Balance

As many as 28% to 45% of elderly fall each year due to elderly balance decline as we age.

Though our balance will decline as we age, balance activities, elderly balance exercises and elderly balance training can limit the loss or actually improve our performance.

Most common reasons seniors fall

Your vision may decrease which can lead to falls due to not seeing clearly
Your hips and legs can become weaker making it harder to walk
We can develop poor posture or have spinal degeneration making it harder to stand erect
Our ability to lift our feet decreases and we can stumble
It takes longer to react when something is in our way causing us to fall
Many drugs interact causing dizziness or decrease balance
Low blood pressure can lead to lightheadedness increasing our risk of falls

That is why beginning a balance program for elderly and seniors which incorporates strength training, endurance training and balance training is essential in maintaining and promoting good balance.

How does our balance work?

When we rise from a chair, climb stairs and walk outside on uneven terrain there is cooperation between the brain, nervous system, muscles and bones which help keep us from falling.

Sensory information from your eyes

Visual cues come from our eyes and tell us all sorts of information about our environment. Our eyes help us see and prepare for potential dangers and obstacles which can prevent falls.

Sensory information from your vestibular system

The inner ear also contains a fluid-filled semicircular canal which gives us important information on the position of our head and its movement in space in relation to gravity.

Sensory information from your joints

Sensory feedback from your ankles, knees and hips, helps keep us upright and stable as we walk, run, or dance. When all these systems are working together automatically with our musculoskeletal system we can stay active and independent, preventing falls and improving your elderly balance.

Can I keep or regain my balance?

I especially like working with the elderly and seniors on balance simply because it is a skill that many of us can keep during our adult life.

Though there are often many factors involved with decreased balance as we age, a lot of this decline is simply due to our inactivity.

This can usually be improved with training.

This training will involve improving your overall upper and lower body strength along with challenging your balance system daily with activities that require you to use the three systems I spoke of above.