Published March 27, 2015
Nicole Tson, former Fit for Life writer
Keeping the balance requires a crazy and complex set of elements. Neurology-trained physiotherapist Chris Morrow explains that your body’s ability to balance is based on a complex automated system that includes internal balance functions for vision, ears, core, and legs. did.
I had never thought about it. What I know is that when I first learned to balance on one foot in a yoga class, I almost fell from a leg cramp every time.
My legs are stronger than they are now. I’ve been testing balance for many years, and nowadays my brain and body are getting better and better.
Your body must be synchronized to balance your brain, your eyes, your ears, your core and your feet. This is an important feature that runs in the background all day long. We don’t think about how the eyes perceive the horizon, what the ears calculate when the head moves, or how the core and feet are coordinated.
As we grow older, our balance becomes more unstable and we can put people at risk of falling.Challenges are an important part of maintaining balance, says Morrow, co-founder of Queen Anne’s Pacific Balance and Rehabilitation Clinic. [since closed]..
The older he is, the less likely he is to test his balance for fear of falling, but he says it’s important to do so. One of the basic strategies is to get rid of one of the important systems such as eyesight. The idea is “to make it as difficult as possible so that the brain can move on to Plan B,” Morrow says.
He says he is at greatest risk of falling when the environment changes, such as getting up from bed in the morning or looking back at the top of a hill. The older you are, the slower your adaptation can be.
“The transition is a time when people need to pay attention,” he says. “Give your brain time to switch gears.”
For example, if you are sitting on the couch and bowing down to read, lift your head and look at the horizon before you stand up.
Pay attention to your body, Morrow says. She sits and moves her head to balance her inner ear. She builds physical endurance with aerobic exercise to strengthen your core and help your balance.
All of this leads us to an important point: general brain health. Improving your lifestyle improves your balance. Do the basics — eat well, sleep well, do aerobic exercise, exercise calmly — and improve your balance. If your body feels happy, safe and safe, not stress or anxiety, it’s a better balance.
“Balance stinks if the system thinks it’s dangerous in every corner,” he says.
Test the balance
If you’re not sure about the balance, stand with your back to the corner of the room for safety.
• Stand with your legs wide open and your eyes closed. Move your weight left and right and rock it back and forth.
• Gradually move your legs to a narrower position to make this exercise more difficult.
• Put one foot forward, close your eyes and move your weight.
• Alternative: Close your eyes, repeat different postures, and move your head back and forth and left and right.
Strengthening the feet and ankles
• Place your feet just below your hips. Lift to the base of your toes and lower your heels without lifting your toes off the ground.
• Walk across the room on the heels.
• Walk across the room at the base of your toes.
