I put my right foot down on the last step and—slipped—slipped
Verena Burri
“It happened on June 1. I had been working hard in the garden and training regularly with my colleague Bettina Kubli in Wetzikon. That Saturday, she had led us through some challenging balance exercises, and I felt in top shape. I was proud!
Right after that, I drove to Winterthur for my grandson’s birthday party. The house is on a hillside. The path has several flights of stairs. Laurel blossoms covered the steps; they had been softened by the rain and were very slippery.
I put my right foot down on the last step and—slipped—slipped—I couldn’t break my fall—my left leg was still on the stairs—I basically slid a few meters across the floor in a split.
I was in severe pain in my left knee. With the help of two men, I hopped up 23 steps on my right leg. My son immediately drove me to the nearby cantonal hospital.
Diagnosis: Large hernia on the inner side of the left thigh, just above the knee; classified as a “rare hernia.”
Surgery on Sunday evening, four hours. One splint on each side of the thigh bone and a lot of screws.
I woke up from the anesthesia and noticed that my feet and toes were moving. I responded to the sensations, moving everything that could be moved: feet, muscles, and bones. The inside of my heels forward, my sit bones backward. Lifting and lowering my leg.
I was happy that I could move everything again.
Despite the anesthesia and all the painkillers, I felt fine. It dawned on me at that moment that I owed this sense of well-being to my bone awareness, my strong deep muscles, and my flexibility.
A urinary catheter? No thanks, I can sit up—bring me the potty. I’ll get out of bed really quickly, put my shoes on and take them off by myself while sitting with my leg stretched out, and take my first steps with the crutches.
The nursing staff pointed out to me that this level of fitness is extremely unusual for a woman my age, and I received many compliments. Everyone wanted to know what my secret was for maintaining such a toned body. I was able to leave the hospital on Tuesday morning.
Rehab? “You’re too fit for that—you don’t need it,” said the doctor.
The first few days at home weren’t easy. To stabilize my thigh, I had a brace that I had to wear 24 hours a day. I wasn’t allowed to put more than 30 kg of weight on my left leg for six weeks.
My independence was gone, and I was dependent on the loving I was dependent on support from my husband, children, and family. I had to ask for help just to make an espresso. With the crutches, I could carry practically nothing. We quickly made some adjustments to the house to make things easier for me. It was important to me to be able to do as much as possible on my own again as quickly as possible. Thanks to my mobility, I was always able to put on and take off my compression stockings by myself. I didn’t need Spitex to come over for that.
Looking back, one thing is clear to me: it was only thanks to years of training using the CANTIENICA® method that my fall had such a mild outcome.
That day, I was out and about with a backpack containing 2 kg of honey and some pretty heavy birthday gifts for my grandson. My well-honed and ingrained movement intelligence saved me, so to speak, “on the fly” from falling backward down the stairs. Many CANTIENICA® practitioners report this: A well-maintained body protects itself in dangerous situations.
While I was using crutches, I realized how important it is to keep your body engaged. Without that engagement, all your weight shifts to your wrists and pushes your shoulders upward. That really hurts! With the right posture, walking with crutches is very easy.
Now I walk for a good 45 minutes along forest and meadow trails without any aids. I quickly set my hiking poles aside. They, too, hinder the ideal rotational movement of the thoracic spine—that “fountain of youth,” as Benita calls this core principle.
I run with my legs spread apart; that way, my joints have room to move, and I don’t feel any pain.
Full range of motion will still take some patience—I want to mention that, too. Because of the adhesions in the joint capsule (arthrofibrosis), I can only bend my lower leg to 70 degrees. To address this, I go to physical therapy twice a week. This regularly brings me face-to-face with the differing approaches to the body between traditional physical therapy and the CANTIENICA® method. CANTIENICA® Body in Evolution makes the body very sensitive; mine reacts immediately to unsuitable exercises.
At home, I do a few exercises practically every hour to loosen up stubborn adhesions, stay flexible, and strengthen my deep muscles.
I only took a two-week break from my CANTIENICA® fitness routine, then I started taking online classes again. My many years of experience as a CANTIENICA® instructor are proving to be very useful: For every exercise that I can’t yet perform properly due to my lack of flexibility, I know a good variation to help me train my body. I attend three to four livestream CANTIENICA® classes per week. I really enjoy them.
It will still take me a long time and a great deal of patience to make a full recovery. I’m glad I was in such good shape when I had my accident and that my body reacted so quickly. With all this training, I’m staying fit and becoming more and more flexible and agile. That feels really good.
Let yourself be inspired! Prevention pays off—at any age—and is essential for healthy aging.”
We can all fall. The trick is getting back up.
We humans, who walk upright, are always on the move. And anyone who moves can fall. Anyone who falls can get hurt.
What deeply disturbs me: The consequences of falls and broken bones are currently the leading cause of death among people aged 80 and older. “She was so mentally sharp and loved life so much.” “He loved his garden more than anything, and of all things, it was the wet leaves that killed him.” I hear comments like these—and similar ones—from grieving family members time and time again.
It saddens me deeply how difficult it is to get the message of prevention to sink in: It is possible to use your body in such a way that you are not immediately in mortal danger during or after a fall. The body needs flexibility, strength, and responsiveness.
Meaningful exercise is easy to learn and can be incorporated into any daily routine. It’s also fun because a well-trained body is upright, light, pain-free, and full of energy.
It amazes me beyond belief that I hear even 35- and 40-year-olds say, “It just doesn’t work anymore. I can’t do that anymore. That’s just how it is at my age.”
A prominent example is Charlène of Monaco, who recently said in an interview that, at 46, she can no longer swim—her body just can’t handle it anymore. And she isn’t talking about competitive swimming, but rather swimming for fitness and endurance.
Verena Burri is 69 years old; she was a CANTIENICA® instructor and trainer for many years. She retired from studio work in the summer of 2024 to devote herself to her grandchildren and her magnificent garden—the flowers, the vegetables, and the fruit trees.
In June, Verena fell and broke her left thighbone. I called Verena to see how she was doing. She spoke enthusiastically about her training successes, her progress, and the joy she found in healing herself. I asked Verena, “Write this down. Give other people hope.”
- The courage to make your own body agile, strong, and resilient.
- The courage to take good care of your own body.
- The courage to listen to your own body’s movements, especially when something does happen.
We can all fall. The trick is getting back up.
Thank you, Verena.
Benita Cantieni
Book Recommendation: Staying Flexible and Strong for Life with the Tiger Feeling (2024)
In Benita Cantieni’s book, you’ll learn how to stay flexible, strong, and stable well into old age. A special highlight: practical exercises to prevent falls, which will give you greater confidence in your daily life.
Who is this book for?
- For everyone who wants to age actively and confidently.
- People who want to specifically improve their balance and stability.
- For people who want to find new inspiration to improve their health.
The book combines in-depth knowledge with easy-to-follow instructions and shows how you can make big strides with small changes.
Read this now and move with the grace of a tiger as you climb stairs, ski, hike, and dance.
The exercises as audio guides
To make it even easier to follow along, you can also download the exercises from the book as audio guides, narrated by Benita Cantieni herself. Perfect for doing along with the audio.
