Exercise improves balance in older adults at He's Fit

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Exercise improves balance in older adults

Posted November 1, 2007 at 02:00 PM by Lisa Cieplechowicz

Section: In The News, His Fitness, His Health, Physical Health, Lifestyle Health

older man Growing older is a cause of concern for many individuals in our age-obsessed society. However, with medical and cosmetic advances making fast progress, aging isn’t nearly as scary as it used to be. In today’s world, there are various measures we can all take to help make sure we stay safe and healthy in our golden years. One of these precautions is more simple than you may think - exercise.

Medical News Today recently reported that exercise is now linked to improved balance in older adults. A review of research, as published in The Cochrane Library, collected data from over 30 studies done on individuals that were typically over 75. The results from the analysis indicated that participants in the studies who took part in exercise programs showed significant improvements in different kinds of balance measures ranging from walking speed to standing on one leg.

And why should we care about such findings? Well, as Tracey Howe, lead review author and director of research consortium HealthQWest, puts it, balance is involved in almost everything we do. Howe commented: “You use it every time you move positions, even walking. Walking is nothing more than movement without falling…”

Furthermore, as a study in the British Medical Journal documented, balance is one of the main factors that can hinder seniors’ ability to stay on their feet as they get older. And, unfortunately, it can take only one fall to leave senior citizens seriously hurt and dependent upon others for care.

So what type of exercise can we do to help keep our balance and health in tact in our later years? Debra Rose, researcher and co-director of the Center for Successful Aging and Fall Prevention at California State University, Fullerton asserts that the activities we should participate in are varied and are ultimately determined by a person’s level of risk for falls. Overall, she argues that exercise will do nothing to keep bodies healthy if incorporated only occasionally into one’s life. Rather, a lifestyle change is required, one that keeps us active and moving.

There are certain activities that benefit balance more than others. Help the Aged, an international charity that helps research the needs of the elderly, suggests aquaerobics, Tai Chi, and balance training as solid exercise options for those of us interested in keeping our aging bodies feeling young and fit.

The bottom line is that it is within our power to help ourselves in the aging process. Our bodies will stay intact much longer when we make conscious efforts to incorporate exercise into our daily routines.

Research sources and for more information: [Medical News Today], [Health and Age online], [Help the Aged]