, size, and gender are not deciding factors. Instead, criminals select victims who drag their feet and move awkwardly, who slump over, and those who keep their eyes on the ground. Those people were perceived as being easy to overpower.

If you can exhibit confidence and self-assurance, a potential attacker may decide you’re not the easy mark he or she was hoping for. To avoid appearing vulnerable, try following these tips:

· Be alert and aware of your surroundings. Developing the habit of scanning the area around you will help you spot potential threats and allow you to avoid them.

· Stand straight and keep your chin up and your shoulders back. A hunched posture and a lowered gaze will make you seem fearful and timid.

· Walk smoothly and fluidly to convey confidence. If possible, keep the same pace as the pedestrians around you.

· Make brief eye contact with the people around you to demonstrate that you are aware of them (but don’t stare or act aggressively). If a potential assailant knows you have seen him or her, the advantage of surprise disappears.

· Don’t talk on your phone or stare at a map while out walking. Doing so indicates that you aren’t paying attention to what’s going on around you. Plan your route before you leave your home, hotel, or other point of origin; if you need assistance, step into a store and ask a clerk to help you.

· Don’t let a potential attacker distract you. If a stranger asks you for the time, don’t stop and look down at your watch. Instead, keep walking and raise your watch up to your eye level in order to keep the person in your line of sight.

· Stick to well-lit and populated areas at night. It’s also a good idea to keep a mini flashlight and whistle on your key ring and keep the keys in your hand (with one key sticking out between your fingers) while you’re walking.

· Don’t draw attention to yourself. Keep valuables out of sight and don’t wear expensive clothes or flashy jewelry. If you use a purse, carry it close to you and don’t let it dangle too far from your body.

Always remember that self-preservation is the ultimate goal. So if a thief demands your money or personal property, especially if he or she is wielding a weapon, give it to him or her. Nothing in your pockets or purse is worth more than your life.

Just A Thought: “What happens is not as important as how you react to what happens”. ~Ellen Glasgow