To live a balanced life can be difficult. But ensuring you have a healthy balance between the things you eat and how you move your body can be highly beneficial. The balance and stability you need to stay mobile in your own home are also just as important. You might be able to minimise your likelihood of being injured or falling. Arthritis, equilibrium issues, or vision problems can all be things that impact your balance as you age. Thankfully, physical balance exercises may help to enhance several parts of your life.
Balance-related exercises like tai chi or yoga can have a great on dynamic and static stability. As you age, somebody's processes diminish over time, but there are ways to help build and maintain strength. Here are some movements that may help your balance:
Step to the Side: Move throughout your home in a side-step motion; you can make it a little more challenging by placing small objects in your path to step over.
One Leg Balance: For 30 seconds on each leg, slowly raise your foot off the ground and stand. Repeat at least three times.
Walking: The general movement of walking has many health benefits like building stamina. Walking can especially be suitable for working your abdominal muscles, which may help you stay grounded during daily activities.
Fall hazards are a solid reason to want to improve balance. Behind staying safe, working on your balance has a few more benefits:
Quality of Life: A study (Halvarsson, 2018) found concluding three months of research participants in a balance-related program saw a pretty substantial decrease in the risk of depression related to fears of falling.
Cognitive Performance: From a research report (Dunsky, 2019), improving coordination through exercise movements can have a beneficial effect on self-mapping, navigation, and possibly memory. After only a few weeks of training, participants saw a positive impact on cognitive performance.
Additional Cautions
Take into account your safety before participating in any new balancing movement.
Progress sometimes takes time. Take things slow and steady. Begin with less strenuous motions and gradually move to more challenging ones as you gain strength.
Always have something to grab nearby. Have a chair or wall close to assist you when performing balance-related movements to ensure your safety.
Always consult a doctor before beginning any new exercise routine to ensure you are doing what is suitable for you and your body.
Home Aid
Helpful additions to your house can indeed do wonders for your daily balance. They can give you the reassurance you need and can protect your safety. Adding non-slip mats under your rugs or attaching handles throughout your home can make a big difference. If you are having difficulties climbing the stairs or feel unbalanced when taking steps, it may be time to consider a stairlift. Safety at home is always a top priority. A stairlift can help put safety concerns at ease. Acorn Stairlifts offers several solutions to restore balance in your life.
Changing the way, you think about balance and adding a little more into your life can significantly impact staying mobile, healthy, and safe.
Sources:
Dunsky A (2019) The Effect of Balance and Coordination Exercises on Quality of Life in Older Adults: A Mini-Review. Front. Aging Neurosci. 11:318. where doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2019.00318
Hafström, A., Malmström, E. M., Terdèn, J., Fransson, P. A., & Magnusson, M. (2016). Improved Balance Confidence and Stability for Elderly After 6 Weeks of a Multimodal Self-Administered Balance-Enhancing Exercise Program: A Randomized Single Arm Crossover Study. Gerontology & geriatric medicine, 2, 2333721416644149. https://doi.org/10.1177/2333721416644149
Halvarsson, A., Olsson, E., Farén, E., Pettersson, A., and Stahle, A. (2011). Effects of new, individually adjusted, progressive balance group training for elderly people with fear of falling and tend to fall: a randomized controlled trial. Clin. Rehabil. 25, 1021–1031. doi: 10.1177/0269215511411937