Articles About Betty
Catholic Courier Diocese of Rochester
Thursday May 11th 2000
Fitness experts "pillow talk" helps prevent falls
by Mike Latona
Betty Perkins-Carpenter believes that the fear of falling need not be the great unspoken fear of seniors.
"I'm going on a crusade to get America pillow-dancing to the Tennessee waltz," Betty
declared.
Betty is not a professional dance instructor. Nor is she an advertising rep for a pillow distributor. She's
a renowned fitness expert, and pillow dancing is one of her techniques for preventing serious injury in a fall. Betty explained that when you practice
dancing with the pillow, it allows you to move in all directions with greater confidence. You gain better balance when you switch the pillow
from your right hand to your left hand. Dancing changes their attitude from fear to "I can do it."
By holding onto an object with one arm, she explained, your balance point changes. While dancing you are
strengthening your legs and improving your balance.
Without such exercises, she said, seniors may become so worried about injury that their
lifestyles are affected. "People are afraid to leave their homes for fear of falling," she said. They think, "If I fall, I break a hip. If I
break a hip; I go to a nursing home. If I go to a nursing home, it's bye-bye."
Betty said that toes play a key part in maintaining balance. She explained that when toes
are immobilized and unable to spread out in your shoes, you have lost important stabilizers. Therefore, Betty said, seniors should be very
careful about their footwear. If you can't spread your toes wide, then buy new shoes," she emphasized.
Betty said she also tries to impress upon people the need to relax their bodies if they
begin to fall. She compares such a situation to a drunk driving accident" A stiff body breaks and a limp body bends.
"Someone who has been
drinking in an auto accident doesn't hurt because they're relaxed," she explained.
Betty promotes body suppleness, not through alcoholic beverages, but through her pamphlet
Stretching in Bed. This 14 step guide offers various daily stretching exercises for seniors.
Among Betty's recent lectures was an April 27th appearance at the Bath Presbyterian Church,
sponsored by the Steuben County Office for Aging. Betty's demonstrations which include the pillow dance made an impression on Margaret
Arquiette, a parishioner in the Holy Family Catholic community.
"She’s excellent," Arquiette said of Betty. "She has things to share with people in such a
positive, wholesome way."
Arquiette, 68, noted that she cares for many senior citizens in her community." I know I'm
going to share what I learned," she remarked. Betty said she hopes that children and grandchildren of senior citizens take this topic
seriously as well. She explained that if a family member falls, it means increased visits to healthcare facilities for everyone.
Betty, 69, is a former Olympic diving coach and Consultant to the President’s Council on
Physical Fitness and Sports. She was inducted into the Frontier Field Walk of Fame and the National Swim School Hall of Fame in 1999.
Betty has traveled the United States giving lectures on fall prevention. In addition, her
1999 book How To Prevent Falls-A Comprehensive Guide to Better Balance is in its fourth
printing, and the winner of a national award.
She founded Perkins Swim Club in 1959 and operated it until 1986. In addition, she
developed Fit By Five for preschoolers in 1969, and the program is now in five states. She also founded two other businesses, Senior
Fitness Productions Inc, and Child Fitness Productions Inc; and teaches a gerontology course at St. John Fisher College.
"There's so much to do, I hope that, God willing, there’s a lot more years to do it," the
energetic Perkins Carpenter said.
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