Pandiculation And Senior Balance Exercises

Daily Senior Balance Exercises And Pandiculation

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

 As we age, our muscles, joints and tissues can become stiffer, requiring a combination of gentle stretches as well as certain senior balance exercises to maintain adequate mobility. Please see  http://www.exerciseforbalance.com/buy-now Medical professionals like doctors, personal trainers and physical therapists have various opinions on which type of stretching routine is best. Stretching can involve active stretches, passive stretches, short duration stretching, Yoga or Pandiculation. Pandiculation stretching is most often seen in our beloved pets. When our cats and dogs wake up from a nap, they stretch their arms and legs out, lengthening their whole bodies to wake up. Most of the time, dogs and cats do a full body stretch, where they stretch their back, front legs and back legs.  Ideally, we do the same when we wake up. Modern society has made it necessary for us to *jump* out of bed in the morning. The alarm clock goes off, we jump out of bed. Most of us have forgotten that nice little biological wake up stretch. This particular kind of “stretch” is called pandiculation. It’s a yawn-like stretch. Somehow we lose this natural instinct to pandiculate our bodies when we wake up in the morning as we age. What’s happening when our pets stretch and pandiculate as they wake up? Try it for yourself. Maybe the suggestion of a yawn brings the desire to yawn. Notice what’s going on in your jaw. Take your arms up over head, make fists and reach your arms out like a wake up morning stretch. Chances are, you are tightening muscles and then lengthening them out from that contraction, not just passively “stretching” your muscles. Pandiculation is an active stretch. You are lengthening your muscles from a contraction. This action is occurring in your nervous system, with your brain getting feedback from those contracted muscles.

Stretching Exercises And Senior Balance Exercises

   To maintain good mobility in later years, it is essential to practice a combination of leg strengthening exercises, stretching exercises and  senior balance exercises. typically, later in life we tend to become stiffer in specific muscles and joints which are critical for balance. As an example, older individuals experience stiffness in their ankles, which can lead to decreased balance reactions and a greater risk for falling. One type of stretching that helps to loosen muscles around the joints is called Pandiculation. by performing stretching exercises where you contract and then lengthen the muscle, you also help to stimulate the central nervous system, which is also essential for good balance. For optimal steadiness in movement activities, You can combine these types of easy stretches with certain equilibrium routines, which are presented in the Exercise For Balance DVD.

Senior Balance Exercises In The Exercise For Balance DVD

    For optimal mobility,  initiate a program of the best balance exercises with the Exercise For Balance DVD. The healthcare professional recommended Exercise For Balance DVD is an excellent educational DVD to use at home or in a group setting. The easy to understand and to follow Exercise For Balance DVD includes  a step by step series of up to date balance and strength exercises necessary to optimize senior fitness and to perform basic daily activities like shopping, doing laundry,  walking, standing, cleaning house, stair climbing or to advance to more difficult activities like skiing, dancing, bocce ball and hiking. In the  comprehensive Exercise For Balance DVD, you will learn how to improve stability, steadiness techniques and balance routines from a  qualified balance specialist --- licensed Physical Therapist---who has worked with balance and dizziness disorders for over 25 years. Get your copy of the Exercise For Balance DVD by clicking on the BUY NOW button

Start stretching 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/