Good Flexibility And Senior Balance Exercises

Senior Balance Exercises For Stable Stretching

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

Balance Exercises on a Stand Up Paddle Board

  Having good flexibility is essential in later years and practicing  senior balance exercises can help older adults be steady as they stretch. Please see   http://www.exerciseforbalance.com/buy-now Being flexible is important for functional activities of daily living such as bending over to tie shoes or reaching up into the cupboard to get a plate or bowl. For those activities, however, aging individuals need to have adequate stability. If you are unsure of your own flexibility, ask yourself these questions:

How easy is it for you to turn around and look behind you before backing out of a parking space? What about bending down and pick something up off the floor? Flexibility exercises will help you do both more easily! Here are a few tips to help improve your flexibility:

How Much, How Often

• Do each stretching exercise 3 to 5 times at each session.

• Slowly stretch into the desired position, as far as possible without pain, and hold the stretch for 10 to 30 seconds. Relax, breathe, then repeat, trying to stretch farther.

Safety

• Talk with your doctor or physical therapist if you are unsure about a particular exercise. For example, if you’ve had hip or back surgery, talk with your doctor before doing lower-body exercises.

• Always warm up before stretching exercises. Stretch after endurance or strength exercises. If you are doing only stretching exercises, warm up with a few minutes of easy walking first. Stretching your muscles before they are warmed up may result in injury.

• Always remember to breathe normally while holding a stretch.

• Stretching may feel slightly uncomfortable; for example, a mild pulling feeling is normal.

• You are stretching too far if you feel sharp or stabbing pain, or joint pain — while doing the stretch or even the next day. Reduce the stretch so that it doesn’t hurt.

• Never “bounce” into a stretch. Make slow, steady movements instead. Jerking into position can cause muscles to tighten, possibly causing injury.

• Avoid “locking” your joints. Straighten your arms and legs when you stretch them, but don’t hold them tightly in a straight position. Your joints should always be slightly bent while stretching. In addition, combine senior balance exercises to your stretching routine to make sure you have the stability to stretch safely.

  
  

Senior Balance Exercises For Stable Stretching

   Performing senior balance exercises every day can help establish necessary steadiness for stretching routines.   For aging individuals, Stretching, or flexibility, exercises are an important part of your physical activity program. Stretches give you more freedom of movement for your physical activities and for everyday routines such as getting dressed and reaching objects on a shelf. Stretching exercises can improve your flexibility but will not improve your endurance, strength or balance. As a result, it is imperative to practice equilibrium routines on a regular basis to also enhance balance abilities. You can learn which senior balance exercises to rehearse and how to perform them by following the detailed directions of a Physical Therapist in the Exercises For Balance DVD.

Senior Balance Exercises In The Exercise For Balance DVD

    For better flexibility and stability get started on a course of the best balance exercises with the Exercise For Balance DVD. The healthcare provider recommended Exercise For Balance DVD is a high quality instructional DVD to use at home or in a group setting. The easy to understand and simple to follow Exercise For Balance DVD includes  a step by step series of the latest balance and strength exercises necessary to optimize senior fitness and to carry out basic daily activities like shopping, doing laundry,  walking, standing, cleaning house, stair climbing or to advance to more difficult pursuits like skiing, dancing, playing golf and hiking. In the  comprehensive Exercise For Balance DVD, you will learn how to improve stability, how to apply steadiness techniques and how to safely execute 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

Be flexible and stable 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/