Prevent Falls With Senior Balance Exercises

2 Senior Balance Exercises To Prevent Falls

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

   To stay healthy and active as an older adults, many medical professionals suggest that aging individuals practice both leg strengthening routines and senior balance exercises. Please see more information at   http://www.exerciseforbalance.com/buy-now Nowadays, folks in the aging population are living longer and desiring to enjoy their lives with healthy living. Having a healthy lifestyle is provided by following several building blocks such as well balanced eating, getting adequate sleep, participating in core and leg strengthening routines and steadiness routines to enhance stability and limit the potential of a fall that can bring on injuries and a loss of quality living. One of the first steps to preventing falls is to determine any mechanisms that could lead to a fall. Some examples of fall precursors can be teased out by trying a few basic stability tests.  The first step is to identify if you have a balance disorder. Try these simple maneuvers and find out:

•    Walk along a straight line, touching heel to toe with each step.
•    Walk figure eights in a similar fashion.
•    Stand on one leg.
•    Turn completely around in a full circle. Pause. Then turn a full circle in the other direction.
•    Close your eyes and stand still for 10 seconds. 

These are basic balance tests that we use in the physical therapy clinic and if  you lose your balance while attempting these maneuvers or are unable to perform the maneuvers, your balance may need some fine-tuning.

Common symptoms of balance disorders include:

•    Dizziness or vertigo
•    Lightheadedness,
•    Feeling as if you were going to fall (or falling)
•    Blurred vision
•    Disorientation

If you have trouble performing balance maneuvers and/or experience any symptoms, talk to your doctor or physical therapist. Your healthcare professional will conduct further tests to evaluate your balance and risk of falling. ??The second step in preventing balance problems is to not only exercise, but engage in activities that work specifically on strengthening balance. Many elders who exercise on a regular basis often feel that they’re safe from balance problems and falling. The truth is, however, being fit may not be enough to avoid balance loss. There appears to be little relationship between how many hours a person spends exercising and how well they do on balance tasks. To reduce fall risk, people need to specifically work on their steadiness with basic senior balance exercises.

Senior Balance Exercises For Preventing Falls

     By applying specific steadiness principles, performing leg strengthening routines and by rehearsing senior balance exercises, older individuals can minimize their potential of falling . As an example, you can concentrate on the sensory input from your feet touching the floor to connect the sense of touch feedback to the balance center in your brain. By focusing on the sense of touch between your feet and the floor, you will not only be more grounded and steady but you will also feel more anchored. You can combine using sensory input with equilibrium routines to enhance your overall stability. As an example, you can concentrate on THE sense of touch between your foot and the floor while you are performing a single leg standing routine where you stand on one foot for about twenty seconds. You can combine these stability routines with leg strengthening regimes like mini squats to enhance your overall steadiness. You can learn these stability techniques, strength exercises and senior balance exercises by joining in with the instructions of a knowledgeable Physical Therapist in the Exercise For Balance DVD.

Senior Balance Exercises In The Exercise For Balance DVD

    To stay healthy, 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

Stand steady 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/