{"id":111527,"date":"2025-08-26T15:07:16","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T15:07:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/111527\/"},"modified":"2025-08-26T15:07:16","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T15:07:16","slug":"fitness-pros-share-8-moves-to-improve-balance-and-reduce-falls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/111527\/","title":{"rendered":"Fitness Pros Share 8 Moves to Improve Balance and Reduce Falls"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s one thing to trip up the stairs or over an uneven sidewalk slab every once in a while. But as you get older, you stop laughing about these occasional stumbles and falls and start to recognize them for what they are\u2014the leading cause of injury for adults over 65 years old, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)<\/a>. Limiting this risk is just one reason to look for how to improve balance as you get older. <\/p>\n

\u201cAs we age, changes and deterioration of the musculoskeletal system (weaker muscles and loss of bone density) and loss of some motor skills can cause us to lose our balance more frequently,\u201d said Nicole Glor<\/a>, fitness instructor and creator of NikkiFitness<\/a>, who creates workouts for women over 40. The muscles we use to stand tall weaken ever so gradually after we hit 35, per Harvard Health<\/a>. The length of our stride shortens, the pace of our steps slows, and vision\u2014critical to coordination\u2014becomes fuzzier. <\/p>\n

Meet the experts: Nicole Glor<\/a>, fitness instructor and creator of NikkiFitness<\/a>; Lynn Millar, Ph.D.<\/a>, the department chair in physical therapy at Winston-Salem State University.<\/p>\n

“Aging, however, isn\u2019t the only reason people lose their sense of stability,” said Lynn Millar, Ph.D.<\/a>, the department chair in physical therapy at Winston-Salem State University. \u201cBalance is really \u2018use it or lose it.\u2019 You can maintain it if you stay active.\u201d To avoid dangerous falls, you can improve balance by stretching and practicing exercises that increase flexibility and coordination, including yoga<\/a>, tai chi<\/a>, strength training<\/a>, and light cardio regularly, Glor said. You can also incorporate the exercises below into your routine.
<\/p>\n

How to get the most out of your balance workout<\/p>\n

Set yourself up for success with these tips from Glor before getting started with your balance exercises: <\/p>\n

Find a partner who can spot you. Or, position yourself close to a chair or wall, so you can grab onto those if you lose your balance during the exercises.Wear supportive sneakers. Start out with using sneakers, and then as you get stronger, try these moves barefoot to help strengthen the muscles that stabilize the feet.Find a focal point. While you perform these exercises, secure your gaze on a fixed object, which will help with balance.Add dumbbells<\/a> overtime. Start without weights and use the modifications. Once you begin to feel stronger and perform the exercises without wobbling, you can progress to more weight, height, and\/or substitute a BOSU ball<\/a> for a step. <\/p>\n

Read on for the best balance exercises that target the core and lower-body muscles to build strength and flexibility to keep you on your feet, according to Glor.<\/p>\n

Stand on one leg \"best<\/p>\n

Nicole Glor<\/p>\n

Try to do this while you are washing the dishes or brushing your teeth. Stand on your right leg and lift your knee to about hip level, Glor said. Hold for five seconds, then progress to 10 seconds. Return to start position with both feet on the floor, and then repeat on the other side for one rep. Do this movement five times on each side. When you can hold the pose for 30 seconds on each side, stand on a less stable surface, such as a couch cushion, a step, or a BOSU ball.<\/a> <\/p>\n

Lateral thigh lift\"best<\/p>\n

Nicole Glor<\/p>\n

This is similar to the step up move above, but instead of lifting your knee in front, straighten your left leg and extend it out to the side while balancing on your right leg. Hold for five seconds; when this becomes easy, progress to lifting and lowering the leg five times without setting it down. Repeat on the other side and do five reps in total. This move helps to strengthen the outer thighs which help in lateral movement, like catching yourself if you trip or fall sideways, Glor said. Once you begin to feel stable while doing this move, you can progress to doing it on a step.<\/p>\n

Single-leg squat\"best<\/p>\n

Nicole Glor<\/p>\n

Lift your right leg up to about hip level, keeping your toes pointed down at the floor, then slowly bend your standing left leg until your right toes to the ground. Place your right foot down to stand back up and repeat on the other side. Repeat for five reps on each side. To progress, work up to performing five single-leg squats in a row on the same side. This provides extra muscle toning for your quadriceps and glute muscles to strengthen your legs and boost your balance power, Glor said.<\/p>\n

Catch and hold \"balance<\/p>\n

Nicole Glor<\/p>\n

Standing on one leg, lift your other leg up to about hip level, and then have a partner toss you a light ball or yoga block while you try to catch it. This really challenges your balance because you are no longer looking at a fixed point\u2014your eye is on the moving object and you are concentrating on hand eye coordination, Glor said. This functional exercise should only be added to your routine after you can successfully perform the moves above.<\/p>\n

Tree pose\"best<\/p>\n

Nicole Glor<\/p>\n

Stand upright near a wall or chair and balance on your left leg. Lift your right foot to the inside of your inner thigh, calf, or ankle (avoid placing it on your inner knee). Press your hands evenly against each other in prayer formation. Hold for five long inhales and exhales and repeat on the other side. To progress, try closing one or both eyes and lifting your arms overhead. <\/p>\n

High lunge\"best<\/p>\n

Nicole Glor<\/p>\n

From standing, bring your hands to your hips and step your right leg back into a lunge, bringing your left leg to a right angle and balancing on the ball of your right foot with your heel off the ground. You can lower your back knee down for a modification. Keep your hands at your hips or practice extending them towards the sky. Hold for five long inhales and exhales, then repeat on the other side. This move strengthens the glutes and quads while stretching the hip flexors for increased mobility, Glor said.
<\/p>\n

Warrior III \"best<\/p>\n

Nicole Glor<\/p>\n

From a standing position, bring your hands into prayer at your chest. Bend your right leg to about hip level. Hinge from your hips and kick your right foot back as if you were stamping on a wall behind you, creating a straight line parallel to the floor from your heel to your head. Once you find some stability, you can practice extending your hands forward for Warrior III. This move strengthens the ankles, glutes, hamstrings and core for better balance, Glor said.
<\/p>\n

Balancing half moon\"best<\/p>\n

Nicole Glor<\/p>\n

Starting in a high lunge with your right foot extended back, begin to bend into your left knee and tent out your left fingertips. Shift forward until you can place your fingertips just beyond the top of your mat or on a yoga block if you can’t reach all the way to the floor. Lift your right foot off of the mat, keeping your leg straight, as you try to stack your right hip over your left. You can do this by rotating your right toes up towards the sky. Keep your gaze down at the earth for more stability. To progress, gaze up at the sky or remove your right hand from your hip and reach it upwards. Hold for five deep inhales and exhales, then repeat on the other side. This pose strengthens the core, glutes, outer thighs, feet and ankles for balance, Glor said.<\/p>\n

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