Did you know that after the age of 30 muscles used to stand begin to weaken? Did you know one in three adults over the age of 65 takes a serious tumble each year? How about this: 20 percent of women who fracture a hip become permanently disabled. Did you know another 20 percent of women die within a year after fracturing a hip? It’s scary isn’t it?
Balance is an important aspect of life that many of us take for granted. People are often unaware that their coordination is slipping. Dr. A. Lynn Millar, a professor of physical therapy at Winstone-Salem State University, recently told Prevention Magazine that aging isn’t the only cause for losing your sense of stability.
“Balance is really ‘use it or lose it.’ You can maintain it if you stay active,” said Dr. Millar.
Another expert interviewed by Prevention, Edward Laskowski, MD and co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center in Rochester, N.Y., said that balance can be improved if you continue to challenge it.
Here are eight ways you can challenge your balance and make sure you stay steady on your feet.
- Stand on one leg – hold for 30 seconds on each side on a stable surface to begin. If you feel comfortable, move onto a less stable surface. Make it even harder by closing your eyes.
- Balance on a wobble board – our CanDo® Balance Boards are perfect to use to develop stability. The boards can be adjusted to change the instability level or change it from a wobble a rocker board. Contact us today at sales@FabEnt.com for more information.
- Take a tai chi class – a recently study found that tai chi practitioners in their mid-60s scored in the 90th percentile of the American Fitness Standards for stability. Practicing yoga will also help your balance and stability.
- Walk heel-to-toe – the same test police perform on individuals suspected of drunk driving also improves balance. Take 20 steps forward heel-to-toe. Then walk backward with toe-to-heel in a straight line.
- Perform squats – strong legs can prevent stumbling turning into falling.
- Practice the force – muscle force is faster than strength. Try getting out of a chair as fast as you can the next time you’re standing up. The speed of the action builds power and maintains muscle force.
- Take up ballet – ballet dancers have been found to move with more precision and grace. Studies have also found that they balance better. Not surprising, right? The reason for this is because they use more muscle groups, even while only walking across a flat surface.
- Get some sleep – sleep deprivation slows reaction time. Studies have found that slow reaction times are directly related to falls. The study followed nearly 3,000 older women and found that those who got between 5 and 7 hours of sleep were 40% more likely to fall than those who slept longer.
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