Balance Exercises for Seniors: Improve Balance and Reduce Risk of Falls

As you age, it is important to stay active and maintain balance in order to avoid falls and injuries. Balance exercises for seniors help to keep them fit and reduce their risk of falls. Some of these exercises include single-leg stands, pivoting on the rear foot, and lunges. To perform a single-leg stand, stand up straight and lift one foot and ankle up behind you. Balance for 30 seconds, then switch sides.^[0] For an added challenge, try doing the exercise with your eyes closed.^[0] To pivot on the rear foot, raise one leg off the floor and hold the position for as long as you can while maintaining proper form. Then, pivot on your rear foot while swinging your arms up in a controlled manner. For lunges, stand in a staggered position with one foot a few feet ahead of the other.^[1] Finally, tap the 2 o’clock position with your opposite foot and stand back up.^[1]

Women over 60 can also benefit from bodyweight exercises such as mat workouts. Anthony J. Yeung, CSCS, a fitness expert and the founder of GroomBuilder, shares the ultimate five-minute mat workout to do regularly in your 50s to stay in shape.^[2] This includes getting on all fours and gradually lifting one knee out to the side, hovering that knee above the ground, and thinking of squeezing the side of the glute muscle with every lift.^[3] By dedicating 5 to 10 minutes of balance training two to three times a week, you can improve your balance, reduce your risk of falls, and stay in shape.

0. “5-Minute Exercises To Regain Balance After 40” Eat This, Not That, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.eatthis.com/5-minute-exercises-regain-balance-after-40

1. “5 balance exercises to avoid falls and fractures in old age” Health shots, 4 Mar. 2023, https://www.healthshots.com/fitness/muscle-gain/5-balance-exercises-to-avoid-falls-and-fractures-in-old-age/

2. “The 5-Minute Mat Workout To Do Regularly in Your 50s To Stay Fit” Eat This, Not That, 4 Mar. 2023, https://www.eatthis.com/five-minute-mat-workout-to-do-in-your-50s/

3. “Get Fit at 50 With These 5 Daily Strength Exercises” Eat This, Not That, 1 Mar. 2023, https://www.eatthis.com/strength-exercises-to-get-fit-at-50/