The 4 best balance exercises to build strength and prevent falls for seniors
As the body ages, muscle atrophy, blood pressure fluctuations, altered gait, poor posture, and vertigo all affect balance.
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Do you need to buff up your balance skills? Most of us never consider the importance of having good balance until we fall. And it only takes a single fall to result in an injury that dramatically alters your quality of life and independence.
Slips and falls can occur at any age, but they are more serious among older adults and a leading cause of injury for this age group.
As the body ages, muscle atrophy, blood pressure fluctuations, altered gait, poor posture, and vertigo all affect balance. Serious medical conditions that are more common among older adults, such as peripheral neuropathy, which can make it difficult to feel your feet, or neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease can also throw you off balance.
Growing older doesn’t mean that dangerous falls are inevitable. Add balance-boosting exercises that strengthen your stabilizer muscles to your weekly workout to keep you feeling grounded.
The following fitness routine focuses on enhancing your center of gravity and uses single-leg exercises to correct imbalances that can develop from favoring one side. For best results, incorporate these exercises into your current workout, two to three times a week. You will need a sturdy chair for support.
Standing marches
Begin by standing behind your chair. If needed, lightly hold the back of the chair for balance. When holding on, avoid hunching the shoulders forward or resting your upper-body weight on it. This will cause faults in your form.
Elevate the right leg, hold for two counts, then lower it. Repeat with the left leg. Continue this sequence for 16 counts.
Sit-to-stand exercise
Sit at the edge of your chair with the shoulders stacked over the hips, gaze forward, knees bent at a 90-degree angle, and ankles aligned under the knees. Extend the arms in front of the body to avoid pushing off your thighs to stand. This is strictly a lower-body activity.
Engage your core muscles and push through your heels to stand. Hold for a count, then slowly lower back down. The higher the chair, the easier this will be. If you have balance concerns, or difficulty standing without using your arms for momentum, try practicing from a higher elevation, such as your mattress. Just be sure your sheets aren’t slippery. Repeat 10 times.
Single-leg stand
Stand to the side of your chair. If you need extra support, rest your hand on its back. Elevate the right leg and hold for five seconds. Repeat with the left leg. Continue for a total of 10 reps on each side.
For a greater challenge, extend the arms out to the sides and lift the right leg. Hold here for 10 seconds, then switch sides for a total of 10 reps.
To test your balance even further, extend your arms, lift the right leg, then close your eyes. By removing your sense of sight, your brain and muscles are forced to work harder to balance the body. Try holding here for five counts. Repeat on both sides five times. If at any point you think you might fall, get dizzy, or feel unwell, put your leg down and stop immediately.
Over-the-shoulder walk
Clear a path in front of you to be free of any obstruction or objects you can trip over.
Turn your head to the right to look over your shoulder. Walk 10 paces forward. When you reach the end, look over the left shoulder and walk 10 steps back. Repeat on both sides once more.
Ashley Blake Greenblatt is a certified personal trainer and wellness coach in South Jersey.