Balance Exercise for Seniors
I recently asked a group of very active people over the age of 50 to try a seemingly simple balance exercise.
Most of them thought it would be really easy. Turns out, it’s a lot harder than it looks.
This is a type of balance that almost nobody practices, but it’s one of the most important, especially as you get older.
Are you ready to put your balance to the test? Let’s see how you do.
Start With Support Nearby
Since we will be challenging balance, make sure you have something near you for support.
Even if it feels like you might not need it, whether that’s a chair that’s not going to move, a wall, or even standing in the corner of a wall so you have support on both sides.
Start by standing on one leg and just seeing how this feels.
We’re only going to make it harder from here, so make sure this feels good first where you can confidently stand for about 10 to 15 seconds.
If you’re not able to do that, you can use your back toes lightly down on the ground to offer a bit more support, although most of your weight is still staying in this front leg.
The Real Balance Challenge
Now, close your eyes.
Watching this, you may think, “Wow, that seems really easy.”
But it’s actually one of the most challenging balance exercises that would challenge really any age.
As you get older, your balance reactions start to become slower.
In order to mitigate that, it’s really important to challenge and practice balance.
Closing your eyes, some wobbling in your foot is okay.
That’s your body trying to figure out what’s going on and trying to keep you upright.
We’re aiming for at least 10 seconds here. If you can do longer than 10 seconds, that indicates your balance is pretty good.
If you are under 10 seconds, this is something to practice.
Try Both Sides
Once you do one side, then try it on the other side.
First, stand on one leg and see how that feels. Then see if you can close your eyes.
You may notice that one side is different than the other. Maybe your right is easier than your left or vice versa.
Ideally, we want those sides to be as symmetrical as possible.
So, this is something to practice throughout the day just to get some repetitions.
Just like practicing a sport or another skill, the more repetitions you do, the easier things become.
Why Closing Your Eyes Makes It Harder
A lot of times people say to look at something that’s not moving when trying to balance.
Looking at something on the wall or floor helps because your body is able to anchor to that point and stay still.
When you remove your vision, your body is trying to figure out where it is in space and how it can keep you upright.
You’re relying on your foot figuring out where it is on the floor and using that pressure.
You’re also relying on the rest of your body to help keep you stable with more muscle control and stability through those joints.
Why This Balance Exercise Matters
You may think, why would you ever need balance without vision?
A majority of the time when people fall, it’s getting up in the middle of the night when it’s dark out.
If your room has dim lighting or even a nightlight, it can still be pretty hard to see.
This is where this type of balance practice becomes important.
When you’re walking at night or walking in the evening, this can help you become more stable in those situations.
Practice and Track Your Progress
See how you do. If it’s really hard right now, that is okay.
When this test was first conducted, so many people were shocked at how hard this actually is.
But if you find something that feels challenging, that’s actually a good thing because then you can improve upon it.
Try balance with your eyes closed in a safe way and see if you start to improve after some practice this week into next week.
Balance can improve with practice, so use this as a baseline.
If it was really hard, that’s okay. There’s always room for improvement.
If you enjoy doing small tests like this to see how your balance and strength can improve,
Adventures for Life includes over 20 tests just like this to help you actually see progress.
It can be really motivating when you actually see your numbers change.
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