As one ages, the physical prowess of many individuals dip. Movement is hindered, aches and pains become common, and there is a dip in energy levels. Another thing that many seniors face is balance issues. Hence, they become more prone to trips and falls, which can get them injured. Although it is part of ageing, you can slow its effects by exercising. General exercises such as walking, yoga, cycling, etc can promote overall health. At the same time, doing a set of balancing exercises can help you with balance. In this article, we will explore some balancing exercises that seniors can include in their daily workout routine.
Balancing Exercises For Seniors
Before we delve into the exercises, it would be beneficial if you ascertain the following:
- Determine your dominant foot and start your exercise with that foot first.
- If you struggle with stability in the middle of these poses, it’s better to spread your feet wide apart and bend your knees slightly.
- Similarly, setting your gaze at a fixed spot can help you with the balance.
- Pay attention to maintaining proper posture and put equal weight on both feet.
Now, let us delve into the exercises that can help improve your balance:
1. Tree Pose
A Yoga asana (pose), tree pose helps with balance. At the same time, it stretches the body and opens the hips. Here’s how to do it:
- Stand straight with your feet hips-width distance apart.
- Put weight on your right foot and raise the left foot off the floor.
- Bend the left knee and place the foot against the right leg.
- Extend your arms upward.
- Stay here for a few breaths and repeat the same on the opposite side.
2. Flamingo Stand
From the tree, let’s jump towards flamingo. The flamingo stand is another pose that can help you with balance.
- Start by standing straight with your feet hips-width distance apart.
- Put the weight on your right foot and raise your left foot. This way you balance on just one leg.
- Stay here for a few breaths and repeat the same on the opposite side.
3. Weight Shift
Similar to the flamingo pose, you balance on one leg in weight shift exercise, too. The difference is you hold the pose for 30 seconds on each leg and do three rounds on each leg.
4. Back Leg Raise
Here’s how to do back leg raise exercise:
- Place your palm against a wall or hold the back of a chair.
- Exert weight on your right foot and raise your left leg off the mat and as high as you can.
- Hold this pose for 5 seconds.
- Repeat the same on the opposite side.
- Do ten repetitions on each leg.
5. Tightrope Walk
For this, you would need a straight line. However, you can do this without one as well.
- Stand straight with your arms extended on either side.
- Start walking in a straight line with your gaze set at a particular point.
- Take any number of steps you want.
With improved balance, you become more independent. Greater independence brings with it more confidence. Hence, include these balancing exercises in your workout routine for better health and life.
