Balance Training Proves Effective in Helping Seniors Avoid Falls
Those gifted with a long life will eventually begin to lose something in the areas of flexibility, strength and coordination.
This, combined with the fact that many of us become less active and have less endurance as we age, leads to the serious problem of potential falls, and the severe injuries they create.
Falls account for a high percentage of all injuries amongst seniors, including head traumas, lacerations, and hip fractures.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) states that "among older adults (those aged 65 or older), falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries.
" This is an issue that not only jeopardizes the overall health of seniors but also accounts for billions of dollars in medical costs each year.
Thankfully there is a solution, and it lies in balance training.
Balance training has always been a great resource in increasing flexibility, strength, endurance and coordination.
These elements represent the keys to good balance and the avoidance of accidental falls.
While once thought of as more of a rehabilitation strategy, balance training is now looked at as a preventive strategy allowing seniors to get ahead of the curve through proper balance and fall mitigation.
• Flexibility, resistance and aerobic training have proven to be effective tools in improving balance function • The NIA (National Institute on Aging) recommends that seniors perform balance exercise every day • It is important for seniors to have a comprehensive balance assessment performed by a certified professional prior to beginning balance training Giving into the preconception that age equals immobility is in part what leads to the decreased flexibility, strength and coordination that accounts for serious falls.
The goal in balance training is for seniors to be able to remain strong and coordinated enough to continue to safely carry out their everyday activities and remain active participants in their own lives.
Healthy aging allows us to maintain independence and mobility as we age, and there has never been a better time to be an older adult due to increased research and new knowledge regarding the aging process, as well as the fitness equipment that is now readily available.
In fact, many community-based facilities help seniors to embrace fitness, improve their quality of life, encourage them to stay active and interact more socially, and remain capable of carrying out their day-to-day activities.
Naturally, we all slow down as we age; this is a simple, undeniable fact of life.
But there is nothing written in stone that says we must become sedentary and immobile as we get older.
Too many seniors are injured each year in falls that might have been avoided had they had access to balance training.
Balance training has now become a highly valued resource that continues to improve the quality of life among a large section of older adults around the globe.
This, combined with the fact that many of us become less active and have less endurance as we age, leads to the serious problem of potential falls, and the severe injuries they create.
Falls account for a high percentage of all injuries amongst seniors, including head traumas, lacerations, and hip fractures.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) states that "among older adults (those aged 65 or older), falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries.
" This is an issue that not only jeopardizes the overall health of seniors but also accounts for billions of dollars in medical costs each year.
Thankfully there is a solution, and it lies in balance training.
Balance training has always been a great resource in increasing flexibility, strength, endurance and coordination.
These elements represent the keys to good balance and the avoidance of accidental falls.
While once thought of as more of a rehabilitation strategy, balance training is now looked at as a preventive strategy allowing seniors to get ahead of the curve through proper balance and fall mitigation.
• Flexibility, resistance and aerobic training have proven to be effective tools in improving balance function • The NIA (National Institute on Aging) recommends that seniors perform balance exercise every day • It is important for seniors to have a comprehensive balance assessment performed by a certified professional prior to beginning balance training Giving into the preconception that age equals immobility is in part what leads to the decreased flexibility, strength and coordination that accounts for serious falls.
The goal in balance training is for seniors to be able to remain strong and coordinated enough to continue to safely carry out their everyday activities and remain active participants in their own lives.
Healthy aging allows us to maintain independence and mobility as we age, and there has never been a better time to be an older adult due to increased research and new knowledge regarding the aging process, as well as the fitness equipment that is now readily available.
In fact, many community-based facilities help seniors to embrace fitness, improve their quality of life, encourage them to stay active and interact more socially, and remain capable of carrying out their day-to-day activities.
Naturally, we all slow down as we age; this is a simple, undeniable fact of life.
But there is nothing written in stone that says we must become sedentary and immobile as we get older.
Too many seniors are injured each year in falls that might have been avoided had they had access to balance training.
Balance training has now become a highly valued resource that continues to improve the quality of life among a large section of older adults around the globe.