When most people think about
exercising they think about cardiovascular health and strong muscles.
Flexibility and balance seem like small potatoes in comparison. This is all fine, but if you look at the
statistics you know that a good many emergency room admissions are due to fall related injuries.
The author was reminded of
this when she participated in her daughter’s karate class. The instructor had them learn back with
weight on one leg/foot while kicking at a rectangular plastic sheet with the
other foot. She could barely manage to
stand on one foot, while cautiously kicking three times at the plastic with the
other, before nearly toppling over. The
kid next to her did it about 46 times with apparent ease. She found the difference in their abilities
shocking.
You spend your middle years
watching your diet and sweating away the pounds, in an effort to prevent your
arteries from clogging and your muscles from sagging. You seldom think about balance training and how important it
can be to you. Balance is one of
those things in life that you take for granted.
You get up from a chair, walk across a room, run around on a squash or
tennis court, or take out the trash without incidence. Then one day, without warning, things change. You don’t realize how important these
abilities are until you start to notice that you aren’t quite a sure footed as
you used to be.
Falls among older people are
common, costly, and debilitating. Your ability to stay upright and move
confidently through space is determined by a combination of muscle strength,
nerve function, visual inputs, functions related to your inner ear sensors and
even nerves in the soles of your feet. These abilities can decline with
age. Disease, head trauma, compromised
blood flow and medications are just a few of the possible contributing factors.
Loss of balance and mobility
can be prevented or delayed, but unless you are already practicing yoga,
karate, tai chi or other physical disciplines that require balance training,
you probably haven’t given it much thought. The good news is that you can make
substantial gains, even well into old age.
Before starting to rely too heavily on a cane or walker, seriously
consider getting to the root of problem.
Enroll in a balance training
program. The exercises are quick, easy
and effective. The earlier you start the
better off you will be. It is easier to
maintain a function than it is to rehabilitate yourself later.
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