Balance Exercises for Seniors
When we are young and leading an active life, we can maintain the body balance with ease. However, with increase in age, we tend to lose the sense of balance due to various reasons. Some of the reasons that can cause lack of balance in elderly are weakness in the lower part of the body, decrease in vision, degeneration of spine and nervous system and so on. When the seniors lose the sense of balance and coordination, then they lose confidence in themselves and cannot move around freely. They start living their life like a disabled. Balance exercises will add stability to their body enable them to live life independently.
Balance Exercises for the Elderly
Balance exercises for seniors mainly aims in maintaining the center of gravity intact while making the body movements in various directions. Here are a few simple and easy to do exercises for the elderly:
Exercise 1
The first exercise involves simply sitting and getting up from a chair without using any help or support. For this exercise, an armless chair is most suitable. Sit on the chair and get up as soon as possible. You have to make sure that you do not tilt you body on any one side to get some support. Initially, you cannot make these movements fast and you should not expect it either. Start slowly and repeat it as many times as you are comfortable. With regular practice, you can increase the repetitions of this exercise.
Exercise 2
Take a sturdy, straight back chair. Stand straight with the chair placed at the left side of your body. Hold the chair with your left hand and put the entire body weight on the left leg. Now, bend your right leg at the knee and try to bring it near your chest. Try to maintain this position till you finish counting up to 3. Then put the right foot back on the floor. Repeat it by putting your weight on the right side of the body. It should be repeated 5 times on each side.
Exercise 3
Walking on a straight line is a great way of improving the body balance. Draw a straight line on the floor and then you have to walk along this line. To begin with, keep both your feet on this line one in front of the other. Raise the back foot and hold it up for a second and then place it just before the toe of the other foot. Similarly, lift the other foot and place it at the front. Take 20 such steps and then turn around and repeat it all over again.
Exercise 4
Stand straight with your feet slightly apart from each other. Keep a table or a counter in front of you for support. Hold the support and slowly raise any one leg side wise up to a height of 6-12 inches above the ground. While lifting the leg, make sure it does not bend at the knees. Maintain this position and count up to 5. Then bring down the leg to its original position. Repeat the same by lifting the other leg.
Exercise 5
Stand on the floor keeping your back, head straight and the toes pointed forward. Put the right foot in front of the left foot. Next, raise your left arm diagonally across the body. While doing so, you cannot move either your head or torso. Swing the arm down and lift it all over again. Repeat it for 10 times. Then put the left foot at the front and do the same exercise with your right arm.
Exercise 6
For this exercise, you need to stand in front of a chair whose height reaches up to the hips. Stand a few steps away from the chair with your back straight and feet apart. Hold on to the chair for support and then try to lift any one leg in the backward direction without bending the knee or leg. Hold this position for one or two seconds before you bring the leg back to its original position. Switch legs and repeat the same. This is highly effective for strengthening of the lower back, hips and buttocks.
All balance exercises should be performed under the supervision of any of your family member so that you can get assistance if required. Do not try any such exercise that you think is tough for you. While doing any of them, if you feel dizzy and uncomfortable, then you must stop it immediately.
