Another sign of growing older (as if we needed another sign!) is that our balance is just not what it used to be. We trade our high-heeled shoes for flats and view climbing stairs from an entirely differently perspective, and for good reason. After age 30 our equilibrium begins to decline and our sense of balance begins declining right along with it. We can improve balance and stability to protect ourselves from age related falls with a couple of easy exercises. Before I detail the exercises to improve balance, let’s take a balance test and see how well you stand.
Balance Test
Stand barefoot on a hard, flat floor and place one foot in front of the other, heel to toe. Cross your arms over your chest, placing your hands on opposite shoulders. Close your eyes and start counting slowly from 1. When (or if) you lose your balance, write the number down that you were on. Repeat this balance test three times and average the numbers together. Any average number under 48 means you have decreased equilibrium and you need to improve your balance with exercise. 48 and above is a normal balance count.
Be sure to stand near a counter or chair so you’ll have something to grab hold of in case you loose your balance when you perform this balance test.
Exercises To Improve Balance
Exercise to improve balance are not cardiovascular workouts, you won’t even break a sweat when you perform balance exercises, and that’s perfectly fine. Balance exercises are designed to strengthen your core muscles and your lower body to improve balance and stability. Do these balance exercises once a day for six months, then repeat the balance test and see how much your balance has improved.
This is a simple balance exercise that you can repeat countless times throughout the day. When you talk on the phone, stand up on a flat surface and raise one leg off the floor and hold for as long as possible. You can raise your leg a couple of inches off the floor in front of you, bend your leg behind you until your shin is parallel to the floor or place your foot on the knee of your opposite leg, whichever is most comfortable for you. The goal is to balance on one foot while focusing on your phone conversation. Start doing this balance exercise with your eyes open, then progress to doing it with your eyes closed and time yourself to see how long you can stand like this before loosing your balance.
Another exercise that will improve balance is a little more intensive. Roll up a towel and place it on the floor. Stand with one foot on the towel and one foot on the floor. Hold a set of small (3 pound) hand weights and try to do some leg squats, if this exercise is too difficult, do arm curls instead of the leg squats.
Your will improve balance quicker if you add leg strength training twice a week to the above mentioned balance exercises.
