Imagine these scenarios:
- You’re walking up the stairs with groceries in both arms and the dog jumps up to greet you.
- You step off a curb onto a patch of ice.
- You’re tired, you drop your phone bend over to pick it up.
Falls are the leading cause of visits to the hospital emergency room, (over 8 million visits per year, or 21.3% of all visits). To improve your chances of not being a statistic, practice improving your balance through the following exercises:
Denise’s
2 Cents:
Balance is a totally under-utilized practice in the health world, and preventing a fall is better than trying to recover from one. It’s one of the simplest things to practice—you can do it anywhere, anytime. If you’re doing dishes at the counter, or waiting in line at the grocery store, try balancing on one leg for short periods, gradually increasing your time. Walk heel to toe in a straight line, lifting one leg and holding it off the ground. Do Tai Chi or body squats, close your eyes and touch your nose, or hang onto a steady surface and sit back like you’re in a chair.
There are a hundred ways to improve your balance, and each one will help strengthen you to prevent those falls. 5-10 minutes each day can make a huge difference.
Here’s a link to a great article from the LA Times on the topic: http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-balance-20150815-story.html