Saginaw chiropractor Dr. Dan Kehres, as seen on NBC 25 with Joel Feick:
Balance is something many of us take for granted – until we
lose it. An indication on how well your brain is communicating with the rest of
your body, balance typically gets worse with age. But you can improve your
balance, it just takes practice like any other skill.
Most people sit for the majority of the day which is one of
the worst things you can do for your balance. Standing and moving around activates
the muscles in your legs therefore improving your coordination and balance.
According to The Gerontologist,
falls are the leading cause of injury death for people over 65 years of age. Also,
on average one in three people age 65 and older fall one time per year. Being
proactive and preventing falls is very important for this age group. Especially
when it is slippery outside, always take smaller steps as the larger steps you
take, the worse your balance gets!
Many falls actually happen at night when it is dark. When
you aren’t able to use your eyes, it completely changes how your body balances.
Now imagine getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, your
vision is not very good and your leg muscles are not as strong as they used to
be. Practicing balance exercises with your eyes closed is a great way to
prevent falls and injuries.
Practice these balance exercises daily:
- Stand on one leg: alternate every
30 seconds, five times on each side. This helps the connection between
your brain and the rest of your body improving balance.
- Stand on one leg, eyes closed: alternate
every 30 seconds, five times on each side. Be sure to hold on to a wall or
chair when you start practicing! This helps to prepare your body for
walking when it’s dark. If you get really good at this, buy a balance disk
and practice on that.
- Chair squats: Use a chair and practice
getting up from a sitting position, 20 times with no hands. Squats help strengthen
your legs and hips, creating a strong foundation to prevent falls. Weak
leg strength is the main reason people their lose balance and fall.
- Up and down: Practice getting on
the ground and getting up. If you have trouble with this, make sure you
practice with a friend to help you. Many elderly people struggle getting
off the ground without something to grab or lean on. If they fall in an
icy parking lot and nobody is around to help it could mean big trouble! This
is a very simple exercise to practice, but very important.
Start doing these exercises on a daily basis to improve your
overall balance. Injuries from falls could greatly be reduced by doing them.
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