Editor’s note: Before beginning any new exercise program, consult your doctor. Stop immediately if you feel pain.
CNN
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When people think about improving their fitness, they often overlook the issue of balance. That is a critical oversight. Good balance is an integral part of being physically fit and key to living a long life, according to studies. It is an important topic for everyone, regardless of age.
Older adults are the most affected by lack of balance. The falls are leading cause of injury and death for those over 65, with almost 30% in this age group who reported at least one fall in 2018, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But younger adults also stumble frequently.
Forty-eight percent of young adults reported falling at least once during a 16-week study. Falls occurred more frequently during walking and sports activities, and female study participants reported more falls and fall-related injuries than males.
18% of young adults (ages 20-45) reported falls in the past two years in another study published in the journal BMC Public Health. That number compares with the 21% of middle-aged adults (ages 46 to 65) who reported falls and 35% of those 65 and older. While falls among young adults are often correlated with sports participation, trips in the middle-aged group are generally related to health. Physiological problems and changes.
Many factors can affect your balance out of age, including medication, vision changes, neuropathy of the feet, brain injury, obesity, and general lack of fitness. Even if you don’t have risk factors, simply not working regularly on your balance will result in more instability.
“Our bodies are conditioned to lose what we don’t use or practice regularly, and balance is no different,” Susan Baxter, a physical therapist in Melbourne, Australia, said by email.
To see if your balance is on the unstable side, here are three tests you can try. Before doing so, make sure you are in a safe environment in case you fall.
- Stand with your feet together, ankles touching, and arms crossed over your chest. You should be able to stand in this position, with your eyes closed, for 60 seconds. You can also do the same test by placing one foot directly in front of the other. You should be able to stand 38 seconds on both sides.
- Stand on one foot, without the other foot touching the supporting leg. Those under 60 should be able to stand in this position for 29 seconds with their eyes open and 21 seconds with their eyes closed. People over the age of 60 should be able to time 22 seconds and 10 seconds, respectively.
- Stand on one foot with your hands on your hips, placing the other foot against the inside of your knee. Lifting the heel of your standing foot off the ground, you should be able to stand firm and upright for 25 seconds.
If you failed any of these tests, don’t despair. With a little practice, you can regain and improve your balance skills. One of the easiest ways to do this is to practice a single-legged balance grip on each leg, said Meltem Sonmez Burr, certified personal trainer and founder of barreitude In New York. Practice standing next to a chair or something you can hold on to if you wobble.
Climbing stairs is another easy way to improve balance, Baxter said, since part of good balance is a strong lower body. squats and lunges I work, too. And since the vestibular system in your inner ear feeds on sensory input, Baxter recommended movements like kneeling on the floor or rising from a sitting position, both of which require movements on different planes of your body.
If you prefer more fun exercises, you can dance, jump, walk sideways or backwards, or stand on your toes or heels, said Michael Landau, a Feldenkrais practitioner in Limache, Chile, who teaches mindful movement. (Feldenkrais is an exercise therapy designed to help people reconnect with their bodies and improve their movement.)
The most important thing is to constantly challenge your balance.
“When you have good balance, you move with less fear and more flexibility,” Landau said, adding that the fear of falling makes you stiff and stressed, and therefore more likely to fall.
Don’t you think you have time to work on your balance? There are easy ways to include it in your daily routines. Stand on one leg while you brush your teeth, watch TV, or stand in line at the grocery store. Or go barefoot periodically, Baxter said.
“The mechanoreceptors in our feet send messages to our brain to let us know that our feet are working and where they are in space,” he said. “Once you’ve properly trained yourself to balance without shoes, step on a yoga mat or thin pillow and try that challenge.”
Don’t be discouraged if you find these exercises challenging. Balance improves pretty quickly with a little practice. And the exercises will bring you benefits at any age, whether you are a child or you are 90 years old.
“Good balance improves your overall mobility, so you’ll move more and your muscles and bones will get stronger,” Landau said. “It’s good for longevity and overall health, and makes life worth living.”
Melanie Radzicki McManus is a freelance writer specializing in walking, travel, and fitness.
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