Reduce Your Chance of Falling with These Exercises
You may notice your balance and stability becoming shakier with age, increasing your risk for falls and injuries. While falls aren’t completely preventable, there are exercises and products to help reduce the risk. Keep reading and you’ll be on your way to a safer, healthier and more balanced life.
Why Should You Continue Exercising as you age?
There are many reasons why falls become more of a risk as you age, including vision changes, joint issues, balance problems and low blood pressure. Doing exercises like the ones below can help strengthen your muscles and improve your overall balance. By practicing these simple movements, it’ll make the process of sitting, standing, walking and navigating around objects easier during everyday tasks.
What Exercises Should You Try?
Before you try the following exercises, be sure to discuss them with your doctor or physical therapist to make sure they’re safe for you.
1. Calf Raise to Toe Lift
Start by holding onto a countertop or sturdy chair, then stand up straight. Do a calf raise, balancing on your toes with your heels in the air, then lower your heels back to the ground. Rock back to lift your toes into the air, balancing on your heels, then slowly lower your toes until your feet are flat on the floor. Repeat this exercise 10-20 times depending on what you can handle.
2. Sit and Stand
This simple exercise is great practice for steadily sitting down and standing out of a chair without losing balance. Start in a standing position and grab the armrests of the chair behind you, slowly sitting and using your leg muscles for support instead of the chair. Using your legs and arms, stand up and repeat the process. Do this about 10 times and increase the difficulty by using only one arm for support, being careful not to push yourself too far.
3. Leg Raises
There are two different versions of this exercise you can try – side and back leg raises. For the side, start by standing up straight and holding onto a countertop or sturdy chair. Raise your leg out to the side slowly, focusing on using your muscles and not leaning your body, then lowering it back down. Do this about 15 times and repeat the same movement with the opposite leg. Then, do the backwards version by raising your leg behind your body while avoiding bending your knee and slowly lowering it back down.
4. Tai Chi
This form of Chinese martial arts is known to improve balance and reduce the risk of falls in seniors. Simply watch and follow along with a video like this one. These movements are slow and gentle, making the exercises ideal for older adults who would like to improve their balance and muscle strength safely.
5. Knee Raises
This exercise uses the same movements as you do when you walk, except while staying in place. Simply hold onto a counter or sturdy chair and bring your knee to your chest like you’re marching. Focus on using your muscles with every step and do this slowly. Marching in place is a great exercise for seniors as it strengthens the leg muscles you use while walking.
What Else Can Help Reduce the Risk?
If you need some extra support and balance while you walk, a walking aid would be of great help and can keep you safe while staying mobile. Some examples include:
At CarePro, your safety is our priority. If you or a loved one is looking to improve balance and stability, these exercises are a great place to start. Check out the walking aids we offer to be even safer during everyday endeavors and contact us with any questions!
0 comments