Balance is very important. It is so important that I create a 4 hour course that I teach fitness professionals.
Well today, I have a quick home balance workout that one can do. [1]
If you are young and fit, this maybe way to easy but it will help your parents out [2]. Especially if they have any fears for falling or have had a friend fall and injury themselves.
Today the article is from Dr. Dan Ritchie.
Enjoy!
Rick Kaselj, MS
Hey I am Dr Dan Ritchie from Functional Aging Institute and we are going to give you a quick simple home balance workout.
It doesn’t take any equipment whatsoever other than yourself. You can also do this at home from your own living room, bedroom, you can take it to the gym, out to the park, where ever you want.
1. Lower Body Side-to-Side Squats
We are going to start with lower body side to side squats and we are going to pretend like we are stepping over something.
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Lower Body Side-to-Side Squats
Take a step sideways like stepping over a curb. Then step over in the back in that direction getting into a squat. You are going to shift all your weight to the right, all your weight to the left. It’s really important that you get good at stepping over things sideways.
2. Front and Back Step Over Squats
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Front and Back Step Over Squats
For this simple home balance workout, we are going to do this forward and backward. Step over something forward bring both legs together and then take it into a squat. Then backwards bring both legs together and squat down. Always think about getting that trail leg over the object.
That’s typically where people trip or get caught. When you step forward, take a giant step forward. Make sure that trail leg gets up and over.
3. Floor Touch Lunges
Firstly, get in the lunge position getting in a nice lunge. Reach down and try to touch the floor. Secondly, come all the way up over the head. Shifting our center of gravity from above our head to all the way down to the floor. Do about five of these. Lastly, bring that other foot forward trying to get down to the floor.
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Floor Touch Lunges
If this is the first time you have ever done it you might now get down the ground. That is okay. Get down as far as you can and reach up as high as you can. If you have some shoulder issues and you can’t really get an arm over your head then just reach up the healthy arm as high as you can.
4. Marching with Different Variations
The last one that we are going to do is a marching movement. We will be marching in several different ways.
First traditional marching fairly simple marching in place. If you want to make it more challenging put your hands on top of your head or all the way up straight over the head. Either way that’s going to raise the center of gravity making it a little bit harder for balance control.
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Marching
Next is wide marching almost like straddling a horse nice and wide. You really want to think about getting those legs nice and wide like you are trying to straddle something. Go back to regular marching. Now, to march on tiptoes, trying not to let those heels touchdown.
The last one which is the most difficult is marching your heels. You will notice you will move around a little bit with this which is normal because you have to move from forward to back as your center of gravity shifts. This helps you train what happens when you start to fall back on heels and lose balance backwards.
You might want to go little bit cautious with marching on your heels.
Dr. Dan Ritchie
Conclusion
Maintaining balance is crucial for overall health and preventing injuries, especially as we age. While this simple home balance workout may seem easy for those who are young and fit, it’s a valuable tool for helping older adults improve their stability and confidence.
Encouraging your parents to incorporate these exercises into their routine can make a significant difference in reducing their risk of falls and enhancing their quality of life. Remember, a little effort today can lead to a safer and more active tomorrow.
If you are looking for a program to help improve your balance and stay young, then check out the Never Grow Old Fitness Program!
There is no better time to increase your strength, improve your balance, and maintain your independence with simple exercises focused on the functional movements used in your daily tasks. Get started today! Check out this Functional Strength for Seniors now!
