Yes, You Can Improve Your Balance. Here’s How.

Balance is a critical part of your health and wellness. For women in their 60s and older, it is non-negotiable.

You need to work on, improve, and/or maintain your balance.

Why?

Because when you lose your balance, you fall.

The Dangers of Falling if You are Over 60

And according to statistics, 3 million people aged 65 and older fall every year.  The results of a fall when you are over 60 can be devastating and even life-threatening. Over 800,000 people a year are hospitalized because of injuries resulting from falling. And the medical costs associated with injuries from falls reaches well into the billions.  

Not only that, but did you know that:

•                Falling once doubles your chance of falling again.

•                Injuries incurred in a fall are a leading cause of death in people 65 and older

•                One-fourth of those over 60 who suffer a hip fracture from a fall will die within six months of the injury.

•                The loss of functioning caused by falls frequently leads to a loss of independence

Most people believe that you fall just because you are getting older.

But that is not necessarily true.

It is true that certain factors of aging like eyesight problems can contribute to falling.

But other risk factors—like loss of strength, balance, and mobility—are a result of your choices and lifestyle —not your age.

In other words, (putting aside autoimmune diseases, etc.) you fall because you are weak, or have poor mobility, don’t see well, or are simply not paying attention to where you are putting your feet—you don’t fall because you are 65 or 70 years old.

Balance is a part of your overall fitness.

It is critical to prevent falls and to help you maintain your independence.

And, like other forms of fitness—strength, mobility, flexibility, cardiovascular health—you can work on your balance and improve it.

Balance is Hard Work

Don’t be fooled: working on your balance may not be the same as doing a deadlift, but it can nevertheless be quite challenging. It requires sufficient core strength and overall body control to balance yourself.

Balance exercises can be fairly simple, like standing on one leg for 10 seconds. Or they can be more intense—like crow pose in yoga.

Either way, you need to have some level of muscle strength to maintain your balance. Plus, working on your balance can help you develop your core muscles.  

In addition, balance—and training to improve your balance—is good for your mind. Researchers have discovered that balance training improves cognitive function and spacial (where your body is in space) cognition.

When you work on your balance, you are working on your body strength— ankle strength and core strength just to name a few —and you are working on your brain —including your proprioception. Proprioception is your body’s ability to recognize where you are in space any time you move. As we age, it is critical to retain our ability to know where we are in space. Knowing where your foot is in relation to the curb, or whether your foot is fully on the step or not, is vital for fall prevention.

Balance is an integral part of a healthy life.

Having good balance as you age can help prevent falls.

It can also contribute to living better and longer.

How To Get Started with Balance Training

Like any fitness regime, if you want to work on your balance, you need to start small and slowly and progress over time. While you certainly can do this on your own, it is much easier and more enjoyable to work with a personal trainer—especially if you want to improve your strength and balance over time.

That said, there are some classic basic balance moves you can start with.

Here are just four balance exercises you can try:

1.    Standing on one leg

2.    Standing in tightrope position

3.    Weight Shifts

4.    Single leg deadlift to a chair

Standing on one leg

This one sounds simple. But don’t be fooled. Standing on one leg can be challenging.

All you do for this exercise is:

• Stand behind a chair (one that is not on rollers). Hold on lightly if you need to.

• Lift one leg off the ground and count to 10.

• Change legs and repeat.

You should be able to stand on one leg for 10 seconds or more.

As your balance improves, try not to hold on, and hold the position longer.

Standing in tightrope position

Another challenging balance exercise is to stand with your feet as if you were walking on a tightrope.

To do this one,

• Place your left heel in front of your right foot, touching the right toes.

• Let go of the chair if you are holding on and can let go, and count to 10.

• Change feet.

Again, hold onto a chair if you need to at first, and then try to progress to not holding onto anything at all.

Weight shifts – Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg

One of the best balance movements you can do is shifting your weight.

You should do this when you practice the standing on one leg move above, of course, but this move concentrates on the weight shift.

My favorite move for this comes from Tai ‘chi and is called “Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg.” 

To do it,

• shift your weight to one leg (let’s say it is your right leg),

• then slowly bring your left knee up towards you chest, your hands placed in front of you one stacked on top of the other (to form the rooster’s comb).

• Hold this position briefly, then bring your leg down and shift your weight to the opposite side.

• Repeat.

• Then you do the same thing to the opposite side.

The point of this exercise is to move slowly and deliberately, feeling  your weight shifted solidly into the standing foot before you bring the other leg up.

This exercise really makes you focus on your balance and weight shifting.  Done slowly and deliberately, it is a moving meditation.

Single leg deadlift to chair

This is a single leg deadlift but without weights.

• With the seat of a chair facing you, shift your weight to one leg, the toe of the non-working leg pointed behind you.

• Keeping your hips level, slowly lift your back foot into the air while hinging (palm down to the seat of the chair) towards the chair.

• Go only as far as you can without losing your balance until your fingertips or palm of your hand touch the center part of the seat of the chair.

• Then reverse: bringing your feet back together.

• Repeat on each leg, 8 times.

This exercise is a very important and effective one. It works your balance, yes, but it also works your core, hamstrings and glute strength.

As you progress, you can remove the chair and add some weights in either one hand or both.

Single leg deadlifts are a fantastic move to constantly work on.

Balance in Your Life and Balance in Your Workout Routines

Balance is so important for every aspect of our lives. Whether it is lifestyle or fitness, you want to aim for balance—a balanced physique, a balanced diet, work-life balance.

We are not looking for perfection, but for balance in all things. So don’t worry if balance exercises are difficult to do at first. Just keep trying, and, over time, you will improve.

For more balance exercises and ideas, contact me here.

Don’t Wait any Longer! Get Started on Your Transformation!

As a woman over 50, at Strength & Balance for Seniors, I help other women over 50 transform their lives and bodies one rep at a time. I work with clients one-on-one and provide the individualized attention you need to reach your fitness, health, and longevity goals. Shoot me an email here or connect with me over on Facebook at Strength & Balance for Seniors.