Falling is a problem across the United States, and it is especially troublesome in my home state of Wisconsin. Here, falls are the leading cause of injury and death among older adults.
There are many reasons why older adults fall – from medication interactions to failing vision to home hazards – but losing balance is one of the main causes. Have you heard the saying, “if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it?†This cliché speaks volumes concerning balance. When we are children, we practice balancing all the time. Riding bikes, walking on balance beams, and playing sports provide wonderful opportunities for improving balance; yet, as the years advance, we stop doing these activities. In effect, we lose our capacity to balance effectively, because we don’t practice!
A simple way to determine if your ability to balance has deteriorated is to try to stand on one leg. Make sure to stand next to something, with a hand ready to steady yourself, if this experiment proves difficult. If you practice balancing like I do, you should be able to stand on a single leg for over a minute; however, if you have lost much of your ability to balance, you may only be able to stand on one leg for one or two seconds. (Do not attempt this test if you are out of shape, or if you already know you have a balance problem).
If you find you have lost much of your ability to balance, do not despair, you can regain much of it by doing simple exercises. I first learned about these exercises when I taught senior fall prevention classes in conjunction with the local Council on Aging. The exercises are easy, and you can do them at home.
1. Walk – Walking helps to increase leg strength, which is essential for proper balance. If you haven’t walked any distance for a long time, start slowly.
2. Foot Lifts – Simply lifting your foot while sitting in a chair will strengthen your upper leg muscles. Again, start slowly. Begin by kicking out your right foot, and slowly lifting it off the ground. Raise it as high as is comfortable, but not higher than your knee. Repeat a few times, then lift your left foot in the same way.
3. Walk the Line – This exercise involves walking with one foot in front of the other. You may have seen this on TV, where police officers use it to test a driver’s intoxication level. If you are unsteady on your feet, make sure to do this next to a table, so you can rest you hand on it for support. You may be only able to walk a few steps at first, but with steady practice, you will increase the number of steps dramatically.
These simple exercises will improve your balance. Take a few minutes a day to decrease your chances of injury due to falls. (It is a great idea to check with your physician for his or her input on any new exercise regimen).
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