Search Weight Loss Topics:

Home » Exercise Programs » How to improve your balance | The American Legion – The American Legion

LEARN HOW YOUR PLANNED GIFT CAN HELP THE AMERICAN LEGION

After taking a fall last month, my doctor suggested I start doing balance exercises. Do you have any tips for balance?

Most people do not think about practicing their balance, but it is a good idea to start doing so. In the same way that you walk to strengthen your heart, lungs and overall health, you should practice maintaining your balance.

As we age, our ability to maintain balance declines, which can increase your risk of falling. More than one in three individuals 65 or older falls each year, and the risk only increases with age. A simple fall can cause a serious fracture of the hip, pelvis, spine, arm, hand or ankle, which can lead to hospitalization, disability, loss of independence and potential fatalities.

How Balance Works

Balance is the physical ability to distribute your weight in a way that enables you to hold a steady position or move at will without falling. Balance is controlled by a complex combination of muscle strength, visual inputs, inner ear workings and specialized receptors in the nerves of your joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons, which help with orientation. These factors are sorted out in the sensory cortex of your brain, which takes this information and gives you balance. Over time, these neurological pathways dull and causes individuals to gradually lose their balance.

Poor balance can lead to a vicious cycle of inactivity. Individuals who feel unsteady end up curtailing certain activities, which can lead to inactivity. If they are continuously inactive, they no longer challenge their balance systems or their muscles. As a result, both balance and strength decline and simple acts like strolling through a grocery store or getting up from a chair become trickier for these individuals. This can shake their confidence and cause them to become even less active.

Balance Exercises

If you have a balance problem that is not tied to illness, medication or some other cause, simple exercises may help preserve and improve your balance. Some basic exercises you can do include:

One-legged stands: Stand on one foot for 30 seconds or longer, then switch to the other foot. You can do this while brushing your teeth or even while waiting in line somewhere. In the beginning, you might want to have a wall or chair to hold on to in case you lose your balance. Heel rises: While standing, rise up on your toes, lifting your heel as high as you can. Drop back to the starting position and repeat the process 10 to 20 times. You can make this more difficult by holding light hand weights. Heel-toe walk: Take 20 steps and with every step, touch your heel to your toe on your opposite foot. Keep your focus straight ahead instead of looking down at your feet. Sit-to-stand: Without using your hands, get up from a straight-backed chair and sit back down 10 to 20 times. This improves balance and leg strength.

Additional balance exercises are part of a resource created by the National Institute on Aging that offers free booklets that provide illustrated examples of many appropriate exercises. You can order your free copy online or by calling 1-800-222-2225.

Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to NBCs Today Show. The column, and others like it, is available to read via The American Legions Planned Giving program, a way of establishing your legacy of support for the organization while providing for your current financial needs.

Link:
How to improve your balance | The American Legion - The American Legion

Your Full Name
Your Email
Your Phone Number
Select your age (30+ only)	30313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120
Select Your US State	Select Your StateAlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington,DCWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming
Program Choice	Select Your ProgramInjectable HGHInjectable TestoteroneInjectable SermorelinInjectable Weight LossInjectable HCG DietInjectable Vitamins
Confirm over 30 years old	Yes
Confirm that you resident in USA	Yes
This is a Serious Inquiry	Yes
Message:

Home » Exercise Programs » How to improve your balance | The American Legion – The American Legion