Improving Balance

Maintaining good balance on your own two feet is an important task in everyday life. Poor balance can lead to instability and even a serious fall or injury. Each year more than 700,000 patients are hospitalized due to a fall, according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

Here are a few simple ways to improve your balance and help prevent a nasty tumble:

• Tai chi is an ancient form of Chinese martial arts consisting of flowing movements and poses that rapidly build balance and are though to promote longevity.
• Ballroom dancing, or any organized type of dance, which forces you to hold your head up while your feet are otherwise engaged in dance steps, can lead to better balance and coordination.
• Yoga, like tai chi, is an ancient practice designed to bring balance to the body and mind. Carefully orchestrated poses that are practiced repeatedly and with varying intensities can greatly enhance the body's equilibrium.

For easy at-home exercises that can also help with balance, try these:

• Hold yourself against a wall with one arm then raise and bend one of your legs. Press that leg against your other leg, similar to how a stork would stand. Hold this pose for as long as possible, and try letting go of the wall. Then switch legs and repeat.
• Try the same standing stork pose near a wall, but do it with your eyes closed or standing on a thick pillow for an extra challenge.
• Stand on one leg while you brush your teeth or perform other chores around the house, such as cooking or washing dishes.

However, if you have ongoing difficulties with balance, check with your physician to rule out any potential medical conditions or unknown injuries.

(Adapted from The New York Times)

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