Balance Exercises And Muscle Power

Muscle Power For Balance Exercises

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

For all of us, we need good muscle strength to have good stability and to perform necessary balance exercises. Please see   http://www.exerciseforbalance.com/buy-now The ability to maintain an upright position while standing, walking or completing movement activities depends on many factors including accurate vision, appropriate messages from the inner ear balance center, speedy balance reactions at the feet and ankles and of course adequate muscle power in the trunk for posture and lower legs for balance skills. recently, medical researchers have published information in the Journal Of Gerontology, investigating the correlation between muscle power production and functional capacities of older adults,including balance abilities. In the study, Impact of Muscle Power and Force on Gait Speed in Disabled Older Men and Women, the researchers looked at effectiveness of muscle power for functional activities of seniors. The information includes:

Background. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between muscle power output at different external resistances and performance of functional tasks. The authors hypothesized that power at 40% skeletal muscle 1 repetition maximum (1RM), in which contraction velocity is high, would explain more of the variability in tasks such as level walking than would peak power or 1RM strength, in which contraction velocity is lower.

Methods. Participants were men and women (n = 48; ages 65–91 years) with physical disability as evidenced by 2 or more deficits on the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form physical function subscale or a score of 9 or less on the Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly short physical performance battery. Muscle strength (1RM) was measured using a bilateral leg press exercise, and power output was determined by selecting the highest power output from 6 different contraction velocities: 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, and 90% 1RM. Functional performance tasks consisted of habitual gait velocity (HGV) and stair climb (SC) and chair rise (CR) performance. Separate linear regression models were fit for each of the 3 dependent variables (SC, CR, HGV) using 1RM strength, power at 70% 1RM, and power at 40% 1RM as independent variables. All models were adjusted for age, body mass, and sex.

Results. Lower extremity power at 70% and 40% 1RM demonstrated greater associations with SC and HGV than did 1RM strength, whereas power at 40% 1RM demonstrated similar or stronger associations with all functional tasks compared with 1RM strength. Power at 40% 1RM explained the same or more of the variability in SC (R² =.42 [regression coefficient = −.169 ±.06] vs.43 [−.206 ±.071]), CR (R² =.28 [−.154 ±.057] vs.24 [−.152 +.070]) and HGV (R² =.59 [.214 +.37] vs.51 [.223 ±.049]) compared with power at 70% 1RM. Power at 40% 1RM explained more of the variability in the lower intensity (HGV) compared with the higher intensity (SC or CR) functions.

Conclusions. Power output at 40% of 1RM explained more of the variability in HGV than did power at 70% 1RM, suggesting that measures such as HGV that require a lower percentage of maximal strength to perform might be more sensitive to differences in contraction velocity. Because HGV is highly predictive of subsequent disability, future studies should evaluate the determinants of muscle power output at low external resistances.

Strong Muscles For Balance Exercises

Balance exercises can contribute to having strong muscles, which is important for activities of daily living like getting up from a chair, climbing stairs,  and walking inside and outside of the home. The study mentioned above found that muscle power is more variable with walking and decreased muscle power in older people leads to diminished functional abilities. consequently,  Building leg strength is essential for aging individuals to maintain their functional capacity. You can practice both strengthening exercises and balance exercises in the comfort of your own home with the Exercise For Balance DVD.

Balance Exercises In The Exercise For Balance DVD

    To Learn the best strength and balance exercises, get the Exercise For Balance DVD. The professionally developed Balance DVD is designed for simple use at home or in a group setting. The DVD contains all 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 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

Start top rated strength and 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/