2 Coordination And Senior Balance Exercises

Simple Senior Balance Exercises

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

   Older adults can practice certain senior balance exercises at home which will help combat the risk of falling and incurring an injury from a fall. Please see more information at  http://www.exerciseforbalance.com/buy-now For  most older individuals, aging can bring a certain number of changes that significantly impacts their quality of life and independence. As an example, as we age we tend to lose strength in our legs and trunk muscles, we become stiffer at our ankle and knee joints, we lose sensitivity to the touch between our feet and the floor and we see a reduction in coordination which leads to a greater incidence of tripping and falling. Coordination enables us to properly lift our feet over a threshold coming in through a door or enables us to turn smoothly in the kitchen or bathroom without losing balance and falling. As a result, it is imperative for older adults to practice coordination as well as steadiness exercises to help improve overall stability and help minimize the potential of a fall.

Coordination With Senior Balance Exercises

    IN our physical therapy clinic, we help older individuals perform combinations of senior balance exercises and coordination exercises to advance their overall steadiness and reduce their incidence of falling. One example of a combined coordination and steadiness routine involves setting up in a line a series of six inch high plastic cones approximately eight inches apart. We start by having the aging individual stand sideways to the cones. To start the stability and routine, the patient stands on one foot and steps over the first cone with the other foot. The patient continues to walk down the series of cones by standing on one foot and lifting the other foot up and over the cone. This stability routine involves both static standing on one leg and dynamic movement while reaching to the side with the other leg. This combination of static and dynamic movements mimics a natural walking pattern where you must stand on one foot while swinging the other foot in a forward, backwards or sideways direction. This stepping over the cones routine also involves coordination to not step on top of the cone or to not kick the cone over. You can progress this routine to make it more challenging to the coordination aspect by having the person tap their foot on top of the cone as they are moving the foot over the cone. You can easily rehearse this equilibrium routine at home by using plastic cups to step over. Be sure to set up the cones at home near a counter or table if you need to hold on every once in awhile.  As you at home or our patients in the clinic practice this routine, all older individuals will be able to enhance their balance and coordination abilities which will translate to a reduced incidence of falling. You can practice other senior balance exercises in the comfort of your own home by following along with a demonstration of a qualified physical therapist in the exercise for balance DVD.

Senior Balance Exercises In The Exercise For Balance DVD

    To workout safely at home,  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

For fun, start 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/