Balance Tips For Seniors
Balance Tips For Seniors is an important topic. As a senior and a retired Occupational Therapist I feel I have expert knowledge in this topic! Balance can be affected by an issue with many systems of the body. The visual system is needed to detect potential tripping hazards and to provide information about where the body is in relation to the environment. The Sensory touch system is important to conduct information from the feet to the brain in terms of whether or not the foot is stepping on an uneven surface. The inner ear sends signals to the brain about where the head and body is in space and what movement is occuring. Joint and muscle receptors also send signals about joint position and muscle tension. The auditory system may also give information about what is going on in the environment. So a lot is going on. In general, the better these systems are working and the stronger the muscles that maintain balance are the better.
Balance Tips For Seniors: Exercise: Let’s start by discussing exercise. Specific exercise programs are beyond the scope of this discussion, however maintaining a consistent exercise routine is one of the best ways of maintaining good balance during the aging process. An MD should be consulted before starting any exercise program. There are many Silver Sneaker programs available at no cost. Tai Chi exercises are also great for balance and are applicable for seniors. Web MD has great information about balance exercises for seniors. Some general tips I have are to stand in front of a couch and have a chair in front of you if you are doing challenging balance exercises. Another good tip if you have fairly significant weakness or balance issues is to walk in a hallway where you can have some support on each side if you were to lose your balance.
Think About Posture: When you are performing activities you can improve your balance by thinking about the placement of your feet. In general a narrow base of support (feet together) is bad and a wider base of support (feet about shoulder width apart) is good! For example, let’s say you are getting a fairly heavy object from a chest high kitchen shelf. The kitchen counter itself will help you from losing your balance forward. To help from losing your balance backward, place one foot well behind the center line of your body. If you overbalance backward this positioning could save you from a fall.
Plan Your Activities: Some activities will be more challenging to balance than others. Climbing stairs or walking on uneven ground can be challenging. In the home reaching to clean the bathtub or picking up something from the floor can be challenging. Organize things in drawers or shelves to minimize reaching particularly to avoid reaching for heavier objects. A reacher can be helpful. We discussed reachers in a previous Blog. Rehabmart.com has a nice selection of reachers.
Modify your home: Make sure you do not have any throw rugs in your home that do not have non skid properties or are otherwise secured. (Therapists hate throw rugs!) Also make sure you have good lighting in the home and have good night lighting. Another good tip is to take some seconds after you first stand up at night before you start walking to make sure you have your balance and your bearings! Also check your home for any obstacles on the floor like wiring etc. Of course grab bars can be helpful as well as other aids like shower chairs and raised commode seats in the bathroom.
An important tip that is not related to balance is to make sure you check that your smoke detectors are working properly. You should also add Carbon Monoxide detectors.
So there is a lot to think about with balance tips for seniors. If you have tips to add please post your comments and we will add them to this Blog! Thanks for visiting and we invite you to contact us at your convenience.