Balance Improving Exercises: Physical Therapy for Elderly
Imagine, walking to your washroom and suddenly losing your balance and tripping, your arms flinging in the air. The fear of losing your footing on the floor can be harrowing. However, as people age their ability to balance tends to decline. This reason also attributes to the vast number of slip and fall accidents that elderly citizens experience every year.
You can perform these at home or at a physical therapy clinic near you during multiple therapy sessions. Let’s take a look at some of these basic balance training exercises:
Single Limb Stance
To get started, you need to stand comfortably with your feet together and arms at your side. The next step is to lift one leg and balance it on the other. Now, hold on to this position and count till 10. Repeat the same procedure with the other leg. While doing this make sure you are breathing normally. If you feel like you are losing your balance, then you can place a chair in front of you. You can also raise your arm to the side if you feel you need more support. This is one of the most popular exercises in physical therapy for elderly that helps in improving balance and coordination.
Balancing Wand
Balancing wand is a physical therapy easy exercise for elderly. To do this exercise, you will need a chair and a wand or a yardstick or cane or umbrella. Sit on the chair comfortably, and hold a wand in your dominant hand. Now focus at the top of the wand and begin balancing it on the hand. Remember you have to balance this wand on one hand without any support. Do this for a while till you feel you have balanced the wand properly. While doing this exercise make sure that you don’t lean too forward and fall off from your chair.
Grapevine
To do this exercise, you need to stand straight with your arms at your side and feet together. Then, you need to step across your left foot with your right leg and continue to step sideways without crossing your right leg. Do this till you cover some distance, then reverse the exercise by crossing your right leg behind your left leg. Continue doing this exercise till you reach the starting point. You can do this in the kitchen holding onto a counter or take the help of another person if you feel you need external support. This exercise is similar to dancing but can also help you gain an improved level of balance.
There are many of other exercises that you can perform improve your sense of balance. To know more, get in touch with our physiotherapists at InHome Physical & Massage.
