Healthy Walks With Senior Balance Exercises

Senior Balance Exercises For safe Walking

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

   Enjoying a walk outdoors is good for the heart and soul and can be made safer for older individuals by practicing senior balance exercises first. Please see more information at  http://www.exerciseforbalance.com/buy-now Walking boosts energy levels, moods, cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength. Walking, however, is a complex motor and cognitive function and requires good stability. Walking aids in improving overall health, especially for older folks. For those people in the older generation, you can get active in lots of ways, but walking is one of the easiest steps you can take to improve your health. Walking is  also one of the safest, least expensive and most sustainable forms of exercise. For such a simple activity, it has  so many benefits! Research has shown that walking at least 30 minutes a day can help you:

• reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes

•  improve your blood pressure, blood sugar and blood cholesterol levels

• prevent weight gain and lower the risk of obesity

• improve your mental well-being

• increase your energy and stamina

•  reduce your risk of osteoporosis, breast cancer and  colon cancer

For every hour of brisk walking, life expectancy for some people may increase by two hours. The American Heart Association recommends adults get at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week. It’s not all or nothing; it’s step by step. Maybe you haven’t been active for a while. No problem. Just get started, even if it’s only a few minutes a day at first. Set a reachable goal just for today. Then you can work toward your overall goal of 150 minutes a week or more as you get in better shape. Gradually increase your time or distance each week. If it’s easier on your body and your schedule, you can split up your walks into 10 or 15 minutes each. Every step counts! Even if you’re already active, here are some ways you can add more steps into your day:

• Take the dog out for a walk.

• Take the kids to the park or playground.

• Park farther from the entrance to your workplace, school, grocery store, restaurants, etc.

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator, even if just for one or two floors.

• Window shop at the mall or downtown.

• Walk to a nearby restaurant for lunch instead of driving.

• Catch up with a friend by walking around the block while you chat on the phone.

   The first step for a safe walking program  is to practice specific senior balance exercises to build adequate steadiness. Then, just lace up with a comfortable pair of shoes and walk. It’s that easy!

Walk Safely With Senior Balance Exercises

   Older adults who rehearse  senior balance exercises are able to participate in a walking program safely. One equilibrium routine that you can perform to help you develop good balance skills involves tandem walking. To perform tandem walking, start with walking along a line touching the heel of your front foot with the toes of your rear foot. By walking along a line with this narrow base of support, you will develop strong and fast balance reactions that translate to walking more steady on different surfaces like carpet, grass and hiking trails. You can practice tandem walking and other senior balance exercises in the comfort of your own home by following the instruction of a skilled Physical Therapist in the Exercise For Balance DVD.

Senior Balance Exercises In The Exercise For Balance DVD

    For safe walking,  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

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/