How to improve balance in older people

Falling down and losing balance is one of the most common problems with old age. As age progresses, parents will complain of loss of balance and dizziness.

Falls can lead to complications that in turn can lead to disability. Hence with the help of our fitness experts we build a good foundation based on exercise that build and strengthen your muscles. Here are some interesting exercises that will help you re-gain your footing.

Strength and conditioning coach, Arnav Sarkar gives you a practical guide to boost your muscle groups. He explains, "With loss of activity the body starts losing strength, endurance and flexibility, and thus basic movements like walking become a challenge for some. The best way to combat this is to keep exercising and focus on working all the major muscle groups."

He lists basic exercises to follow, "A basic exercise that should be a staple would include squats, do half range or sit on a chair if normal full range is not possible. Besides do some lying hip extensions, light to moderate weight training, and of course do some stretching, cardiovascular activity like walking, climbing stairs to keep your body strong and not let things like balance become an issue for you."

Jordyn Steig, our fitness guru, expert columnist and founder of Wellistic Wholeness, breaks down the facts further he says, "Fit people in general fall less often than those whose muscles are weak and joints are less mobile. Almost any exercise will enhance older people's agility and keep their muscles and bones stronger than they would be if they remain sedentary."

Jordyn says, "The best way to remain light on ones feet and learn how to naturally react to being thrown off of our centers, which causes falling, is to engage in exercise which destabilises the body. Destabilising the body simply means ensuring that whatever exercise one is doing, the body needs to stabilise itself rather than letting the floor or a fixed object like a bench or a stool hold our bodies still."

He lets you in on his personal preference, "I tend to use an exercise ball to lie or sit on or a wobble board to stand on or hold straps (like the TRX Suspension Training System) to allow clients to pick one foot off the ground or stand on their tip-toes for every possible exercise during a workout.

The basic effect is to require our core muscles to stabilise our body. When these methods are practiced regularly, I see a very quick change in a person's coordination and agility, as well as an increase in mobility in their joints. This decreases the chances of falling when one is slightly knocked off their centre and also makes a person, supple, fit, and strong."

Times of India

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