Sleep Cycles And Senior Balance Exercises

Senior Balance Exercises For Low Energy Individuals

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

  Interestingly, sleep cycles can effect balance abilities and create a need for practicing  senior balance exercises on a regular basis. Please see  http://www.exerciseforbalance.com/buy-now sleep is a commodity that we all require, but over sleeping can effect our activity level, endurance, equilibrium and fall rates. According to Dr. Rein Tideiksaar, sleep-related problems increase with age. In fact, excessive daytime sleepiness is a common condition among older adults and excessive daytime sleepiness can lead  to a two fold increase in falls among senior citizens.  Both nighttime sleep efficiency (sleeping sound) and total sleep time decrease. At the same time, an increase in daytime sleep symptoms occurs. Excessive daytime sleepiness is a common complaint among elders (up to 15 percent of individuals experience difficulties) and is associated with a twofold increased risk for falls. Up to 30 percent of individuals with excessive daytime sleepiness report one or more falls per year. Falls are more likely to occur while walking outdoors. Most of the falls are caused by tripping and are due to slow and/or unsteady gait and balance. As many as 20 percent of these falls are associated with moderate to severe injury, such as fractures or severe head trauma.

Other adverse outcomes of excessive daytime sleepiness contributing to fall risk include:

• Difficulties performing everyday activities safely

• Depression

• Altered cognitive abilities

• Taking sleep medications that can result in reduced alertness and attention during waking hours

  Several factors contribute to excessive daytime sleepiness . Some common causes include:

  • Poor sleep habits: Irregular sleep-wake patterns (going to bed and waking at different times) and daytime napping can affect a person’s ability to sleep.

  • Medications: Drugs can impair a person's ability to fall asleep or stay asleep (causing wakefulness at night).

  • Health conditions: Sleep disorders (such as sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, etc.), physical limitations due to illness (such as chronic pain, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, etc.) and getting up at night to use the toilet can cause significant sleep problems.

  • Lifestyle factors: Inactivity, lack of exercise, and consumption of alcohol and coffee can lead to chronic sleep problems.

         One of the best ways to overcome balance problems and inactivity is to build a strong foundation of steadiness through performing senior balance exercises as part of a regular daily routine.

    

Senior Balance Exercises For Daytime Sleepers

   For those older adults who experience regular daytime sleepiness, medical professionals like doctors, nurses and physical therapists recommend a series of daily  senior balance exercises to be a part of a regular routine of fitness exercises. One basic equilibrium routine to start with includes walking along a line in a tandem fashion. Tandem walking involves walking a long a line where one heel follows the toes of the other foot. this narrow base of support will challenge your balance reactions and develop excellent stability with walking. You can learn this senior balance exercise by following along with the instruction of a qualified Physical Therapist in the Exercise For Balance DVD.

Senior Balance Exercises In The Exercise For Balance DVD

    For those who struggle with day time sleeping, please 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

 Reduce falls 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/