Footwear For Senior Balance Exercises

Safety With Senior Balance Exercises

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

   What shoes you wear during participating in senior balance exercises can make a difference with your proficiency and stability. Please see more information at  http://www.exerciseforbalance.com/buy-now Footwear can make a big difference with steadiness during standing and walking activities. Footwear helps support a person’s balance, which reduces the chances of slipping, tripping, and falling.
According to a new study, up to 83% of older people wear the wrong type of shoes, including not using the correct size. This results in foot disorders, pain, and increased risk of falling. To reduce the risk of a falling, elders in our physical therapy clinic are often advised to wear sturdy shoes. Up to 70% of elders who fall are wearing athletic shoes, oxfords or loafers, the kinds of shoes that are commonly considered sturdy and thus safe.  Many times in some cases, these shoes are the cause of the fall. For example, the shoes elders select for safety can sometimes place them at greater risk of:
* Slips and trips
* Poor balance
* Unsafe walking patterns
* Difficulty in judging whether walking surfaces are slippery. 
So, which types of shoes increase fall risk? Examples of inappropriate footwear include:

* Loose, worn or backless slippers. These are one of the most common causes of falling.

* Slip-on shoes, such as sling backs or flip flops which can result in slipping and tripping.

* Shoes with slippery or worn soles, can cause slips, especially in wet weather.

* Shoes with a heel (higher than 1”), or with a narrow heel. High heels shoes lead to the risk of ankle turns, unstable balance, and falling.

* Wearing sneakers (with bulky rubber soles) that easily get caught or drag on the floor.

* Athletic shoes with flat or worn soles that are slippery on wet surfaces.

* Lastly, walking barefoot or in socks indoors also increases fall risk. 

A better option for older adults to use as footwear include sturdy shoes such as those which have a hard, slip resistant sole, which provides traction on both dry and wet surfaces. Look for shoes with midsoles that are sturdier and not too flexible to ensure better stability. Lightweight shoes are okay because they’re easier to walk in, but make sure they’re not surfaces. Look for shoes with midsoles that are sturdier and not too flexible to ensure better stability. Lightweight shoes are okay because they’re easier to walk in, but make sure they’re not too flimsy or have too much flexibility at the midsole. In addition to wearing sturdy shoes, aging individuals should also perform specific senior balance exercises to advance their stability and limit the possibility of a fall.

Senior Balance Exercises In Sturdy Shoes

     To increase your steadiness when you are on your feet, consider wearing sturdy footwear and try performing senior balance exercises as part of a regular routine.  One of the foundations of improving balance is to have a good base of support between our feet and the floor in order to enhance the sensory feedback from the feet to the balance center in the brain. For example, in tennis shoes or flat shoes we have lots of sensory input coming from the ground through our shoes into our feet. Tennis shoes or other types of sturdy walking shoes offer a nice wide base of support for our feet to improve steadiness.  Additionally, you can maximize your balance skills by rehearsing specific senior balance exercises every day by following along with the program in the exercise for balance DVD.

Senior Balance Exercises In The Exercise For Balance DVD

[caption id="attachment_6500" align="alignright" width="150"] Learn balance exercises with the Exercise For Balance DVD[/caption]
    Older adults should 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 smart and 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/