Balance and Fall Prevention Exercises

Physical Therapist Margaret Martin provides you with her motivation for creating the balance exercises for seniors series. You will understand the systems your body uses to maintain balance, how your balance can gradually worsen over time and how it can progressively improve. You will also understand the role that balance plays in keeping us feel safe and strong in the activities we love to do.

Physical Therapist Margaret Martin explains how to choose the balance exercise level in this series that is right for you. She walks through each of the major levels - pre-rehabilitation, beginner, active, athletic and elite - and provides guidelines to choose your level. You will find a balance exercise level and fall prevention exercise program that allows you to improve your balance today!

In Foot Positioning Tips for Balance Exercises and Fall Prevention you will learn how to progress your balance stance from an athletic to staggered stance. You will gain the knowledge to safely make micro adjustments to each of the foundational foot positions. This will allow you to make dozens of modifications and progress through many of the standing balance exercises for seniors series.

You rely on your feet everyday to get you from place to place but like many of us you spend little time stretching and caring your them. Physical Therapist Margaret Martin demonstrates several techniques to stretch and massage your feet, toes and ankles. These techniques will prepare your feet for your balance exercises for seniors and fall prevention exercise program. They will also feel great!

This balance exercise is targeted specifically for individuals who use a walker. This is a great level to start with even if you have not suffered from an injury. Balance exercises include weight shifting forward and back, side to side, circles and preparation for stepping. Progressions include quick stepping in different directions with gentle stomps that begin to wake up your reactive stepping.

This balance exercise is targeted specifically for individuals who use a walker. We use a wall for support when we do these balance exercises. If you are recovering from a lower body injury or a mild stroke and are using a walker to get around, you can still work on your balance. It is important to do so. Get permission from your surgeon or Physical Therapist before beginning these exercises.

These balance exercises will give you the confidence to get up and down from a chair and participate in seated exercise classes. Balance exercises include individual eye and head movement in sitting, and balancing with one and both eyes closed. The drills progress to forward and side-to-side reach, overhead scarf and ball toss. Moving a dynamic object allows you to improve reactive balance.

These balance exercises will give you the confidence to get off the floor after a fall. Balance exercises include individual eye and head movement in half kneeling. The drills progress to forward and side-to-side reach, overhead scarf and ball toss. Moving a dynamic object allows you to improve reactive balance. Recommended if you bowl or golf - sports that bring you into lunge positions.

These balance exercises will teach you how to optimize your balance and posture in parallel stance. Challenges include changing amount of support placed through your hands. Balance exercises include individual eye and head movement while standing still, and progress to forward and side-to-side reach, overhead scarf and ball toss. Moving a dynamic object allows you to improve reactive balance.

Physical Therapist Margaret Martin will teach you how to add micro adjustments to your stance so that you make the most out of the balance exercises. Your balance system will improve rapidly with these balance exercises. This tutorial will show you how to accelerate your progress by adding more challenge to your balance exercises and fall prevention exercise program in a safe and effective manner.

These staggered stance balance exercises optimize your balance by gradually challenging you with micro-adjustments to your stance. Balance exercises include individual eye and head movements, forward and side-to-side reach, and overhead scarf and ball toss while standing still in a staggered stance. The drills improve your reactive balance. Recommended before moving to single leg balance work.

This beginner balance exercise workout in single leg stance is for individuals who are able to stand on one foot for at least a few seconds. Your balance will quickly improve and you will learn many ideas that will make you stronger and more stable. No need for any special equipment. In fact, you can do most of these balance exercises around the house or even standing at the check-out line!

The Active Balance Exercise Workout in Static Position is for individuals who have no fear of falling and able to stand on one foot with eyes open for 20 seconds and maintain their balance. The static positions in this video will challenge and improve your balance. These balance and fall prevention exercises are the foundation for the next video that incorporates walking and turning movements.

These balance exercises are for active walkers who might not feel as confident walking as they once did. The dynamic balance drills include sudden stops and quick turns. Recommended if you start a brisk walking program. Incorporates single leg balance in a dynamic fashion. Appropriate if you walk with a cane. Incorporates slow but challenging stepping drills. Tai Chi stepping also covered.

Plyometric drills build your balance and provide great weight bearing to strengthen your bones from feet to pelvis. Drills include jumping side to side, forward, back, multi-direction as well as jumping off and onto a height. Good form and body alignment are reinforced. Begin with a few jumps and build gradually. Not appropriate if you are recovering from an injury or are at a high fracture risk.

The Athletic Balance Exercises Workout in a Single Leg Stance video brings a whole new challenge to standing on one leg! You will learn some funky movement patterns that will not only challenge and improve your balance but also increase bone density in the hip by placing weight bearing demands on your hip and core strength. You will not need any special equipment. Have fun!

These balances exercises train you to move your feet quickly and regain your balance. They encourage forward movement, side stepping and back stepping. The pace allows individuals (Beginner to Athletic) to challenge and improve their balance. You will need a clear space at least 12 feet in length. A hallway works well. While I use an agility ladder, it is not required. Other suggestions are given.

These balance exercise drills target your dynamic balance as well as the strength in your hip muscles and bones. Drills include clock jumps, hops, single leg cone reaches, hand reaches, diagonal drills, and 1/2 foam roller drills. Proper form and body alignment are reinforced throughout the video. Join Physical Therapist Margaret Martin for these fun challenges and improve your dynamic balance!

These advanced balance exercise drills focus how to use balance tools such as a rocker board, wobble board, stability ball, and Bongo board. Covers safe progression from 4-point to 3-point and finally 2-point on the ball. Great for individuals with good balance but want to challenge their balance skills. Not appropriate if you are recovering from a recent injury or need to develop your balance.

Getting on and off the floor is an important part of an overall fall prevention plan. If you are someone who does not have a strategy for getting up from the floor, I encourage you to watch this video. Having a strategy is good, but practicing your strategy on a regular basis allows it to become instinctive. Knowing that you are able to get up from the floor reduces the fear of falling.

Tai Chi for Osteoporosis: 8 Steps to Better Balance and Bone Health can improve your strength, balance and body awareness - all important ingredients to a fall reduction exercise program. Tai Chi is one of the great balance exercises for seniors and it can be part of an effective exercise program for people with osteoporosis or osteopenia. Enjoy!