We live longer today than our great grandparents ever did. However, living longer does not always mean a better life. With old age comes a plethora of conditions and disorders that make living independently a challenge. With daily balance exercises for seniors, the elderly can live a happy, healthy and independent life.
Exercise will fend off a whole lot of lifestyle diseases, help you sleep better, reduce depression and enhance your cognitive function. Besides that, exercise strengthens your bones and protects your joints giving you better balance.
Below are simple exercises to do every day at home:
1. Stand On One Foot
In this exercise, you stand on one foot behind sturdy support such as a chair for balance. Stand on your left foot with the right folded up at the knee and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat this ten times. Now stand with the right leg and lift the left knee and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times for both legs.
When done every day, this exercise strengthens your hip and knee joints and enhances your balance. If you can do it without using support, you improve your balance even more.
2. Heel Raises
One of the most common exercises, among balance exercises for seniors, is the heel raise. Here, you stand straight while supporting yourself on a sturdy chair or any other firm support and raise your heels. Stay in that position for three seconds. Repeat for about 10 times.
By raising your heels, you strengthen the toe flexors. This will help you get used to being on our toes and walk with ease.
3.Balance Walk
This is a simple exercise that helps maintain your balance while you walk. Raise your arms out at shoulder height and walk in a straight line. Lift your back leg and count to 2 before placing its heel to touch the toes of the front leg. Continue the exercise and move to twenty steps.
If your balance is shaky, you can support yourself on a rail with one hand, with the other spread out at shoulder height. To make the exercise more challenging, walk backward in a straight line, try walking with one eye closed or with both eyes closed.
4. Side Leg Raises
This exercise for seniors strengthens the leg joints and improves balance and coordination.
Stand behind a sturdy chair and hold on to it for support. Slowly take a deep breath in then breathe out slowly as you raise one of your legs out to the side. As you lift your leg, your back should be straight and your toes should always point forward. While in that position, bend the leg you are stepping on and count to two. Breathe in while you lower your leg. Repeat the practice between 10 and 15 times before alternating your legs. Repeat the steps for about 10 times for both legs.
In seniors aged 75 and above, falls are ranked the sixth cause of death according to research published on PubMed. Most of these falls are due to a lack of strength and balance. With daily exercises for seniors, you not only improve your balance but also your strength. This makes your day to day activities and walks easier and enjoyable. Most importantly, it lets you carry on your days independently.
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