A while back I read an article that talked about how people's balance
decrease as they age. The article ended with some simple exercises that would
help with the issue. One of them was to stand on one leg when you brush your
teeth.
That sounded goofy, but I decided to give it a try. My rechargeable electric
toothbrush has a timer that vibrates very 30 seconds, so I do each quadrant of
my mouth (top outside, bottom outside, top inside, and bottom inside) for 30
seconds. I figured it would be easy to lift one foot off of the ground for one
segment.
I figured wrong.
A third of the way through I had to put my hand against the
countertop and ended up lowering my foot so the toes touched the ground.
But I kept at it and got better. Some days are better than others, but
most days I can lift it my leg into a yoga tree pose with my foot on my calf
and keep it there for 30 seconds. I'm working on raising my foot up my leg
even more.
It works best if I take my house shoes off, use my good posture, and suck my
core in. I use the sink as a focus point and concentrate on the brushing part.
If I think about my balance I lose it and have to start over.
Five years ago today:
Walk With Deliberation
If I tried that my next trip would be to the dentist to get some broken teeth fixed.
ReplyDeleteAll the more reason to start working on your balance!
DeleteMy balance is terrible, decreasing with age as you say. Good for you trying this. When I do certain exercises I just rest my hand on a support to be honest. -Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteI try to only put my fingertips on something to minimize the amount of support.
DeleteTai chi and qi gong emphasize balancing as well.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I don't have a convenient option for either.
DeleteI might give it a try, after my gout has gone away. When I went to rehab for vertigo, They suggested some similar ways to imcrease balance.
ReplyDeleteI can see where toe gout and standing on one foot would not be a great choice of activity.
DeleteWhat a good idea! Thank you. Olivia
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
DeleteThanks for sharing your experience with us! It's inspiring to hear how you're taking proactive steps to improve your balance and overall well-being. Keep up the great work! You can read my new post.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the words of encouragement.
DeleteYes, balance is very important. I use 5 pound weights each day for my exercise routine so when I'm finishing up, I stand on one let at a time, with my other leg fold over the standing leg, sometimes with the weights held over my head, other times, held behind me. It definitely helps with balance. I have exercises I do with my feet and ankles that I obtained during a session of balance exercises I had before I retired.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you're doing a good job of keeping yourself flexible and balanced.
DeleteSmart. Will be doing (attempting) this.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
DeleteDid not try it ... yet ... ooomph ... now I did ...
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
And if you try again tomorrow it should be a tiny bit easier.
DeleteNot long ago I saw an old lady 70 plus or more who was showing gymnastics tricks on very long stick 20 or 30 feet high .It was biggest shock I ever felt.
ReplyDeleteI lift my feet everyday during yoga steps and can stand on one foot for more than one minute now
Forgive my ignorance were you serious in comment about editing certificate?
I've never had great balance, and I'm trying very hard not to let it get worse.
DeleteI would ask your son how comfortable he is with his name being visible on your blog. Some people don't worry about it, while others do.
We spend so much time and money trying to prevent falls in seniors. I really think this is a great idea. I wish they'd do more research, though. I tend to think it is something to do with our inner ears and aging.
ReplyDeleteThe older I get the more I realize that all the parts of our body are connected.
DeleteI used to do Yoga and should do some beginner Yoga again now I'm a Senior and could use the flexibility and balance benefits it provides. I am still quite flexible for a person my Age, or any Age actually, my balance however is compromised and I realize it and that's how Senior Falls often happen. The standing on one Leg pose like a Stork I know and should be doing regularly too. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. I know that every day there are more things on my To-Do list than I have time to complete and I have to make choices.
DeleteWhat a good idea, I might try that. I asked my exercise teacher about balance exercises and she said, "Okay, but how often are you going to need to stand on one leg?" Thinking about it I could see she made a good point.
ReplyDeleteNow that I've put the 'standing on one leg' topic out into the universe it amazes me that it came up independently in a conversation with a friend. Evidently there are a lot of scientific studies that say it's a good indicator of how long you will live!
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