How To Set Up a Trust Fall

  • September 1, 2009
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Want to learn what it really means to put your faith in someone else? Try a trust fall, where one person falls backward, depending upon another to catch them.

You Will Need

  • Two or more people
  • Trust
  • An elevated platform (optional)
How To Set Up a Trust Fall: Position person who will fall

Step 1: Position person who will fall

Instruct the person who will fall to stand with their eyes shut and their hands folded across their chest.

How To Set Up a Trust Fall: Position spotter

Step 2: Position spotter

Position the person who will catch – the spotter – behind the person who will fall.

The spotter must be close enough to catch the faller, but far enough away that the faller has adequate falling space.

How To Set Up a Trust Fall: Fall

Step 3: Fall

Instruct the faller to keep their body straight and stiff and to lean back on their heels, allowing themselves to fall into the arms of the spotter.

As faller and spotter get more comfortable, experiment with increasing the distance between the spotter and the faller.

How To Set Up a Trust Fall: Trust fall with several spotters

Step 4: Trust fall with several spotters

If you have more people participating, position several to surround the faller. Spotters stand in a semicircle around the back of the faller to catch them.

How To Set Up a Trust Fall: Perform an elevated trust fall

Step 5: Perform an elevated trust fall

Stage a trust fall from an elevated platform, such as a stepstool, tree stump, or riser. Spotters face each other and link hands. The faller falls into the net of arms.

Practice an elevated trust fall only under the supervision of an experienced trust fall leader.

How To Set Up a Trust Fall: Think about how you feel

Step 6: Think about how you feel

Think about how this exercise makes you feel once you and your adrenaline level have fallen. The object is to become more trusting and confident.

Trust falls are often used as corporate exercises to promote team building.

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Comments (1)

HeatherM

what a great way to build up trust! Thanks for the video, Jeff!

over 2 years ago by HeatherM

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