Think You Know About Balance?
Balance is a health issue we don’t notice until we have trouble with it. While most of us won’t feel diminished balance until we are much older, it’s never too late to work on it. Truly, you won’t know how good (or bad) your balance is until you test it. Before we go to the testing, let’s talk about what balance is and why it deteriorates.
What is Balance?
Balance is essentially a feedback loop between the eyes, skin, joints, muscles and brain. The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital has a detailed, and understandable, explanation of balance. I have taken an excerpt for our purposes:
“The vestibular system (inner ear balance mechanism) works with the visual system (eyes and the muscles and parts of the brain that work together to let us ‘see’) to stop objects blurring when the head moves…In addition, sensors in the skin, joints and muscles provide information to the brain on movement, the position of parts of the body in relation to each other, and the position of the body in relation to the environment (known as proprioception). Using this feedback, the brain sends messages to instruct muscles to move and make the adjustments to body position that will maintain balance and coordination.”
With such a complex system keeping us upright as we move, there are many parts that can hinder optimum balance through injury or aging.
Interestingly, your balance ability can be a marker for how long you live. The Medical Research Council of the U.K. conducted a study beginning in 1999 of 2,760 men and women 53 years of age. They studied various physical abilities including how long they could stand on one foot with their eyes closed. 13 years later, they discovered that of the 177 people who had died since the study began, the balance study was the most accurate predictor of their life span. In other words, those who performed poorly in the balance test were three times more likely to have died that those who did moderately well to well on the test.
Why Does Balance Get Worse as We Age?
Each point of the feedback loop weakens as we get older:
- Loss of muscle strength
- Loss of joint stability
- Reduced vision
- Reduced reaction time
- Risk of inner ear dysfunction
- Neuropathy (nerve damage) in the lower legs or feet
- Take certain kinds of drugs or medical conditions
- Not keeping up with changing glasses prescriptions
How Good Is Your Balance?
Know your starting point with a balance test. Have someone time you standing on one leg with your eyes closed. (Do this in an area where you have some open space.)
Stand on your stronger leg (typically the side of the body you use to write) with the opposite leg approximately 6 inches off the ground. Begin the timer when you close your eyes and stop itwhen you set your raised foot on the ground. I highly recommend doing a practice one first, then take an average of three attempts.
Compare that number with the chart below. (I’ve seen several charts online but have not been able to verify them so I’ll post one here acknowledging that it is not sourced.)
If doing this with your eyes closed is scary or dangerous, you can also measure with your eyes open. Seniors 70–79 should aim for at least 20 seconds on one foot with the eyes open. Seniors 60–69, 32 seconds. Under 60, around 45 seconds.
Balance Takes Practice
Balance is a subconscious action of the body. When our balance weakens, we have to consciously work on it to get those abilities back into the subconscious. Balance practice is not meant to mimic the real world but push the boundaries of your abilities so that your balance is better in the real world.
Balance tools like stability balls, Bosus, stability disks and balance boards will challenge you. No equipment? No problem. You can practice balance any time by walking on an even surface with tandem feet — placing one foot directly in front of the other, toe to heel — and increase difficulty by doing it backwards. You can even stand on one leg while you brush your teeth!
Because our eyesight is a major piece to the balance puzzle, make any balance exercise harder by doing it while looking up at the ceiling, closing one eye at a time, or turning your head as you move.
By staying strong and continuing to move with regular exercise, you are doing a great job maintaining your balance abilities, even if your exercise doesn’t directly relate to balance practice. By keeping muscles strong, forcing your brain and joints to use proprioceptors, and challenging your brain/body communication, you are doing the work.
Balance and Pilates
Pilates offers an interesting way to practice balance while not being on your feet. We balance on our behind and our upper back when we do any rolling move: Rolling Like A Ball, Open Leg Rocker (pictured at the top), and Seal. Side lying moves use balance as we move the top leg while keeping the upper body stable. Side Bend (pictured) and all of its additions require balancing on only one hand and the feet. Even though we aren’t standing, balance makes its way into our mat practice without the danger of falling.
See you on the mat!
Linda Magid has taught group fitness classes for over 7 years. She is certified with AFAA and AEA, with special certifications in Pilates, TRX, and more. You can find her Pilates studio at https://pilatesforrealbodies.com. Contact her at @LindaMagidFitness on Facebook and Instagram.
