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Balance Exercises

 

What is balance training?

Balance training is a method of treatment to help you move normally, avoid falls and reduce your risk of injury. Along with strengthening, flexibility and aerobic exercises, balance exercises are a core part of the recommended routine for people of all ages to stay healthy and physically active. Balance exercises help you maintain your body control, posture and center of gravity during movement.

Who does balance training help?

Balance training is often prescribed for older adults. As we age, we lose strength, mobility, motor skills, processing ability, flexibility and balance — all of which increase our risk of falling down and suffering a significant injury. Fall-related injuries can sap your overall health and reduce your quality of life.

There are a variety of other risk factors aside from advanced age that put you at greater risk of developing balance issues:

If you have any of these health problems or generally have trouble walking or maintaining your center of gravity, balance training can help.

How do you assess balance and diagnose balance issues?

Not everyone of an advanced age or with an at-risk health issue experiences balance problems. And it may be hard to tell in your everyday life if you have an issue that warrants balance training — until it’s too late and you have a serious fall.

Physical therapists use the Berg balance scale to assess your abilities. This test measures your performance of 14 simple, everyday tasks:

  1. Moving from sitting to standing
  2. Moving from standing to sitting
  3. Standing up unsupported
  4. Sitting down unsupported
  5. Moving from one chair to another
  6. Standing with your eyes closed
  7. Standing with your feet together
  8. Reaching forward with an outstretched arm
  9. Bending to pick an object up off of the floor
  10. Turning to look behind you
  11. Turning around in a complete circle
  12. Placing each foot alternately on a stool in front of you
  13. Standing unsupported with one food directly in front of the other.
  14. Standing on one leg for as long as you can

The full assessment takes 15 to 20 minutes. Your PT will assess your ability to do each task and score it on a scale of 0 to 4. Add it all up across the full 14 tasks and you get a balance score. Low scores could mean you need a walking aid or even a wheelchair to safely get around. Mid-range scores may also mean a walking device, balance training or both.

Depending on your individual risk factors, health and specific balance problems, your physical therapist may do other balance tests — in place of or in combination with the Berg assessment — to evaluate your abilities.

What kind of balance exercises can I expect?

You’ll perform a wide variety of exercises in multiple balance training sessions a week for up to two months. Each exercise is introduced gradually, building off the skills you develop each time. This allows for a slow, steady and safe approach to rebuilding your balance. Your balance exercise regimen may include:

  • Raising one leg to the side or behind you
  • Standing with your feet heel to toe
  • Practicing transitions between sitting and standing
  • Lifting your knees as you step
  • Tai chi
  • Yoga
  • Standing on balance boards, Bosu balls or different types of surfaces
  • Posture reeducation exercises.

What results will I see after doing balance exercises?

The primary goal of balance training is to improve your quality of life and physical abilities to move around safely — even if you don’t have perfect balance. After training with your PT and performing balance exercises on your own, you should feel comfortable and confident getting around. It should reduce any fears of falling or the need to rely on nearby objects to keep you from falling.

Balance training should give you the ability to maintain your body control and center of gravity to prevent future falls. This comes through increased strength, better posture, increased walking speed and improved motor control.