A subscriber asked for some suggestions to improve his balance and coordination. As we all know, the human body uses muscles and bones connected by tendons and ligaments to provide the mechanics for balance. We also use our “sense” of balance from visual orientation and signals from the brain that are received from the inner ear to keep us upright or at least not fall over. There’s a lot going on here.
Here’s a term to think about:
Proprioception, otherwise known as kinesthesia, is your body’s ability to sense movement, action, and location. It’s present in every muscle movement you have.
Without proprioception, you wouldn’t be able to move without thinking about your next step. Proprioception allows you to walk without consciously thinking about where to place your foot next. It lets you touch your elbow with your eyes closed. It’s your body’s ability to know where you are in space.
We must rely on strength of many muscles in the legs and core to keep us up. To keep this needed ability, we need to practice more if we feel we are falling behind and feel unsteady in daily life. Seniors who may have more brittle bones than younger people want to avoid falls which can be deadly or debilitating.
Depending on one’s abilities here are some exercises to get started. Wear comfortable clothes, running/walking shoes, laced snugly, and maybe a yoga mat to provide some cushioning. A partner is recommended.
Tightrope walk – This exercise requires no equipment at all. All you need to do is hold your arms out straight from your sides, making sure they are parallel to the floor. Walk in a straight line, pausing for one to two seconds each time you lift a foot off the ground. Focus on a spot in the distance to help you keep your head straight and maintain your balance. Take 15 to 20 steps with these instructions before moving on to another exercise. If you find it difficult, place your feet a little wider apart as you proceed.
Rock the Boat – To perform this exercise, begin by standing with your feet shoulder width apart with even weight on each side and raise your arms out to the sides for balance. You will start by standing up straight, shoulders back, head looking forward. Raise one foot off the ground, bringing your leg up parallel to the floor or only halfway to start and hold for up to 30 seconds and then bring back down to the floor. Repeat with the other leg, alternating this process five times on each side. You can increase this frequency as you become more comfortable.
Toe the Line – To start this exercise, begin at one wall with your heels touching the wall. Put one foot in front of the other foot so that your heel touches to the toes of the opposite foot. Move the foot that is against the wall in front of the other foot, putting your weight on your heel. Shift the weight to your toes and then repeat the walking motion. Take your time to ensure you are placing heel to toe. Walk like this for 20 steps.
After the first few steps, look forward, focusing on a single location to enable you to remain stable while you carry out the exercise.
Flamingo Stand – You will need a sturdy chair or solid surface to hold on to for this. Initially, you can stand on one leg for 10 to 15 seconds then try repeating this for about five times before moving to the other leg. Although simple, this exercise should also be supervised. It ensures that you’re maintaining the right posture when performing the Flamingo stand. By right posture we mean keeping your shoulders, back, and head straight and the ears above your shoulders.
After mastering this technique, you can take it a notch higher by reaching for your stretched-out foot without letting it come into contact with the surface.
Back Leg Raise – A sturdy chair is needed for this. Start by standing behind a seat. Then lift your right leg straight backwards. When doing this, try your best not to bend the knees. Remain in this position for a couple of seconds before returning your leg back down. Do the same for the other leg. The recommended frequency for this physical activity is fifteen times for each leg. Another exercise is using the chair and raise your leg to the side as high as you can for 3-5 seconds. Keep looking forward and toes forward too.
Just getting out and walking at a brisk a pace as you can helps. Basics such as push-ups (even if you have to start on your knees or just leaning against a wall), squats, wall sits, modified crunches, all help. The point is to keep moving. Exercise with a friend to help push each other. Lots of exercise tips on YouTube. From my running days: I remember that finishing dead last, trumps did not finish, which trumps never started… Lace ‘em up and get going.
If you have a newer Apple Watch, like a Series 7, there is a built-in feature that analyzes your gait or walking steadiness. It indicates if you are “ok” or need some monitoring. Other helpful features on the Health app cover sleep, noise level exposure, heart rate monitor, and stats on what you are doing like steps/day, exercise minutes, sleeping heart rate and more. It’s worth looking into
This article is to get you started. I’ll revisit next month with more challenging exercises.