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Two fun exercises to improve balance for seniors

Exercises to Improve Balance for Seniors
Table of contents

Walking your dog around the neighborhood. Cooking a nice meal for your family. Sitting down in your easy chair. There are many normal daily activities that rely heavily on your ability to balance. 

Unfortunately, it’s often harder to maintain our balance as we grow older. In fact, medical studies reveal that about 3 million older Americans are treated for fall injuries every year. If you’re a senior having trouble maintaining balance, physical therapists can show you how to do exercises designed to increase your balance. Here are two fun exercises physical therapists can use to improve balance for seniors: 

  1. Flamingo stand

One exercise that can help improve balance for seniors is the flamingo stand. Have you ever seen how flamingos stand on one leg? That’s exactly what’s involved in this exercise. Its goal is to help you practice balancing, and the more you practice, the better your balance will get. 

How to do the flamingo stand exercise

  • Stand near a stable chair or kitchen counter. This will give you something to hold on to if necessary. 
  • Transfer your weight to your right foot. 
  • Lift your left foot off the floor and lift your knee up until it forms a 90-degree angle. 
  • Hold this position for 10 to 15 seconds. 
  • Slowly lower your left foot back to the floor. 
  • Transfer your weight to your left foot and repeat these steps to balance on your left leg. 
  1. Rock the boat exercise

Other exercises that can improve balance for seniors are intended to help you balance while moving. Such exercises are known as dynamic balance exercises, and an example is the rock the boat exercise.

How to do the rock the boat exercise

  • Stand on a flat surface with your feet about hip width apart. You should always stand near a kitchen counter or other stable surface so you can grab onto it if you need to. 
  • Lift your arms out to the sides. 
  • Lift your right foot off the floor and bring your heel up toward your buttock. 
  • Hold this position for five seconds.
  • Return your left foot to the floor and do the same steps with your right foot. 
  • Continue to repeat the steps until you’ve done the exercise five to six times on both sides.  

Learn more exercises that can improve balance for seniors at Advent PT

Our team at Advent Physical Therapy can show you many exercises that can help seniors improve their balance, and this is just one way we can help seniors with their balance issues. We can also perform a free screening that can reveal the underlying cause of your balance difficulties. 

Additionally, our physical therapists can build you a personalized therapy plan that’s designed to improve your balance. Such a plan could use exercises and techniques like:

Contact our team today for more information about how we can help you improve your balance or to schedule your initial appointment.