As we age, our balance, control and stability can start to deteriorate. If we do not stay active and keep our bodies moving, it can lead to a quick decline in the ability to remain balanced later on in life. At Chaska Heights Senior Living, we provide our residents with many opportunities to partake in healthy lifestyle and exercise programs designed to improve balance control and reduce the risk of injuries from falling.
Contact us if you have any questions about the details of our services and programs — our friendly staff can help walk you through what life is like at Chaska Heights.
Why Are Balance Exercises Beneficial For Seniors?
Balance exercises are important at any age to ensure you stay stable and confident in your physical abilities. As you age, balance exercises will become increasingly more important — they can help prevent injuries caused by falling and help you maintain a high level of independence in your daily activities. Training to achieve better balance and participating in regular physical activity can help you remain healthy and injury-free throughout your life.
Being able to control your balance is the foundational aspect of your ability to move and function independently. Balance control naturally declines with age, and this fact can lead to major risks for falls among seniors — falls can result in severe injuries such as fractures which can cause lasting pain, lower quality of life, and disability.
Having a fear of falling, even if you have not sustained an injury from a previous fall, can lead to inactivity that will give way to physical decline and impaired balance. The fear of falling can also increase the risk of developing a lifestyle-related disease.
Dual-task performance (performance ability when your attention is divided between a motor and cognitive task) is involved in many daily activities necessary for a healthy life. Healthy seniors and younger people with balance impairments have both been shown to have reduced physical performance under cognitive stress or while engaging in attention-demanding tasks. This reduction in physical performance increases the risk of falling.
By simply making sure you are staying active and moving your body every day, you can maintain better balance control and reduce the risk of falling. You can achieve even better results through performing specific exercises designed to increase your balance control and improve stability.
Balance Exercises You Can Try at Home
Weight Shifts
When you are just beginning to try balance exercises, starting with an easy exercise like weight shifts is recommended:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your weight equally distributed on both legs.
- Begin shifting your weight to your right side, then lift your left foot off the floor.
- Hold your position as long as you can maintain good form, or up to 30 seconds.
- Return to the position you started at with your weight equally distributed and repeat on the other side.
- As your balance begins to improve you can increase the number of repetitions. Starting small is recommended.
Rock the Boat
Another simple balance exercise you can try at home is called rock the boat:
- Begin the exercise by standing with your feet hip-width apart.
- Lift your arms and extend them out to your sides.
- Lift your left foot off the floor, bend your knee, and bring your heel toward your bottom.
- Hold this position for up to 30 seconds then do the opposite side.
- Repeat each side 3 times.
Single-Leg Balance
Balancing on a single leg is another common balance exercise similar to rock the boat:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your weight equally distributed.
- Place your hands on your hips, lift your left leg off the floor, and then bend it back at the knee.
- Hold this position as long as you can maintain good form, up to 30 seconds.
- Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side — as your balance improves, increase the number of repetitions.
- For some variety, reach out with your foot as far as possible without touching the floor. For an added challenge, balance on one leg while standing on an unstable (but still safe) surface.
Back Leg Raises
Back leg raises are designed to strengthen your lower back and glutes, which will help promote good posture:
- Place your hands on a wall or the back of a chair.
- Shift your weight onto your right foot.
- Slowly lift your left leg backward and raise it as high as you can.
- Hold this position for approximately 5 seconds.
- Return to the starting position with your weight equally distributed.
- Do 10 repetitions and then perform the exercise with your right leg.
Balancing Bicep Curls
Many different exercises with weights can be augmented to help improve balance. For example, you can try doing a balancing version of biceps curls with a dumbbell:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your weight equally distributed.
- Hold a dumbbell in your left hand with your palm facing upward.
- Lift your right leg off the floor and bend it backward at the knee.
- Hold this position as long as you can maintain good form, or up to 30 seconds.
- Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side — as your balance improves, you can increase the number of repetitions.
- For an added challenge try balancing on the leg opposite of the hand holding the dumbbell, or while standing on an unstable (but safe) surface.
Stay Balanced at Chaska Heights
At Chaska Heights Senior Living, we encourage our residents to pursue an active and healthy lifestyle at their own pace. We offer a variety of classes and activities geared towards maintaining fitness and balance. If you are considering senior living as the next step in your life, please contact us if you have any questions about our community and its accompanying services — our knowledgeable staff will be able to help you with any of your concerns.