Preventing Senior Falls: 5 Best Balance Exercises For Aging Adults

It’s no secret that falls are the leading cause of injury in older adults. That doesn’t have to be the case, though. There are easy balance exercises you and your loved one can do that will help with stability and coordination, and Baldwin House Senior Living can help. Preventing senior falls: 5 best balance exercises for aging adults is something about which we are very concerned.

There are exercises like swimming, stair climbing and dancing that are great for building good balance. You or your loved one can improve stability with something as simple as walking or holding onto the back of a chair and doing leg lifts. Even standing or sitting, holding a ball, and twisting from side to side can improve your core muscles and that can help prevent a slip or fall.

5 Best Balance Exercises For Aging Adults

Here are 5 of the best balance exercises for seniors that the team at Baldwin House Senior Living in Michigan have put together for you and your loved one.

1. Hold onto the back of a chair. Slowly lift one leg off the ground, extend it and hold it. Switch legs. Holding on to the back of the chair, you can also lift your leg and bend your knee up toward your belly. Another great “chair exercise” includes trying to sit down in the chair, with your arms extended, then keep your arms extended and get out of the chair without using the armrests.
2. Take a walk. Put on your sneakers and find a safe surface to walk on (don’t start out your balance exercises by trodding on rough terrain). Walk at your normal pace, swing your arms at your sides. Pick up your pace, still swinging your arms. Now stop and do a heel-to-toe walk. This will probably be a bit harder if you don’t have good balance.
3. Sideways and backward walking. These two ways of walking are great at improving coordination and mobility and give your body a workout that is different from a simple walk.
4. If you experience any dizziness, you may want to try a visual exercise. These are ideal for building balance and preventing dizziness. When you do a visual exercise, you will want to stand still, hold your arm out with your thumb up. Keep your head still and follow the movement of your thumb with your eyes only. Make sure you switch arms and track your thumb’s movement with your eyes going in the other direction.
5. This last one may seem simple, but it is an effective way to gauge how stable you are on your feet. Stand, feet together, and close your eyes. Try to maintain your balance – it’s not as easy as you’d think. Once you’ve mastered this, try to stand on one foot. We recommend being near a wall or having a chair in front of you for stability if you need it during your balance work.

If you have questions on stability exercises to help prevent senior falls, let us know!

Visit a Baldwin House Senior Living community near you and ask what activities we have planned for our residents as we welcome autumn together. Baldwin House Senior Living is built upon the strong foundation of guiding families and empowering seniors.

Call us today to schedule a visit. We’d love to meet you or your loved one!