Sensory-motor system is responsible for balancing our body and its efficiency to work decreases with age. Most exercises for seniors are not able to provide adequate training to improve senior’s balance and coordination. This often leaves the senior with a higher risk of falling which predisposes them to serious injuries. Incorporating special balance exercises for seniors with resistance training programs that challenge the body’s nervous system to improve sensory functions is quite a necessity to improve senior’s quality of life.
Read Also: How to Improve Your Balance – Balance Exercise For Seniors
Benefits of Balance Exercises for Seniors
The benefits of exercising apply to each and every senior citizen. Most of us are quite familiar with a common fact that doing exercises on regular basis is good for everyone. It helps to improve the blood circulation and increases the functioning of the cardiovascular system. It sheds extra fat, builds strength and reduces hopelessness. People with diabetes are able to keep their insulin dosage within limits. It may to some extent also be able to delay the start of Alzheimer’s disease.
When a juvenile or a child falls, they generally shake it off and start moving again. However, when an elderly falls, there are serious consequences. Bone broken down after a fall limits the mobility. In fact many elderly develops downward health spiral. Every year, almost thousands of elderly people in America die usually of serious injuries such as breaking a hip from falling down abruptly. Injuries in head and crippled bones can lead to lack of confidence, bring about a fear of falling, and hamper independence.
Combined Resistance and Balance Exercises for Seniors
We are quite familiar that well-thought-out exercise with balance training helps to reduce falls, which helps to prevent fall-related injuries in the elderly. Although balance exercise is the primary training exercise to prevent falls, any exercise that aims to improve the muscle strength, endurance and flexibility can help to avoid falls and associated injuries. Let’s have a look beyond better balance and learn some benefits of coordinating other resistance exercises with balance exercises for seniors:
Increased rate of reaction time – Alone balancing cannot increase your reaction time. Your brain starts working more actively and sends signals to balance yourself quicker if you start to fall.- Better coordination – This helps to prevent you from falling by quickly coordinating all your muscles to prevent serious injuries from a fall.
- Muscles – You develop good stronger muscles that provide a good protection to joints and bones.
- Sturdier bones – It strengthens bones which make them more resistant to fractures.
- Improved brain function – Regular combination of resistance and balance exercises helps to maintain brain function of seniors. If your brain is alert all the time, you can avoid situations that increase the risk of falling.
Study On Balancing Exercise For Seniors
You will be surprised that the physical activity combined with proper balancing exercises improves balance and reduce the risks of falling. According to a study conducted on 250 older adults in the age group of 69 to 91 who were divided in two groups, one participated in balancing exercises for six months and the other just in regular exercises. It was found that there were 55 percent fewer falls who participated in balance exercises for seniors compared to those who didn’t. So if you are an elderly or have an elderly member at your home, try to make them learn few balancing exercises so to avoid falling abruptly and getting injured.
