Falling is a common cause of injury in our North Dallas chiropractic office. The older the patient, the more likely a fall can cause serious injury. Here’s a simple way to improve your sense of balance.
Begin by standing in a place where you can catch yourself from falling such as behind a chair or in a corner. For ten seconds, place your feet side by side. Next, place the heel of one foot next to your big toe for ten seconds. Finally, rest the forefoot fully in front like standing on a tight rope, and wait ten seconds. If you have no issues during this process, you can proceed.
For up to 30 seconds with your eyes open, stand on one foot. Next, switch legs and repeat the process. After, switch back to the first leg, get your balance, and start a 25-second timer. Close your eyes and see if you can maintain your balance for the entire 25 seconds. If you open your eyes and put your foot down, keep track of your time. Try this exercise up to 3 times in a row to see if you can improve. Repeat this on the opposite leg.
Balancing and age
25 seconds is the cut-off for when your eyes are closed. It’s been published that it’s the “norm” for those up to 59 years old. If you are 60-69 years old, the norm drops to 10 seconds. If you are 70-79, the norm is only 4 seconds! We normally lose our sense of balance with age, but retraining your balance system is feasible with the proper exercises.
Other balance challenges can include the use of a rocker board, walking like you’re on a tight rope, walking backward, and stepping up and down on one or two steps. The most important thing is to work these exercises into your daily routine. Many of these balance challenges also work well as a “mini-break”, especially if you have a desk job.
Re-test your balance skills every one or two weeks and see if you can improve your time. You will notice how much your balance has improved and how much steadier it can make you feel in your everyday activities.
