5 Balance Exercises for Older Adults Using a Walker

One of the main issues that seniors encounter in their old age is falling. To better avoid these unfortunate events, older adults should practice balance exercises. By exercising, the elderly give themselves a chance to be independent and healthy for as long as possible. In this article, we will present to you five balance exercises that are safe, simple, and quite effective. Older adults who take this seriously and train on a regular basis will see changes in their strength and balance. With dedication, they will reduce their fall risk by a significant amount.

Why Exercise With a Walker?

Working out is beneficial for everyone. Exercises with a walker also have their perks. They are especially useful for people who already have issues with falling and balance. Proper workouts with the aid of a walker will do wonders for a senior’s balance, physical condition, and general well-being. Also, working out with a walker is considered to be an excellent safety measure against injuries.

Safety First! Prevent Falls While Exercising

While a walker aids in safety, seniors shouldn’t work out by themselves. Until exercising with a walker becomes routine for them, help from a caregiver is essential. The first few workouts need to be supervised to ensure full safety. Also, monitoring when they are tired or need to sit and rest is essential. Older adults might try to overwork themselves in order to gain results faster, but you shouldn’t allow them to feel pain during training. Getting hurt while exercising might demotivate them.

For elderly adults that are frail, getting a gait belt might be a good idea. Until seniors are strong enough to work by themselves, supervision is needed. To do the exercises correctly, seniors need to stand straight at all times with their hands on the walker handles. A chair needs to be positioned behind them so that they can sit when they get tired. Like we said: safety first.

5 Balance Exercises for Seniors Using a Walker

Exercise 1 – This exercise consists of marching in place. The goal is to lift your knees as high as you can. The best would be to do 10 on each leg, for a total of 20 repetitions.

Exercise 2 – By using slow and controlled motions, you need to lift your leg to the side. The recommended number of repetitions for beginners is 10 with each leg. One side at a time. To have a maximum effect with this work out, the elderly should avoid cheating as explained in the video.

Exercise 3 – This exercise starts with lifting one leg straight behind your back. Same as in the previous two, you should do 10 repetitions with each leg.

Exercise 4 – This exercise requires standing with your legs shoulder-width apart. You continue by doing a squat. It is essential that you don’t go too low. In the beginning, it could be risky. After ten squats, take a rest. When you get familiar with this exercise, you can go lower and lower. With time, you will gain more strength, and the number of repetitions can be increased.

Exercise 5 – This exercise starts with your heels in the air. This means that you need to stand on your toes. You continue by putting your weight on your heels with your toes in the air. You need to do this motion 10 times per training.

Practice Is More Important Than Perfection

Even if older adults have an issue with doing these exercises correctly or can’t do ten repetitions, they shouldn’t worry. It is essential to do their best and never give up. It’s not about doing as much as you can, it is about giving it your all. It’s not about perfection, it’s about persistence.

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