Balance exercises used in physical therapy for seniors

Balance Exercises Physical Therapy

Losing our balance is something that happens to almost everyone at some point. After all, most people can relate a story where they felt unsteady for some reason. However, the older we get, the more balance can become an issue for us.

One difficulty that issues balancing can cause is trouble doing normal things like walking. In older Americans, balance difficulties are also likely to cause falls. In fact, it’s reported that more than 3 million older Americans need emergency room care for a fall every year.

Physical therapists can help you avoid joining this troubling statistic. These specialists can show you techniques designed to improve your balance, and one of the methods used in your physical therapy plan could be balance exercises like the following: 

  1. Standing march exercise

Your leg muscles can often get weaker as you age, which can lead to you losing your balance more often. One exercise that physical therapy specialists can use to help improve your leg muscle strength and balance is the standing march exercise. You can do this exercise by: 

  • Standing near a counter, table or other stable surface 
  • Marching in place slowly for 20 to 30 seconds 
  • Taking a short break and then doing the previous step two or three more times 

You can also increase the difficulty of the exercise by moving your feet faster or placing a foam pad under your feet. 

  1. One-leg standing exercise

You might have heard that practice makes perfect, so you might not be surprised to hear that practicing balancing is a good way to improve your balance. A physical therapy exercise that can give you practice balancing is the one-leg standing exercise. To perform this exercise: 

  • Rest your palms lightly on a counter or other stable, flat surface. 
  • Pick your right leg up off the ground. 
  • Balance on your left leg for as long as you can. Your goal should be to make it for at least 30 seconds. 
  • Slowly lower your right leg back to the floor and rest for a few seconds. 
  • Repeat the exercise but stand on your right leg. 
  • Continue to alternate legs until you’ve balanced on both legs three times. 

Find exercises and other physical therapy methods to improve your balance at Panther PT

There are many other physical therapy exercises and even other therapy methods that can help improve your balance. At Panther Physical Therapy, our team can help you develop a personalized physical therapy plan designed to help increase your balance. 

Before we do this, we’ll evaluate you to determine the root cause of your balance issues. Our physical therapists can then create a multifaceted balance program that can include: 

Contact our team today for more information about what we can do to help improve your balance or to schedule your initial appointment.