How to Improve Your Balance: Exercises and Fall Prevention Tips for Seniors

With falls and fall-related accidents as one of the leading causes of injury or death among older adults, it’s important for seniors to consistently strengthen and improve their balance. By exercising, doing balance exercises, and familiarizing yourself with fall prevention tips, there are plenty of simple ways to improve your balance and avoid injury.

Accidental falls can cause discomfort for older adults, ranging from minor sprains to more severe injuries like fractures or head trauma, often resulting in hospitalization and long, painful recoveries. That’s why balance and fall prevention exercises for seniors are at the forefront of Applewood’s fitness and wellness program.

Whether you’re looking to get started on a new exercise routine to improve your balance, or you want to improve on what you already know with a few new pointers and tips, this guide will help explain simple ways for you to improve your balance and help prevent falls.

Balance Exercises for Seniors

There are plenty of balance and fall prevention exercises that can be done in a gym or even within the comforts of your own home. The first and most important step is making sure you’re practicing the balance exercises in a safe environment and in a safe manner. It’s important to have plenty of drinking water in case you start to feel dehydrated and make sure you give yourself plenty of breaks in between each exercise so you don’t overdo it. Remember, if you’re unsure about your ability to perform certain exercises, make sure you consult your doctor first.

While there are plenty of balance and fall prevention exercises, we’ve put together a few of our favorites that can be done in your home or with a trainer’s guidance and assistance.

Chair-Sit to Stand

Using a sturdy chair that has stable arms, start the exercise in an upright seated position in the chair. Next, brace yourself on the arms of the chair and push your rear up in the air using as little help from your lower body as possible until you’re in a standing position. Then, slowly lower yourself back into a seated position. Repeat up to 10 times.

Single-Leg Stands

Stand upright with your feet about hip-width apart. Stand next to either a sturdy countertop or sturdy piece of furniture for balance while performing this exercise.  Next, lift one foot about an inch above the floor, while keeping your torso straight and upright. Hold your leg in this position for 10 – 15 seconds and then slowly return it to the floor. Perform the same task on the opposite leg. Perform this five times on each leg.

Marching in Place

Similar to single-leg stands, marching in place is another exercise that can help strengthen your core strength. Holding onto a sturdy piece of furniture or countertop, stand upright and bring your knee to your chest. Do this slowly and deliberately, using your muscles instead of only relying on momentum.  Try to do 10 knee raises for each leg – or 20 total ‘marching’ steps.

Side Leg Raises

Side leg raises are a great way to tone your inner thighs. Hold onto a stable chair or a strong countertop. While maintaining an upright and straight posture, raise your leg out to the side – keeping your toes pointed forward and straight ahead. Make sure you do this slowly so you’re working your muscles, and try to avoid leaning forward or dipping your upper body towards the opposite side while raising your leg. Aim to do 10 or so repetitions on each leg.

Balance and Fall Prevention Exercise Classes for Seniors

At-home exercises are great for those days when you can’t make time for the gym or when you want to quickly knock out a few exercises while watching TV or cooking. However, working out with friends and a trainer can be a lot of fun, and can make those tough exercises seem a little more bearable! Here are a few exercise classes that are available at Applewood’s fitness center and other area gyms.

Aquatic Fitness

Water aerobics classes are a great way to improve your balance and maintain great overall fitness. Since water has a stronger resistance than air, water aerobics can help strengthen your muscles and build-up your endurance.  Additionally, since you’re exercising in the water, there’s less impact and pressure on your joints – so you don’t have to worry whether or not your knees will be sore the next day!

Zumba

Zumba can be both a high and low-intensity workout class that serves as a great balance and fall prevention exercise for seniors.  Zumba classes typically involve dancing to the beat of Latin-inspired tunes, while sneaking in both low and high-intensity dance moves! Classes are easy-to-follow and focus on important areas like balance, range of motion, and coordination.

Tai Chi

Like Zumba, Tai Chi is a unique form of exercise for many reasons. Typically, it’s a lower-intensity class and often focuses on graceful circular motions that aren’t rigid. This leaves your muscles feeling loose, but not overly-stretched or strained.  Due to the use of slow and controlled movements, Tai Chi is an excellent way to improve your balance and strength.

Yoga

Yoga takes a holistic approach by combining physical movement and stretches, with mindfulness and breathing techniques.  While the physical movements and stretches found in yoga classes will help improve your balance, the meditation and breathing techniques also provide additional benefits like improve your quality of sleep, alleviate arthritis pain and inflammation, and help manage anxiety and depression.

Fitness and Wellness: Applewood’s Engaged Living Program

Applewood offers its residents access to several weekly classes that help residents maintain and improve their balance:

Get Hip, Don’t Slip offers exercises that include repetitive standing and dynamic movement to keep residents strong, limber, and steady on their feet.

Fitness and Body-Awareness Lecture Series provides tools for body strengthening and balance management. These discussions also highlight lifestyle changes residents can make to create a safer, clutter-free home environment.

Applewood’s Engaged Living works with every resident to create personal wellness plans to keep you active and full of vitality.  Applewood is more than just a continuing care retirement community, it’s a lifestyle that encourages wellness in mind, body, and spirit through a range of senior-focused programs that promote health and wellness.

There are a wide variety of living options available at Applewood, located only minutes from the Jersey Shore in Freehold, NJ.

The author, Matt Machin, works at Applewood as the Fitness and Wellness Coordinator.  Overseeing the day-to-day operations in the fitness center, Matt also teaches exercise classes both on land and in the pool at Applewood. Matt is passionate about working one on one with Applewood’s residents, and  provides individualized exercise plans for each resident that fits their needs. To find out more about Matt and Applewood’s fitness programs, check out our Health and Wellness page.