Improving Balance — At Any Age — With Exercise

Thursday, November 01, 2007

ROCHESTER, Minn. — As people age, balance sometimes gets shaky. Vision problems, loss of strength, side effects of medication or some medical conditions can result in unsteadiness in older adults.

But with practice, people of any age can improve balance, according to a report in the November issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

A recent study that measured balancing ability of 130 older adults found that those who routinely exercised or had been physically active throughout life had the best balance. But, the study found, latecomers to exercise also benefit. Older adults who started exercising after retirement had balance nearly as good as those who had always been active. Those who had once been active and then stopped had balance nearly as poor as those who had never been active.

The newsletter offers these suggestions to exercise the sense of balance:

Many types of physical activity: Walking or any exercise that gets a person's arms and legs moving in coordination improves balance. Exercise helps work the muscles and stimulate the nerve communication needed for balance and coordination.

Everyday balance exercises: Balancing on one foot and then the other is good practice. A good time to do this is while doing dishes or brushing teeth. A more advanced exercise is to walk heel-toe, heel-toe as if walking on a line.

Advanced balance training: A personal trainer or physical therapist may suggest more advanced balance exercises, which can incorporate a large, inflatable "stability" ball or a balance trainer, such as a half-ball attached to a flat base.

Strength training: Exercising to strengthen muscles also benefits balance and coordination. Some variations of strength training could improve balance even more, such as standing on one leg doing arm curls.

Tai chi: This gentle form of Chinese martial arts consists of a series of gentle, graceful movements that help improve balance and coordination. Classes are often available at community centers or health clubs.

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