Concussions And Senior Balance Exercises

Senior Balance Exercises To Prevent Head Injuries

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

   One of the common results of a fall for an older individual is hitting their head, which can be reduced by following a daily program of senior balance exercises . Please see     http://www.exerciseforbalance.com/buy-now These days, many times senior citizens are not so much frightened about falling as they are about the consequences of falling. The possibility of falling, breaking a hip, and ending one’s life in a nursing home is one of the biggest fears elders have. While hip fractures are very serious events, it turns out that broken bones may not be the only consequence of falling to be worried about. Suffering a head injury, such as a concussion, needs to be added to the list of worries. Recently it was reported that head injury is strongly associated with developing dementia in persons 55 years of age and older. Unfortunately, statistics reveal that more than two-thirds of concussions in elders are caused by falls! Having dementia doubles one’s risk of falling; because of the failing mental facilities, persons are unable to differentiate between safe and unsafe activities and environments. Consequently, it is essential for older adults to practice certain senior balance exercises on a regular basis to minimize the potential of a fall and blow to the head.

Senior Balance Exercises To Reduce Head Injuries

  Performing senior balance exercises every day can help aging individuals improve their stability and avoid the possibility of a fall and hitting their head. Concussions can lead to an overall decline in mental status and lead to further immobility and loss of independence. Consequently, medical professionals like doctors, physical therapists and nurses recommend that older folks rehearse equilibrium routines to build steadiness and decrease the chance for falling. Basic stability routines can include standing on one foot ( near a counter or table if you need to hold on) for about twenty seconds, three repetitions each foot. This steadiness routine and other senior balance exercises can be performed by following the direction of a qualified Physical Therapist in the Exercise For Balance DVD.

Senior Balance Exercises In The Exercise For Balance DVD

    To avoid the chance of falling and incurring a concussion, please initiate a program of the best balance exercises with the Exercise For Balance DVD. The healthcare professional recommended Exercise For Balance DVD is an excellent educational DVD to use at home or in a group setting. The easy to understand and to follow Exercise For Balance DVD includes  a step by step series of up to date balance and strength exercises necessary to optimize senior fitness and to perform basic daily activities like shopping, doing laundry,  walking, standing, cleaning house, stair climbing or to advance to more difficult activities like skiing, dancing, bocce ball and hiking. In the  comprehensive Exercise For Balance DVD, you will learn how to improve stability, steadiness techniques and 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

Stay on your feet 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/

Motivators And Senior Balance Exercises

Motivation For Senior Balance Exercises

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

  We all know that physical activity, strengthening exercises and senior balance exercises  are essential to keep our older adults healthy and independent, but how do we motivate them to continue with a stability program? Please see   http://www.exerciseforbalance.com/buy-now For those middle aged folks who have aging parents or healthcare workers like nurses, doctors and physical therapists who work with senior citizens,  we recognize the importance of keeping our older individuals moving and strong with various fitness programs. One challenge, however, is to keep those in the aging population on course to continue with strengthening and balance exercise programs going on a daily basis. We understand that daily exercise is needed to develop not only muscle tension and force production that translates into functional strength, but also maintain fast and strong balance reactions in the feet and ankles to prevent falls and injuries form falls. In terms of motivation, researchers have found that there are intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors. Research has shown that intrinsic motivators of physical activity that satisfy an innate psychological need (e.g., skill development, satisfaction, self-worth, enjoyment) better reflect increased and maintained physical activity than extrinsic factors that are executed to achieve a separate consequence (e.g., praise, money, increased energy, improved quality of life). As a healthcare provider or caregiver for an older individual, it is critical to keep intrinsic motivational matters in mind as you help loved ones perform senior balance exercises.

Motivating Senior Balance Exercises

  To develop necessary motivation to continue with daily  senior balance exercises, keep in mind certain intrinsic factors. One such example of intrinsic motivation factors  is to acknowledge the skill development of balance reactions. You can notice a progression of skill advancement in your balance reactions by performing a single leg stance exercise. In this equilibrium routine, you stand on one foot ( stand near a counter or table if you need to touch your hand down at any time) for about twenty seconds. When you first initiate this exercise, you will notice that you feel very off balance, you may have to touch your hand on to a stable object several times and you feel your ankles wobbling vigorously. Over several weeks time as you practice this steadiness routine every day, you will recognize an advancement in your balance abilities where you may not have to touch your hand down at any time, your ankles will be more steady and you will feel more confident with this exercise, leading to heightened motivation to continue your stability program. You can practice these and other senior balance exercises in the comfort of your own home by following along with the Exercise For Balance DVD.  

 

Senior Balance Exercises In The Exercise For Balance DVD

    To stay motivated with physical activity,  initiate a program of the best balance exercises with the Exercise For Balance DVD. The healthcare professional recommended Exercise For Balance DVD is an excellent educational DVD to use at home or in a group setting. The easy to understand and to follow Exercise For Balance DVD includes  a step by step series of up to date balance and strength exercises necessary to optimize senior fitness and to perform basic daily activities like shopping, doing laundry,  walking, standing, cleaning house, stair climbing or to advance to more difficult activities like skiing, dancing, bocce ball and hiking. In the  comprehensive Exercise For Balance DVD, you will learn how to improve stability, steadiness techniques and 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

Keep going in later years 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/

Reflexes And Senior Balance Exercises

Understanding Reflexes And Senior Balance Exercises

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

   Reflexes are a part of our natural movements and employing proper reflexive responses as well as  senior balance exercises help us stay stable and free from falling as we move. Please see  http://www.exerciseforbalance.com/buy-now  Reflexes come in many shapes and sizes. Reflexes can be detailed as flexor withdrawal reflexes, postural reflexes, extensor reflexes, monosynaptic reflexes and more. In simpler terms, you can think of reflexes as "Red Light" or "Green Light."

The Green Light Reflex

 The Green Light Reflex is the reflex involved in forward movement. All of the large muscles of the back contract to move you forward in walking, running and standing. The back muscles can learn to stay overly-contracted, pulling the back into an exaggerated arch. You can think of this reflex as an arching reflex, like a soldier at attention. When running for the train, sitting at the computer for many hours, picking up a child, or standing all day long, these "green light" muscles are working to help you "get the job done." If this reflexive response to stress becomes habituated, conditions such as herniated disks, neck pain, shoulder pain, and sciatica can develop.

The Red Light Reflex

The Red Light Reflex, more commonly known as the Startle Response, involves the muscles on the front of the body, which tighten to pull you forward. This "slumping reflex" presents itself with rounded shoulders, depressed chest and the head jutting forward. It is a protective reflex found in all vertebrate animals and is a response to fear, anxiety, prolonged distress or negativity. A loud noise, unexpected sound or emotional trauma (or long hours hunched over the computer) can cause the muscles of the front of the body to contract suddenly as the body pulls inward in a slumping posture. An habituated Red Light Reflex can lead to chronic neck pain, jaw pain (as with TMJ), a “widow’s hump," hip pain, mid-back pain and shallow breathing. The inability to breathe deeply deprives your brain, blood and muscles of the oxygen they need to function properly. This in turn can cause fatigue, depression, anxiety, sleep problems and exacerbate allergies. In light of balance abilities, over activity of either of these Red Light or Green Light Reflexes can lead to muscle imbalance, poor posture, imbalance and a greater risk for falling. As a result, it is critical to practice senior balance exercises to help moderate these reflexes and maintain adequate steadiness with movement activities.

Senior Balance Exercises Imbalance Due To Reflexes

    To move with needed stability, combine enhancing steadiness with a daily program of  senior balance exercises. Especially for those folks who seem to spend most of their movement time in patterns of Green Light or Red Light reflexes, it is essential to balance those movements with certain equilibrium routines. You can learn proper senior balance exercises by following the direction of a qualified Physical therapist in the exercise for balance DVD.

Senior Balance Exercises In The Exercise For Balance DVD

    To moderate various reflexive movement patterns,  initiate a program of the best balance exercises with the Exercise For Balance DVD. The healthcare professional recommended Exercise For Balance DVD is an excellent educational DVD to use at home or in a group setting. The easy to understand and to follow Exercise For Balance DVD includes  a step by step series of up to date balance and strength exercises necessary to optimize senior fitness and to perform basic daily activities like shopping, doing laundry,  walking, standing, cleaning house, stair climbing or to advance to more difficult activities like skiing, dancing, bocce ball and hiking. In the  comprehensive Exercise For Balance DVD, you will learn how to improve stability, steadiness techniques and 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

 Move 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/

Sleep Cycles And Senior Balance Exercises

Senior Balance Exercises For Low Energy Individuals

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

  Interestingly, sleep cycles can effect balance abilities and create a need for practicing  senior balance exercises on a regular basis. Please see  http://www.exerciseforbalance.com/buy-now sleep is a commodity that we all require, but over sleeping can effect our activity level, endurance, equilibrium and fall rates. According to Dr. Rein Tideiksaar, sleep-related problems increase with age. In fact, excessive daytime sleepiness is a common condition among older adults and excessive daytime sleepiness can lead  to a two fold increase in falls among senior citizens.  Both nighttime sleep efficiency (sleeping sound) and total sleep time decrease. At the same time, an increase in daytime sleep symptoms occurs. Excessive daytime sleepiness is a common complaint among elders (up to 15 percent of individuals experience difficulties) and is associated with a twofold increased risk for falls. Up to 30 percent of individuals with excessive daytime sleepiness report one or more falls per year. Falls are more likely to occur while walking outdoors. Most of the falls are caused by tripping and are due to slow and/or unsteady gait and balance. As many as 20 percent of these falls are associated with moderate to severe injury, such as fractures or severe head trauma.

Other adverse outcomes of excessive daytime sleepiness contributing to fall risk include:

• Difficulties performing everyday activities safely

• Depression

• Altered cognitive abilities

• Taking sleep medications that can result in reduced alertness and attention during waking hours

  Several factors contribute to excessive daytime sleepiness . Some common causes include:

  • Poor sleep habits: Irregular sleep-wake patterns (going to bed and waking at different times) and daytime napping can affect a person’s ability to sleep.

  • Medications: Drugs can impair a person's ability to fall asleep or stay asleep (causing wakefulness at night).

  • Health conditions: Sleep disorders (such as sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, etc.), physical limitations due to illness (such as chronic pain, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, etc.) and getting up at night to use the toilet can cause significant sleep problems.

  • Lifestyle factors: Inactivity, lack of exercise, and consumption of alcohol and coffee can lead to chronic sleep problems.

         One of the best ways to overcome balance problems and inactivity is to build a strong foundation of steadiness through performing senior balance exercises as part of a regular daily routine.

    

Senior Balance Exercises For Daytime Sleepers

   For those older adults who experience regular daytime sleepiness, medical professionals like doctors, nurses and physical therapists recommend a series of daily  senior balance exercises to be a part of a regular routine of fitness exercises. One basic equilibrium routine to start with includes walking along a line in a tandem fashion. Tandem walking involves walking a long a line where one heel follows the toes of the other foot. this narrow base of support will challenge your balance reactions and develop excellent stability with walking. You can learn this senior balance exercise by following along with the instruction of a qualified Physical Therapist in the Exercise For Balance DVD.

Senior Balance Exercises In The Exercise For Balance DVD

    For those who struggle with day time sleeping, please initiate a program of the best balance exercises with the Exercise For Balance DVD. The healthcare professional recommended Exercise For Balance DVD is an excellent educational DVD to use at home or in a group setting. The easy to understand and to follow Exercise For Balance DVD includes  a step by step series of up to date balance and strength exercises necessary to optimize senior fitness and to perform basic daily activities like shopping, doing laundry,  walking, standing, cleaning house, stair climbing or to advance to more difficult activities like skiing, dancing, bocce ball and hiking. In the  comprehensive Exercise For Balance DVD, you will learn how to improve stability, steadiness techniques and 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

 Reduce falls 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/

Stay On Your Feet With Senior Balance Exercises

Senior Balance Exercises To Stay Vertical

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

 To reduce the risk of falling and hurting yourself, medical researchers have demonstrated that rehearsing senior balance exercises every day will promote better balance and minimize the incidence of falling. Please see   http://www.exerciseforbalance.com/buy-now To maintain good health and to limit the potential of a fall, doctors, nurses, physical therapists and medical researchers suggest practicing stability routines on a regular basis as well as following a few simple steps such as:

Visit your doctor or physical therapist

 

    •    Seeing your doctor or physical therapist and getting a fall risk assessment is crucial if you’re experiencing poor balance, dizziness and/or several falls. It's important to rule out any conditions that may be causing problems. Remember that falling is often a symptom of an underlying health problem.

Check your vision

•    Keep vision sharp. If you’re having difficulty seeing, visit your eye doctor. Poor eyesight can make it more difficult to see obstacles and judge distances, increasing the chance of falling. Elders should have their eyes checked every year and wear glasses or contact lenses with the right prescription strength to ensure they're seeing clearly and safely.

Medications

•    Be attentive of medications: Some medicines or combinations of medicines can have side effects such as dizziness or drowsiness, increasing the risk of falling. Having a doctor or pharmacist review all medications can help reduce the chance of risky side effects and drug interactions.

Eliminate hazards in your home

•    Most falls occur at home. Being aware of certain hazards that interfere with everyday tasks and creating a safe and navigable environment can ensure one’s safety. A home safety check can help identify potential conditions that need to be removed or changed (such as slip/trip hazards, clutter, poor lighting, etc.).

Get fit

•    Get some exercise : Lack of exercise can lead to weak legs and poor balance. Exercises that focus on balance, such as tai chi and yoga, can be effective in keeping you on their feet.  The benefits of exercise include better cognitive function, faster reaction time and enhanced coordination, all of which can contribute to lowering the risk of falls. A recent study reported that balance exercises could reduce the chance of suffering a fall-related injury by 37%, and lower the risk of a fall resulting in a broken bone by 61%. Additionally, by performing senior balance exercises you will specifically develop enhanced balance abilities, which translate into a reduction in falls.

Senior Balance Exercises To stay On Your Feet

  Doctor recommended  senior balance exercises should be a part of a daily routine of healthy fitness exercises. Equilibrium routines can include basic moves like walking down a hallway in a tandem walking fashion, where you place one foot directly behind the other foot. This walking in a line routine challenges the balance reactions at your feet and ankles, making them stronger and faster. You can learn the appropriate steadiness routines and specific senior balance exercises in the professionally filmed Exercise For Balance DVD.

Senior Balance Exercises In The Exercise For Balance DVD

    To safely stay on your feet with various movement activities, please initiate a program of the best balance exercises with the Exercise For Balance DVD. The healthcare professional recommended Exercise For Balance DVD is an excellent educational DVD to use at home or in a group setting. The easy to understand and to follow Exercise For Balance DVD includes  a step by step series of up to date balance and strength exercises necessary to optimize senior fitness and to perform basic daily activities like shopping, doing laundry,  walking, standing, cleaning house, stair climbing or to advance to more difficult activities like skiing, dancing, bocce ball and hiking. In the  comprehensive Exercise For Balance DVD, you will learn how to improve stability, steadiness techniques and 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 safe on your feet 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/

Rotary Vertigo Nystagmus And Senior Balance Exercises

Senior Balance Exercises Combined With Vertigo Exercises

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

    Individuals who suffer with vertigo and nystagmus can be helped with senior balance exercises. Please see   http://www.exerciseforbalance.com/buy-now Older adults have a higher incidence of symptoms of dizziness and imbalance. One component of those symptoms stems from a rapid eye movement called nystagmus. Rotary nystagmus and a tendency to fall towards the effected ear can be seen with the diagnosis of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. The common diagnosis of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo is characterized by brief attacks of rotatory vertigo and simultaneous positioning rotatory-vertical nystagmus toward the undermost ear elicited by extending the head or positioning the head or body toward the affected ear. It is called benign because it often resolves spontaneously within weeks to months; in some cases, however, it can last for years. Healthcare professionals believe that Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo  stems from a condition related to freely floating ‘heavy otoconia’ in the ear that results in symptoms of vertigo and disequilibrium. Fortunately, healthcare professionals such as Ear-Nose-Throat doctors and specialized physical therapists are familiar with canal repositioning techniques which help to reposition the otoconia and minimize symptoms of vertigo. Additionally, individuals who partake in procedures to reduce effects of dizziness also would benefit from performing senior balance exercises at the same time.

Senior Balance Exercises And Eye Exercises

   By combining eye exercises with senior balance exercises, older individuals are able to minimize their symptoms of vertigo and maximize their balance abilities. As an example, you can start easy eye exercises in a stable position like sitting in a comfortable chair. In sitting, you can move your eyes back and forth between two objects approximately fifteen inches from you. You can perform twenty repetitions two to three times a day. You can progress these exercises by advancing your balance work. As an example, when you are ready to advance to the next level, you can try standing on one foot while moving your eyes back and forth twenty times. In this position, you will challenge your balance system and your visual system, which maximizes your overall steadiness. You can learn these stability techniques and a series of senior balance exercises by following along with the Exercise For Balance DVD, developed by a specialized Physical Therapist.

Senior Balance Exercises In The Exercise For Balance DVD

    To overcome symptoms of dizziness and disequilibrium, please begin the best balance exercises with the Exercise For Balance DVD. The professionally filmed Exercise For Balance DVD is the perfect Balance DVD to use at home or in a group setting. The Exercise For Balance DVD is loaded with the best balance and strength exercises needed to enhance senior fitness and to perform basic activities like walking, standing, cleaning house,  stair climbing or to advance to high level activities like playing tennis, dancing and hiking. In the comprehensive Exercise For Balance DVD, you will learn how to improve balance, steadiness techniques and balance routines from a balance instructor--- licensed Physical Therapist--- who has worked with balance and dizziness disorders for over 20 years. Get your copy of the Exercise For Balance DVD by clicking on the BUY NOW button

  To stay steady with all movements, 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/
 

Faulty Alignment And Senior Balance Exercises

Senior Balance Exercises For Optimal Posture

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

  Posture is the "air we breathe" for all of us and our posture can be improved through developing a steady platform for good positioning by performing certain senior balance exercises first.   Please see  http://www.exerciseforbalance.com/buy-now Posture effects our daily lives, every movement we make and every muscle, ligament, tendon and joint in our bodies. Unfortunately, as we age, many times individuals take on a less that optimal postural position, which subsequently leads to stress on underlying structures. Poor positional alignment can result in chronic changes in the musculoskeletal system where some muscles become overactive and painful and some ligaments or tendons change length and are unable to provide the support that they are intended to. As a result, prolonged postural misalignment develops stress and strain on key supporting structures in the body. To be specific, for those people who adopt a forward or flexed position (especially while sitting at a computer or sitting in a recliner or couch watching TV or reading), the anterior shoulder, chest and neck muscles become shortened and the back muscles become lengthened and weakened. These postural adjustments can create many problems including neck pain, back pain, decreased mobility and a greater tendency to fall forwards. As a result, performing specific stretching, strengthening and senior balance exercises can assist in improving posture, muscle balance and steadiness.

Senior Balance Exercises For Better Posture

  PERFORMING  SENIOR BALANCE EXERCISES IS THE FIRST STEP TO IMPROVE POSTURAL ALIGNMENT AND TO ENHANCE MOBILITY. THE FIRST EQUILIBRIUM ROUTINE TO DEVELOP BETTER POSTURE INVOLVES STANDING WITH YOUR FEET IN A COMFORTABLE, SHOULDER WIDTH A PART MANNER. IN THIS POSITION, IMAGINE A PLUMB LINE GOING STRAIGHT THROUGH THE CENTER OF YOUR BODY INTO THE CENTER OF YOUR FEET. THIS PLUMB LINE POSITIONING WILL CREATE  A MORE UPRIGHT AND CENTERED POSTURE. ADDITIONALLY, IN THIS POSITION YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ENHANCE THE SENSORY INPUT FROM YOUR FEET TO THE BALANCE CENTER IN YOUR BRAIN, RESULTING IN GREATER STABILITY. ALSO, IN THIS UPRIGHT POSITION, YOU WILL MINIMIZE THE FORWARD BENT POSTURE, WHICH LEADS TO A GREATER INCIDENCE OF OLDER INDIVIDUALS FALLING FORWARDS. YOU CAN RECEIVE EXCELLENT POSTURE TRAINING AND TRAINING IN HOW TO PERFORM A STEP BY STEP SERIES OF SENIOR BALANCE EXERCISES IN THE EXERCISE FOR BALANCE DVD, DEVELOPED BY AN EXPERIENCED PHYSICAL THERAPIST.

Senior Balance Exercises In The Exercise For Balance DVD

    To develop good, healthy posture, please begin the best balance exercises with the Exercise For Balance DVD. The healthcare provider recommended Exercise For Balance DVD is an excellent educational DVD to use at home or in a group setting. The easy to follow Exercise For Balance DVD is complete with  a step by step series of the best balance and strength exercises needed to enhance senior fitness and to perform basic activities like shopping, walking, standing, stair climbing or to advance to high level activities like skiing, dancing and hiking. In the  comprehensive Exercise For Balance DVD, you will learn how to improve stability, steadiness techniques and balance routines from a balance instructor --- 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 tall 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/