Exercise programs that improve balance
If you're worried about the danger of falling, you're not alone. Falls can cause serious injuries or worse.
The good news is that several types of exercise such as yoga, tai chi, Pilates, and specialized balance training exercises have been linked with improvements in balance, leading to a reduction in falls.
Yoga in particular has shown positive effects on balance, including fewer falls. Programs with documented benefits generally involved twice-weekly sessions of hatha yoga for eight weeks. The focused attention required for yoga also has been shown to increase the attention needed for balance.
Hatha yoga is a more physical type of yoga rather than a still, meditative form. Hatha focuses on pranayamas (breath-controlled exercises). These are followed by a series of asanas (yoga postures), which end with savasana (a resting period).
Tai chi is a well-studied intervention for improving balance in older adults. Its demonstrated benefits include reducing the risk of falling in participants who practiced three times weekly. Tai chi is performed indoors or outdoors by following a specified sequence of motions. Community-based tai chi classes have been found to improve balance and mobility, reduce the fear of falling, and increase knee extension and functional strength.
Mat Pilates involves a series of floor stretching, strengthening, and core exercises. Pilates has shown convincing benefits for improving dynamic balance, lower-limb strength, and flexibility in the lower back and hips.
Balance-training exercises have been designed specifically to reduce falls, particularly in the elderly. "Proprioceptive" activities that focus on postural muscles show benefits mainly in tasks that you perform standing still. Strength-based activities mainly affect tasks performed while in motion. People who are the weakest tend to show the greatest improvement from these programs.
For more information on how to prevent falls, read Preventing Falls: Strategies to maintain health, strength, balance, and a safe home environment, an Online Guide from Harvard Medical School.
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