Working on
balance isn’t just for “old folks”
There is a
lot of emphasis these days on cardiovascular fitness and strength training, to
help us age well. However, just as
important is our balance. Just as
our strength and endurance decline with age, our balance can as well,
especially if we are not challenging it.
Balance
involves not only the strength of our leg and trunk muscles and flexibility,
but also 3 sensory systems. Our
vision helps us with balance by telling us where we are in relation to other
objects. If I see a door frame is
vertical, I know I’m vertical. The
sensation of proprioception in our feet and legs tells us if we’re leaning one
way or the other, or what kind of surface we’re on, such as thick carpet for a
firm floor, or if we have weight more on one aspect of our foot than the
other. The inner ear system, known
as the vestibular system gives us information on where we are in space, and if
we are moving, turning, tilting or changing speed. During every activity we do, our brain takes input from each
system, integrates the information and forms the needed response to move in a
specific environment. For example,
when we walk in the dark, either outside at night or when turning out a light
and walking across a room to go to bed, we can’t use our vision as much to help
us balance. Our brains have to
know how to use the vestibular system and the sensation and proprioception in
our feet and legs to walk safely.
If we walk on uneven surfaces, the brain has a harder time using the
sensation in our feet for information, we have to rely more on our vision and
vestibular system. A more complex
task is walking on uneven surfaces at night when both vision and sensation
inputs are not 100%. Our brain
then has to rely the most on information from the vestibular system.
If we’re not
challenging our balance as we age, it can decline, just like muscle strength
and flexibility. If our brain
never has to use the vestibular system, it will in a sense “forget” how to use
it when it needs to. Our
proprioception can decline with age so we may rely too heavily on vision for
balance and ignore the other systems.
Once people start to feel a little off balance or even fall, they lose
confidence in doing the things they enjoy and may limit themselves or stop the
activity altogether. This can lead
to further imbalance or debilitation if they end up limiting a lot of
activities. Obviously, that can
lead to further medical issues and decreased quality of life.
Just like
strengthening our muscles, there are exercises and activities we can do to
“strengthen” the balance system. A
lot of fitness centers and social centers are incorporating balance into their
exercise classes and/or offering classes specifically to help with
balance. Tai Chi is a popular
exercise which has been proven through research to help with balance. Activities to help improve balance can
include standing with your eyes closed,
standing with one foot in front of the other or on one leg, using a
chair beside you to hold on to for safety if needed. These activities can help your balance now, to help keep you
active as you age.
Physical
Therapists who are trained in Vestibular Rehabilitation are also good resources
for improving balance. If you or a
loved one is beginning to feel off balance with their normal activities, or
beginning to fall, seek help from a therapist trained in this area. They can design an exercise program
specifically for your needs based on the difficulties you are having with
balance. Often, only a few visits
are needed to make some significant progress balance to prevent falls as people
age.
