Written by: Laura Valada
How strong is your balance? Can you balance on one foot for 30 seconds? How about if you close your eyes? Balance is a key component of over all physical fitness that is often overlooked until it becomes a problem. As you age and muscle mass decreases, balance and balance training becomes even more important to maintain and strengthen every day.
Who: Everyone needs to incorporate balance training into their routines, however adults age 65 and above should be especially focused on balance.
Why: Falls are the leading cause of injury and death for adults 65 and older, and one in four adults over 65 will fall this year. Do not wait to have a fall to start improving balance! Balance training is not time consuming and can be easily incorporated into your daily life- for example try standing on one foot while you brush your teeth in the morning or while you talk on the phone.
What (you can do)/Where/When: It is never too late to begin training and improving your balance. So often at CORE we hear “I never used to struggle with this,” it is important to meet yourself where you are at and take small steps daily to improve. At CORE we offer one on one training sessions catered to balance training and overall strengthening, a balance group exercise class, as well as multiple levels of Tai Chi.
September is National Falls Prevention month; start improving your balance today! For more information on how to participate in our CORE program please call (919)-863-6834 or email at CORE@raleighortho.com
About Laura Valada: