Balance Archive

As with a financial portfolio, older adults should routinely review their wellness portfolio to ensure their health investments meet their short-and long-term goals. Working with their doctor, personal trainer, and nutritionist, they can identify areas that require changes and implement new strategies. Older men often don't make investments in strength training, balance, and their mental health, but should.

A 2022 study found a 31% reduction in Americans' use of prescription sleep aids from 2013 to 2018. The drop-off was even sharper among people 80 and older, who were 86% less likely to use FDA-approved sleep drugs by the end of the study period.

Concussions occur when the brain bumps or twists inside the skull after a blow to the head. Signs of concussion include headache, eye pain or fatigue, neck pain or stiffness, imbalance, impaired depth perception, difficulty remembering, or sleep pattern changes.

Every second, someone age 65 or older suffers a fall, making it the No. 1 cause of injury-related death among this age group. The best way for older adults to protect themselves is to address the three main physical conditions that contribute to falls: weak stabilizer muscles, poor core strength, and balance issues. They can do this by improving their side-to-side motion through specific exercises and playing racquet sports, doing abdominal exercises, and practicing tai chi.

Standard guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. But many older adults have trouble reaching this mark, as they either don't enjoy aerobic workouts or have physical or medical issues that make traditional cardio exercise a challenge. Breaking down the weekly requirements into smaller daily segments and trying a variety of activities that can qualify as moderate intensity can help people meet their exercise needs.

Warm-ups prepare the body for the physical demands of a workout or sports. They should be tailored to the types of activities that are about to be performed. For a strengthening routine or moderate-intensity activity (such as brisk walking), marching in place for a few minutes makes an effective warm-up. For vigorous physical activity, such as swimming or playing tennis, or for activity involving strenuous physical movements, such as golf, a more extensive warm-up is necessary. For example, a golf warm-up should include marching in place and movements that gently swing the arms and trunk.

The COVID-19 pandemic shut down many gyms, spawning new online fitness class options that included Spin, Pilates, dance, and yoga. Maintaining an exercise routine during the pandemic offered multiple physical and mental health benefits by boosting mood-related brain chemicals and enhancing sleep. People exercising virtually could stay fit and maintain contact with others without risk of COVID infection. Even beyond pandemic-related concerns, virtual workouts can offer convenience, variety, privacy, and a sense of shared experience.

Body-weight exercises are ideal substitutes for regular workouts when people are short on time or looking to shake up their usual routine. These types of exercises are not only versatile—as they can be done anytime, anywhere, without any equipment— but they also help improve everyday movements by activating the smaller stabilizing muscles that sometimes get missed when a person uses gym machines or dumbbells.

Activity trackers appear to motivate people to walk 40 more minutes per day, resulting in about two pounds of weight loss per person over time, according to an analysis published in the August 2022 issue of Lancet Digital Health.

Non-contact boxing has been shown to help many people with Parkinson's disease improve their balance, hand-eye coordination, mental focus, muscle strength, and body rhythm. Older adults also can benefit from this type of exercise, as they face many of the same physical and mental challenges as they age. Most boxing fitness workouts are done using punching bags and hitting oversized boxing mitts worn by coaches. The moves involve punches and sequences based on crosses, hooks, uppercuts, and jabs.