Senior Balance Exercises And Spinal Angulation

Senior Balance Exercises And The Angle Of Your Spine

By Suzanne Stoke, Physical Therapist @ Exercise For Balance via www.exerciseforbalance.com/

Senior balance exercises are critical to perform for older adults. We are finding out that following a balance exercise program is even more important for individuals who have a greater inclination of their spines. Please see http://www.exerciseforbalance.com/buy-now. Medical researchers have recently studied the correlation between a senior's spine angulation and their likelihood of heading to a nursing home. Many factors lead to a greater degree of disability as we age, including poor balance, history of falling, generalized weakness, overall health and posture. According to a report published online in the Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, researchers discovered that the “trunk angle of inclination” — the angle between the true vertical and a straight line from the first thoracic vertebra to the first sacral vertebra — is associated with becoming dependent on help for activities of daily living (ADL). These activities include such basic self-care tasks as bathing, feeding, toileting, maintaining continence, dressing, and transferring in or out of a bed or chair. “Spinal posture changes with age, but accumulated evidence shows that good spinal posture is important in allowing the aged to maintain independent lives,” the authors state. The test subjects’ spinal posture was measured with a spinal mouse, which is a computer-assisted noninvasive device for measuring spinal shape. The device is guided along the midline of the spine, starting at the spinous process and finishing at the top of the anal crease. Of the four spinal measurements taken by the device, only “trunk angle of inclination” was associated with future dependence in ADL — defined by the researchers as either admission to a nursing home or need of home assistance after a 4.5 year follow-up period. At that time, 15.7 percent became dependent in ADL, 7.6 percent died, and 0.7 percent moved out of the town. The group was 58 percent female. The subjects in the highest quartiles, who had the greatest angle of spinal inclination, were 3.47 times more likely to  become dependent in ADL than those in the lowest quartiles (the group with the least spinal inclination), even after adjusting covariates such as age, sex, back pain, and stiffness. One conclusion that can be drawn is that the greater the angle of inclination of the spine, the more forward the person's trunk posture is and the more likely they will have poor balance and a higher incidence of falling.

Senior Balance Exercises to Prevent Falling

Senior balance exercises as well as strengthening exercises are essential for older individuals who have poor balance and forward bent posture. The tendency for those people who have a large forward angle of their spine is that they subsequently shift their body weight forwards, resulting in a greater incidence of falling forwards. Secondly, with a forward spine position, the muscles of the back naturally weaken, leaving the person with decreased trunk strength, which also leads to a higher risk and incidence of falling. The best way to combat the dual problem of a forward leaning posture and unsteadiness is to practice senior balance exercises on a daily basis. There are many benefits to routinely performing stability exercises including:

-Increased leg strength

-improved balance

-enhanced speed and strength of balance reactions at the ankles

-reduced risk and incidence of falling

-more upright posture

Now you can practice senior balance exercises and specific balance techniques that reduce the angle of the spine and improves upright posture by following along with an experienced Physical Therapist in the Exercise For Balance DVD.

Senior Balance Exercises In The Exercise For Balance DVD

    To enhance your posture and steadiness, begin the best balance exercises with the Exercise For Balance DVD. The Balance DVD is easy for all to use at home or in a group setting. The DVD is professionally filmed and comes complete with the best balance and strength exercises needed to enhance senior fitness and to perform basic activities like walking, standing, stair climbing or to advance to high level activities like dancing and hiking. In the Exercise For Balance DVD, you will learn how to gain an upright posture, how to improve balance, balance techniques and balance routines from a balance trainer (licensed Physical Therapist) who has worked with balance and dizziness disorders for over 20 years. Get your copy of the Exercise For Balance DVD by clicking on the BUY NOW button

For better stability and posture, start balance exercises today with the Exercise For Balance DVD to improve balance and prevent falls.
For more information see http://www.mayoclinic.com/health-information/