In this article, we will discuss Why should senior citizens perform balance exercises?
Exercise Daily – Seniors are at significant risk for falls and tripping. According to one study, over 1.6 million Americans aged 65 and older visit an emergency room yearly due to a fall. The majority of injuries, both fatal and nonfatal, among seniors are caused by falls.
These exercises are essential as they improve posture and reduce stress on joints. They help prevent fall-related injuries and aid seniors in daily activities.
One of the common myths about seniors is that they never need to get active or exercise. They often ignore their Balance, assuming that it is permanent. However, this is far from the truth.
As people age, engaging in activities that keep the body healthy is essential. People who stay fit and active while older can significantly reduce their chances of developing serious illnesses.
When people get older, it’s natural to start noticing changes. Balance is just one of them.
Balance exercises for seniors can strengthen several muscles, keeping balance issues from worsening.
This blog post will look at why Balance is important and Why should senior citizens perform balance exercises.
First of all, seniors must know what Balance means.
We can define Balance as the ability of an individual to maintain their center of gravity. Maintaining Balance improves with physical activity, such as walking or swimming.
Many seniors experience a decline in Balance as they get older. It is expected, as the muscles that help with Balance weaken with age.
However, this doesn’t mean seniors have to give up walking altogether. Depending on their exercises, seniors can regain greater control over their Balance.
How can Balance be improved?
We can improve the Balance through activities, including yoga and tai chi. However, balance issues also can be caused by an injury to the spinal cord or specific nerves in the legs.
These injuries can make it difficult for the individual to maintain their balance while walking.
If Balance is a problem, walking aids, such as canes or walkers, can make walking easier. These devices have a rigid, upright frame to support the individual’s weight, like a wheelchair.
These walking aids allow individuals with balance issues to walk without falling over, or they may start to walk on their own.
These are some reasons why balance exercises are essential for seniors and older adults.
Improve Balance:
Improving Balance can help seniors avoid falls and injury. Seniors can improve their Balance by doing the following exercise daily.
1. First of all, you should stand up straight, and your feet should be flat on the floor.
2. Shift your weight onto one leg.
3. Bend the other knee, so your thigh is parallel to the floor.
4. Lower yourself slowly until your thigh is parallel to the floor.
5. Hold this position for 10 seconds, then return to standing.
2. Prevent falls
Fall prevention is a vital aspect of safety around the home. Falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries among older adults, and over 3 million adults over the age of 65 falls each year.
There are steps that you can take to reduce the risk of falling. The Home Safety Checklist will help you and your loved ones stay home safely.
3. Keep pathways clear:
Remove obstacles in walkways, so you do not trip. Keep carpets and rugs clear from edges that could cause someone to trip.
4. Remove items from walkways:
Keep your walkways clear for ease of walking.
5. Avoid abrupt movements:
Seniors should avoid abrupt movements involving sudden, quick changes in direction or speed. It might lessen the chance of accidents and falls.
6. Use proper footwear:
Seniors should always wear proper footwear when moving around. Walking or running without shoes can increase the risk of falls and injury.
7. Use assistive devices:
Seniors may also benefit from using assistive devices such as walkers or canes to help them move around. Using these devices can help them maintain balance during activities.
Reduce arthritis pain:
Doing balance exercises can increase flexibility. Arthritis is painful, and it’s even worse if left untreated.
If your arthritis pain is acting up, you may want to consider doing some simple balance exercises. Even for people with arthritis, balance exercises like tai chi and yoga aid with flexibility and pain reduction.
Balancing exercises can help anyone increase flexibility, decrease pain, and improve overall well-being.
Improve mobility:
improving Balance can reduce the need for walking aids. Balance exercises can help improve mobility in seniors.
Several exercises can help seniors gain and maintain Balance. Standing exercises like single-leg standing, tandem standing, and single-foot stance can help strengthen muscles in your legs.
Other exercises, such as standing heel to toe, standing with eyes closed, or standing on one foot, can help strengthen your lower back muscles and improve your Balance.
Build strength:
Muscle mass can decrease with age. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), muscle loss can increase the risk of falls.
Basic balance exercises help build muscle and strength, ultimately preventing falling and seniors’ injuries.
Reduce the risk of blood clots:
Improved Balance can also reduce the risk of blood clots.
What will happen if seniors don’t exercise?
If they don’t exercise, seniors could experience worsening chronic conditions such as obesity and diabetes. They could also develop feelings of depression, irritability, and anger.
Without exercise, a senior’s body could suffer bone loss, muscle atrophy, high blood pressure, and even heart disease.
If they don’t exercise, seniors could lose the strength and flexibility they had when they first started.
Regular exercise can keep seniors’ muscles strong and their hearts healthy.
These are the reason why should senior citizens perform balance exercises.
List of Balance Exercises which seniors can do at home to improve the Balance of seniors and older ones:
Weak muscles can weaken seniors, putting them at a higher risk of falls. Fortunately, you can strengthen your muscles and regain your Balance by performing some easy exercises.
Following balance exercises can be done at home, or you can try working out at a fitness facility.
1. Stability Balls:
Stability balls are excellent for strengthening your core muscles. You can also do simple exercises on the ball, such as sit-ups and crunches.
2. Exercise Bands:
Exercise bands help strengthens your arms and legs.
3. Mini Stability Balls:
Mini stability balls, also known as mini stability discs, are small, soft balls with only one dome to sit on. Instead of sitting on a stability ball, you can sit on a mini-stability ball. It helps you strengthen your core muscles.
4. Dumbbells:
Dumbbells strengthen the arms and upper body. You can do different exercises with these, such as bicep curls, triceps extensions, and lunges.
5. Resistance Bands:
Resistance bands help strengthens arms and legs. You can do bicep curls, triceps extensions
CONCLUSION:
Along with strength, balance exercises can help seniors stay fit. Our bodies are prone to deterioration with age, and maintaining an active lifestyle becomes more challenging. Balance exercises for seniors can prevent these issues from worsening. Performing balance exercises should be a part of a healthy lifestyle. I hope this article which is about Why should senior citizens perform balance exercises has helped you consider the benefits of balance exercises for seniors. Please let us know in the comments below if you have any questions. We would be happy to answer!
