Balance Exercises for Seniors
What Are Some Good Balance Exercises for Seniors?
There is more involved in good balance than being upright. Balance is a primary key to moving through your daily life and to injury prevention. That's true if you are a world-class athlete or someone enjoying retirement.
Exercises for balance strengthen that critical asset. For seniors, that becomes even more important to prevent falls and stay active.
What Is Balance?
Put simply, balance is the ability to stay upright despite environmental stressors. Balance is so important that it takes three separate systems to ensure it: visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive. These three systems provide sensory information that helps the brain control the body's balance.
Also critical to balance is the skeletal and musculature system. They provide structure to respond to the brain based on that sensory information. All these critical systems work in concert to help you maintain your balance.
Why Balance Matters
The obvious answer is you need good balance to be active. There is more to it than that, however. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year, 3 million seniors end up in an emergency room with a fall injury.
In that group, 300,000 will have hip fractures. An estimated 33% of seniors who experience a hip fracture die within one year of the injury.
The importance of balance extends beyond just fall prevention. Good balance plays a role in the following:
Improved neuromuscular control
Good posture
Improved strength
Effective workout techniques
Balance is the foundation for all movement. Without it, you lose your ability to stay mobile and, possibly, even independent. This is why exercises for balance are such a critical component of a healthy lifestyle.
Why Exercising Improve Balance
Balance exercises help strengthen your ability to move through daily life with more ease. They are as much about confidence as they are about strength, and are crucial to maintaining independence and feeling strong.
Balance exercises for seniors improve:
Posture
Strength
Locomotor performance or the ability to move from one place to another
Trunk or core control
Walking speed
Just as importantly, they help reduce your fear of falling. Being hesitant as you move can be a safety hazard in itself. Balance training gives you confidence when you are active, especially when part of an overall regiment that includes cardio and strength exercises.
Best At Home Balance Exercises for Seniors
Let’s get you started with some easy-to-do balance exercises for seniors at home.
How to Do These Balance Exercises
These are dynamic balancing exercises for seniors, which means practicing balance through movement. If you are new to balance exercises, it is a good idea to have something close by that you can hold onto just in case you need it. A good tool for this is a study chair.
You also want a clear space that allows you to move safely. You should not have to step over things or maneuver around them.
Finally, consider doing these exercises barefoot. Your feet are critical tools for balance. Wearing shoes during balance exercises interferes with their natural purpose.
During this routine, you do each exercise for 40 seconds and then rest for 20. Do as many reps during the 40 seconds as you want, just keep moving.
Around the World Toe Taps
Start with your left leg as your moving leg. The right leg helps to support your balance. Keep the chair close in case you need it. Otherwise, keep your hands out to the side or on your hips.
Tap your left foot in front, move it to the side, and tap once behind. The final tap is to the side of your right leg as if you were doing a curtsy.
Reverse the move to return your foot to the front. Tap behind, to the side, and then in the front. Do 40 seconds on each leg.
Side Steps
For this exercise, you will step out, catch your balance, and then step back. Start with your feet together and your hands on your hips.
Step the left leg out as wide as possible. Put the foot down and shift to balance your weight, then pull the left foot back in without allowing it to touch the floor before stepping out again. Place the foot down if you need to catch yourself, but try to avoid it if possible. Do 40 seconds on each leg.
Tight Rope Walk
Start at one end of the room or mat. Walk heel to toe to the other side.
To return to start, walk backward, moving toe to heel. For an added challenge, try not looking at your feet. To make it even harder, do the movement on your tip toes.
Standing Hamstring Curls
Pull that chair close in case you need it. If you use the chair, just lightly place your hands on it to help you balance.
Stand facing your chair. Curl one leg back, bending at the knee as if trying to touch your butt with your heel. Hold it for a few seconds and return it, without touching the floor. Do 40 seconds on each leg.
Heel to Toe Rocks
Keep the chair close for this exercise. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Raise your toes and hold for a few seconds, then rock back on your heels and hold. Keep your knees slightly bent to avoid locking them.
Long Forward Lunges
Stand with your hands on your hips and your feet together. Take a big step forward with the left leg. As with the Side Steps, you'll feel your weight shift slightly to balance between the front and back legs.
Pull that left leg back again, but try not to let the foot touch the ground. Just pull it back, allow your weight to shift to the stable leg, and then step forward again.
More At Home Balance and Mobility Workouts
Looking for accountability and consistency in your health journey? Mighty Health offers easy to follow, personalized guidance for your unique health goals. Each exercise, lesson, and nutrition plan is designed specifically for those over 50, so you can thrive in these years of your life. Try it out today for more energy, weight loss, improved balance, better mobility, reduced joint pain, and the strength and stamina to spend time with those you love.
Find more great exercise routines for healthy aging and joint mobility on our website. Download the app to match with your very own health coach, who is a real person here to guide, support, and encourage you every step of the way. We can help you regain and maintain your flexibility so you can increase your mobility, reduce pain, decrease your risk of falls, and improve your overall quality of life.
