As our bodies age, they may begin to have difficulty balancing, and this difficulty isn’t helped by other age-related issues like osteoarthritis. Physical therapy can be helpful for treating balance issues. Many therapists even offer balance training that’s specifically geared to seniors. This type of training can include several therapy techniques, but the most commonly used technique is therapeutic balancing exercises. Here are two balancing exercises that could be included in your balance training program:
- Standing side leg raises
One goal of balance training for seniors is to strengthen muscles that help you stay balanced while you move. Strengthening muscles around the hip is particularly important if you’re having balance issues, and this is why a physical therapist might show you how to do the standing side leg raise exercise.
Before you start this exercise, you’ll need to get into the correct starting position: Stand behind a stable chair and rest both of your hands on the back of the chair. Also, try to keep your back straight, your head and shoulders back, and your feet slightly apart.
Once you’re in the starting position, slowly raise your right leg to the side. Concentrate on keeping your leg straight and your toes pointing forward as you raise the leg. Raise the leg as high as you’re able to and then hold that position for two or three seconds. Next, slowly lower your leg back down until you’re back in the starting position. Rest your leg for a few seconds before repeating these steps with your right leg until you’ve done 10 repetitions. Take a longer break, about a minute or so, and then repeat these steps with your left leg.
- Tightrope walk
If your therapist recommends the tightrope walk, they aren’t asking you to join the circus as part of your senior balance training. What they are asking you to do is perform a therapy exercise that combines balancing and movement.
Start the tightrope walk exercise by standing at one end of the room and raising your arms to shoulder height. You should also pick a spot ahead of you and keep your eyes focused on that spot throughout the exercise. From this starting position, take a step forward with your right foot. Then, raise your left foot and hold it in the air for two seconds before moving it in front of your right foot. Continue to repeat these steps with alternating legs until you’ve done about 20 steps in total. If this is your first time trying this exercise, you might want to have a friend or family member on hand to count your steps. They can also help steady you if you start to lose your balance during the exercise.
Whatcom Physical Therapy can help seniors find effective balance training
At Whatcom Physical Therapy, we have experience helping seniors get the balance training they need to feel more confident when moving. Our team offers free screenings to help you find out the source of your balance issues. We also use the information gathered in our screenings to build personalized therapy plans for our patients, and your senior balance training plan may include therapy methods like:
- Therapeutic exercises
- Manual therapy
Take the next step to begin treating your balance issues. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.
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