Weakened stability is not a new thing for seniors. And as a result, seniors walk less and become more sedentary. Though this problem is a cause of concern, it doesn’t always have to be like this.
A meta-analysis was conducted in 2013 to determine whether, and to what extent, fall prevention exercise interventions for older community-dwelling people effectively prevent different fall-related injuries. This study has 17 different trials involving the results of exercise programs for seniors.
Interestingly, the analysis results show that all the trials narrow to a single conclusion…
Being sedentary increases the chances of fall and losing balance.
The solution? Exercise programs!
The results of the exercise programs have:
- Lowered the number of injuries caused by falls by 37%
- It decreased serious injuries caused by fall by 43%
- Broken bones dropped down to an impressive 61%
What does this mean? This means you’ll need to make sure you keep your stability strong by get going!
Investing in fitness programs, especially in balance training, increases the quality of life and reduces overall costs of your overall medical expenses. You’ll gain more than you’ll spend with a broken bone than the amount you’ll spend improving your health.
For example, senior centers as wellness centers. These facilities are tailored to boost the health, strength, and vitality of senior individuals.
Fortunately, you can do several simple exercises in your own home to help maintain and improve your stability.
Effective Exercises to Strengthen your Stability
Head rotations. Head rotations improve balance especially if visions are involved. Stand still and gently rotate your head alternating left, right, up, and down; do for 30 seconds. Stop your motion or move your head slowly if you feel dizzy. If the feeling of dizziness doesn’t go away, try again later or do it while sitting.
Foot Taps and Marching. Start by standing in front of a step. You can do this at the bottom of your staircase or use a sturdy step stool instead. It’s useful to have a wall, a cane, or a sturdy stick on hand for support if needed. As your stability improves, you can step up on the stairs instead of just tapping it if you feel comfortable doing so. Marching exercise can help to improve stability and movement by standing upright and placing your feet hip-width apart. Then, slowly bend your knee and lift your foot as high as you can or until your thigh is parallel to the floor. You can hold on to the back of a chair for added support if needed. Alternate legs until you do 10 marches on each leg.
Single-Leg Raises. For single-leg raises, stand tall with your feet directly under your hips for support. Lift your left foot one inch off the floor and focus on trying not to lean to the right. Instead, keep your weight on your right leg while still maintaining an upright position. Keep your left foot raised for about 10 seconds then rest it back on the floor. Repeat this to five-leg raises on each side of your foot.
Grapevine. If the dance floor is your thing, then you’re probably familiar with this move. To make this exercise more fun, you can spice it with your favorite music. In this exercise, you’ll need to focus on moving sideways in a straight line. You can put a straight line on the floor as your guide. You can also face a countertop and using the sturdy surface as your support. Stand with your feet together facing perpendicular to the line. Keep your arms loosely at your sides. Take your left leg and slowly cross it in front of your right leg. Place your left leg firmly on the floor. Then, move your right leg and cross it behind your left leg. Keep moving like this until you reach the end of your line or the other side of the room.
Sit-and-stand. With this exercise, you’ll work on sitting and standing, just a sits name implies. Start by standing in front of a chair with your back facing the seat. Slowly sit down in the chair. Rest for a moment and then stand back up. Repeat this 10 times. You may need extra support at the beginning but as you progress you can do it with no. Start slowly and any material that can help you pull yourself up and down.
What’s good about these exercises is that they are designed to work even at home. So you don’t have to worry about cutting your pension money to strengthen your stability.
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