5 Ways to Improve Your Balance to Stay Forever Young
Good balance means maintaining agility, physical fitness, and an independent lifestyle as you age. It’s essential for preventing falls, which are the main cause of injury among adults in the 65-and-up age group. In fact, more than 14 million older adults experience falls each year. That’s why we chatted with experts to learn the best ways to improve your balance to keep your body young, fit, and resilient.
Preserving and building on your balance promotes overall health and longevity. “Falls are the number one cause of injury deaths, [hospitalizations], and emergency department visits in America,” explains Thomas Olsen, a physiotherapist with EmbdyHealth Pty Ltd. “As you can probably guess, reduced balance leads to many of these falls. Strengthening and focussing on balance ensures that we are able to live a happy, healthy life and continue completely independently as we age.”
To get you moving in the right direction, we have the best ways to improve your balance and remain forever young.
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Backward Walking
Walking backward, also known as “retro walking,” is chock-full of benefits—especially for those looking to improve their balance and posture.
“Walking backward helps with balance as your body doesn’t have all of the regular input from the systems of the body,” Olsen tells us. “For example, the visual system and the vestibular system (the inner ear system that helps us balance) have to work differently, which makes us focus more and work harder in order to balance.”
