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Health Center :: Balance & Flexibility
Health Center :: Balance & Flexibility
Two regularly-overlooked components of good health are balance and flexibility. These vital skills provide many important benefits that cannot be achieved by any other means. Most importantly staying flexible and developing core strength is critical to avoiding injury and maintaining general fitness, posture, and balance.
Impact of Flexibility
- A senior’s risk of being injured in a serious fall more than doubles if they have poor balance.
- 1 in 4 people over the age of 65 (residing at home) will fall during the next year.
- By the age of 40 most women begin to realize a decrease in balance abilities.
- Because they are generally stronger, men typically have a ten-year advantage on women regarding better balance.
- Active seniors have been found to have better balance than sedentary individuals of a lesser age
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Performing balance and flexibility exercises as part of a well-rounded exercise program can reduce the risk of falls and improve the ability to perform activities of daily living.
Flexibility
Flexibility is a joint’s ability to move through a full range of motion. Flexibility is joint specific. So, you may be able to reach something on a top shelf but not be able to touch your toes. Different joints and muscles are required for each of these actions. Lack of flexibility can be indicated by a limited range of motion. This can range from simply not being able to touch your toes while keeping your legs straight to not being able to turn your head enough to safely back a vehicle out of a driveway. Strength and flexibility of core muscles and tendons allows for less strain on the muscles as they move us around. The tighter your muscles are the greater your chance is for injury. Some muscle pulls or strains can take weeks or months to heal. You can help prevent these injuries by simply doing stretching exercises on a daily basis.
Balance
Balance is primarily a function of three sensory systems: the visual, vestibular, and somatosensory systems. With increasing age, however, your sensory function decreases and ultimately affects your ability to balance. Your muscle strength also plays a role in balance and mobility. Studies have shown that increasing strength may actually reduce the risk for falls and injury. Good balance allows you to ride a bicycle, rise from a chair and navigate rough terrain. Dizziness, vertigo (spinning) and light-headedness are all symptoms of balance disorder.
Benefits of good balance
and flexibility:
- Improved Physical Performance: Greater flexibility in a joint increases range of motion and requires less energy. The less energy that you spend on each activity – the more you have for the next.
- Decreased Risk of Injury: Stretching decreases resistance in tissue structures. So, when you ask more less of your muscles than usual, the likelihood of pulls or strains decreases.
- Reduced Muscle Soreness: Stretching after exercise or other activities is shown to actually reduce and in some cases eliminate soreness.
- Reduced Risk of Low Back Pain: Relaxed muscles are healthier muscles. When muscles feel tight they are in constant contraction. On the contrary, flexible muscles are not in constant contraction which allows them to receive proper nutrition and reduces the accumulation of toxins which can result in less discomfort.
- Improved Muscle Coordination: Teamwork makes any job easier. So, when you increase your general flexibility it improves opposing muscle synergy (teamwork) allowing for easier movement.
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How can you improve your flexibility and balance?
Maintaining your balance is important during almost all physical activities but your ability to balance may diminish as you age. Research has shown that loss of strength and flexibility in your core, hips, knees, and ankles has a lot to do with your decreasing ability to balance. This means that balance is not simply a gift of genetics. You can improve your balance with specific exercises to strengthen and increase the flexibility of important muscles and with proper equipment. Specifically, look for footwear that helps to support your foot and provides necessary cushioning for your joints.
Take Action
- Cut to the core – Keeping your core muscles strong and flexible enhances your balance and reduces your risk of strains, pulls and more serious injuries.
- Warm up - walk before you run or jog to get the blood flowing and “warm up” muscles.
- Stretch afterwards – not just before activity to prevent injury. After your muscles are warmed up they stretch more easily and you lower your risk for injury.
- Stretch multiple times a day – every day. Stretch three times a day to gain flexibility, and one or two times a day to maintain flexibility and don’t take a break. Stretching is an every day activity.
- Breathe! Breathing gets oxygen into the muscles to help with flexibility. When you count, you normally hold your breath).
- Hold that pose! Work up to being able to really hold a stretch. While you may start out being able to hold a stretch for 10 seconds, recent studies show that increased benefits are found with stretches being held for up to 120 seconds.
- Play favorites. Stretch your tight muscles more than you stretch any other muscle – they need it.
- No bouncing. Stretch slowly, gradually, evenly. Bouncing can result in injury.
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Flexibility can be increased by regular and proper stretching of the muscles and by participating in activities that take the joints through their full range of movement (like yoga and Tai Chi).
Of significant importance is your body’s core – where all movement begins. Your body's core (your spine, hip joint and pelvis) is where your center of gravity is located. These bones and joints are surrounded by 29 core muscles, including the abdominal, oblique, hip flexors and the muscles of the lower and upper back.
A strong core gives you increased protection and "bracing" for your back; controlled movement; a more stable center of gravity and a more stable foundation for sports and other activities. A weak core can lead to poor posture, lower back pain and muscle injuries.
While most people think of abdominal exercises, like crunches, when they hear the term core strengthening, to reap the benefits of a strong core you must go well beyond the abs.
Core exercises include:
- Abdominal crunches or sit-ups
- Bridge: exercises in which you begin on your back and lift the hips up toward the ceiling. These exercises strengthen your abdominal, buttocks, and hamstring muscles
- Plank: exercises in which your body is in a straight line from the ears, through the shoulders and hips, and to the heels. These exercises target the abdominals and shoulder stability
- Quadruped - exercises performed with the hands and knees on the floor. These exercises target the hip flexors and gluteus maximus among others.
As with all exercise, utilizing proper technique will not only result in better results but will help to guard against injury.
NOTE: Consult your doctor before starting any exercise program. A fitness assessment may be necessary prior to choosing certain activities.
The following products are recommended for improving your flexibility and balance:
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