An Overview of Balance Exercises

Balance exercises are specific activities that help build lower extremity (or leg) muscle strength as well as improve your vestibular system, the organ associated with balance perception. Balance exercises are particularly beneficial in the elderly as they have been shown to help prevent falls. Each year, U.S. hospitals have 300,000 admissions for broken hips, and falling is often the cause of those fractures. Balance exercises can help you stay independent by helping avoid disabilities that may result from falling.

Your brain, muscles, and bones all work together to maintain your body’s balance and keep you from falling. These three organ systems are focused on in balance exercises to provide a complete integrative exercise program. Often strength is initially targeted with exercises later modified to incorporate the vestibular system by once stance/eye closed progression.

Your physical therapist will help you progress through the appropriate level of balance exercises specific to your current level of function. In the beginning, always have an object or person close by for assistance if you need it.

Here is one exercise to begin working on better balance today:
Beginning Balance Activity

_{Sources:
American Physical Therapy Association
What You Need To Know About Balance and Falls}

National Institute of Health
NIH
Exercises for Older Adults