Relationaship Between Senior Balance Exercises And Gait Stability

Senior Balance Exercises Help With Walking

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

   Medical researchers have been studying how senior balance exercises help aspects of function and living for older adults including walking and fall prevention. Please see    http://www.exerciseforbalance.com/buy-now Since the population continues to age and the number of people joining the ranks of seniors is swelling at enormous rates, healthcare professionals like doctors, nurses, physical therapists and care givers as well as medical researchers have been looking into the best ways to keep older individuals from falling and incurring injuries. As an example,   Cromwell RL and Newton RA published a study, Relationship between balance and gait stability in healthy older adults, which investigated aspects of stability programs and functional activities such as walking. The study wanted to determine if age-related adaptations during walking create a more stable walking pattern, which is less effective for forward progression and might be related to balance deficiencies.  Seventeen older and 20 young adults performed the Berg Balance Test and walked 10 meters. Walking velocity and cadence were measured, and a gait-stability ratio was calculated. Higher gait stability ratio indicated that a greater portion of the gait cycle was spent in double-limb support. The researchers found that age-group comparisons established declines in Berg Balance Test scores and walking velocity and increases in gait stability ratio with age. Additionally, results indicated a strong relationship between increased gait stability and decreased balance for a dynamic weight-shifting task. In summary, stability with walking is enhanced by performing balance exercises.

Senior Balance Exercises Improve Stability

      Rehearsing dynamic senior balance exercises can assist with stability during walking activities. One basic dynamic stability exercise involves walking along a line heel to toe. By using this narrow base of support while walking, you will challenge your balance reactions at your ankles, which will translate into better steadiness with walking in a normal wide gait. Additionally, by practicing this walking heel to toe routine on a hard surface like hardwood floors or tile, you will be able to translate to enhanced steadiness while walking on uneven surfaces like hiking trails, grass, small rocks or uneven sidewalks. You can learn both static and dynamic senior balance exercises as well as specific stability techniques by following the instruction of a knowledgeable Physical Therapist in the Exercise For Balance DVD.

Senior Balance Exercises In The Exercise For Balance DVD

    To stay safe with all walking activities, please begin the best balance exercises with the Exercise For Balance DVD. The  Balance DVD is an easy to follow tool to use at home or in a group setting. The professionally filmed DVD is filled 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 playing tennis, dancing and hiking. In the Exercise For Balance DVD, you will learn how to improve balance, steadiness 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

Walk safely by starting 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/