regain your balance
Increase your core strength and reduce the risk of injurious falls.
Many daily activities you participate in depend on a good sense of balance: reaching to pick up a dropped pen from the floor, walking up a flight of stairs while carrying a laundry basket, or standing on one foot to put on your jeans or a sock. Most people, however, do not think about their ability to balance until they begin to lose it or experience a fall.
Weak and inflexible muscles, along with faulty postural alignment make it more difficult for the body to maintain balance. As a result, those of us with poor balance are more susceptible to falling. Between ages 55 and 79, falls are the most common cause of accidental death. Some of the serious injuries resulting from falls include skull, wrist and hip fractures. The fear of falling is a major reason older people become dependent on others for help.
VISUAL, VESTIBULAR, and SOMATOSENSORY.
The visual system uses our eyes to provide us with information about our environment, location, and the speed and direction of movement taking place around us. The vestibular system, comprised of receptors of the inner ear, identifies the position and motion of our head. The somatosensory system is made up of a network of receptors located in our skin, muscles, and joints. Pressure receptors in the skin provide information about weight shifts. Beyond the age of 40, these three systems tend to slow in response time and diminish in sensitivity.
Aging also results in fewer opportunities and experiences that reinforce balance skills. Children commonly participate in recreational behavior including running, spinning, tumbling, racing, hopping, and skipping, whereas adults tend to find themselves moving calmly and purposefully- usually in one direction. Because of these fewer opportunities to develop and maintain balance skills, it is important to include activities that challenge the three balance systems in your fitness routine.
Begin your balance training with this simple test. Position yourself next to a wall or a piece of sturdy furniture in case you need support. Using a stopwatch, time how long you are able to stand on one foot with your arms at your sides (or crossed at your chest for a greater challenge) before losing your balance. Repeat the test with your eyes closed and experience how much more difficult this becomes when you remove the visual component of your balance systems. Record your times and use them for future reference to track your progress. Practice the one-leg balance test and other drills like walking heel to toe, forward and backward, for a few minutes each time you exercise.
Additional strategies, such as raising one arm, closing one eye, or turning your head can increase the challenge of your balance drills.
A well-rounded exercise program that promotes better posture, increased muscle strength and flexibility, improved motor skills, and self-confidence can improve your ability to balance and decrease your risk of falling.
Karen Schutters
Jim Schutters
Owners, ACE Certified Personal Trainers
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