There is no getting away from the fact that all parts of our bodies deteriorate somewhat as we age. While we can take steps to slow and occasionally reverse the changes, most of us lose some bone density and flexibility. Our senses of taste and smell and hearing are not as good as when we were young. And the same is true for balance. Most of us don’t have the same sense of balance at 60 that we had when we were 20.

But the news is not all bad. Exercise can help. This is true for bone density, and it’s also true for balance. In today’s blog, we are going to give you a few simple and fun exercises to improve your balance. Because seniors can improve their balance if they work on it.

One leg

Try standing on one leg. Sounds simple enough. Even if it’s hard for you, then hold on to something like a chair or the wall. If that’s too easy, then extend the leg you are not putting weight on. Extend it in different directions. Change legs. Then repeat a few times per day.

Balance Beam

You don’t have to use a real balance beam that gymnasts use. You can use a line that is taped to the floor, or a line of tiles in your floor. Try walking on just that line, frontwards and backwards. It is not as easy as it sounds. If you feel very ambitious, you could use a wooden board on the floor, like a 1” X 6” board to start and then graduate up to a 2” X 4” board.

Getting Up

Try getting up from a sitting position without using your arms or hands. You will likely have to shift your weight forward and have your legs underneath you. It will be easier if you are sitting higher, like on a bed, compared to down low in a soft couch.

Then try getting up off the floor. If this is difficult for you, then try it with someone else there to help if you get in trouble. As we age, it is harder and harder to get up off the floor, but it’s a useful and important skill to work on. If necessary, crawl over to something you can hold onto like a wall or door frame.

Believe it or not, you will get better at these things described above if you practice them. Our balance is something that we lose when do not use it. So, try using it over and over. And watch how you improve as the weeks go by.

The Hamlets at Vernon is an assisted-living and long-term care community in Vernon, BC, Canada. Designed to take the worry out of senior retirement home living and following the tenets of Christianity, The Hamlets at Vernon offers compassionate care in a beautiful environment.