Preserving a Fundamental Sense: BalanceBYLINE: By JANE E. BRODY
SECTION: Section F; Column 0; Science Desk; PERSONAL HEALTH; Pg. 7
LENGTH: 1146 words
Scott McCredie is a Seattle-based health and science writer who says he ”discovered” what he
calls ”the lost sense” of balance after he watched in horror as his 67-year-old father tumbled
off a boulder and disappeared from sight during a hike in the Cascades.
Though his father hurt little more than his pride, Mr. McCredie became intrigued by what
might have caused this experienced hiker, an athletic and graceful man, to lose his balance
suddenly. His resulting science-and-history-based exploration led to a book, ”Balance: In
Search of the Lost Sense,” published last June by Little, Brown.
Noting that each year one in three Americans 65 and older falls, and that falls and their
sometimes disastrous medical consequences are becoming more common as the population
ages, Mr. McCredie wonders why balance is not talked about in fitness circles as often as
strength training, aerobics and stretching. He learned that the sense of balance begins to
degrade in one’s 20s and that it is downhill — literally and figuratively — from there unless
steps are taken to preserve or restore this delicate and critically important ability to maintain
equilibrium.
Vertigo, which can be caused by inner ear infections, low blood pressure, brain injuries,
certain medications and some chronic diseases, is loss of balance in the extreme. Anyone
who has experienced it — even if just from twirling in a circle — knows how disorienting and
dangerous it can be. Really, without a sense of balance, just about everything else in life can
become an insurmountable obstacle.
One normal consequence of aging is a steady decline in the three main sensory contributors
to good balance — vision, proprioceptors on the bottoms of the feet that communicate
position information to the brain, and the tiny hairs in the semicircular canals of the inner ear
that relay gravity and motion information to the brain. Add to that the loss of muscle strength
and flexibility that typically accompany aging and you have a fall waiting to happen.
But while certain declines with age are unavoidable, physical therapists, physiatrists and
fitness experts have repeatedly proved that much of the sense of balance can be preserved and
even restored through exercises that require no special equipment or training. These exercises
are as simple as standing on one foot while brushing your teeth or walking heel-to-toe with
one foot directly in front of the other.
Testing for Equilibrium
Marilyn Moffat and Carole B. Lewis, physical therapists in New York and Washington,
respectively, agree with Mr. McCredie that ”balance is an area of physical fitness that is often
overlooked,” but they seek to correct that in their recent book ”Age-Defying Fitness”
(Peachtree Publishers). They define balance as ”the ability of your body to maintain
equilibrium when you stand, walk or perform any other daily activity” like putting on pants,
walking on uneven ground or reaching for something on a shelf.
Dr. Moffat and Dr. Lewis suggest starting with a simple assessment of your current ability to
maintain good balance. With a counter or sturdy furniture near enough to steady you if
needed, perform this test:
1. Stand straight, wearing flat, closed shoes, with your arms folded across your chest. Raise
one leg, bending the knee about 45 degrees, start a stopwatch and close your eyes.
2. Remain on one leg, stopping the watch immediately if you uncross your arms, tilt sideways
more than 45 degrees, move the leg you are standing on or touch the raised leg to the floor.
3. Repeat this test with the other leg.
Now, compare your performance to the norms for various ages:
20 to 49 years old: 24 to 28 seconds.
50 to 59 years: 21 seconds.
60 to 69 years: 10 seconds.
70 to 79 years: 4 seconds.
80 and older: most cannot do it at all.
If you are wise, whatever your age, you will want to strive for the norm of those younger than
50. To increase stability and strengthen the legs, stand with feet shoulder-width apart and
arms straight out in front. Lift one foot behind, bending the knee at 45 degrees. Hold that
position for five seconds or longer, if possible.
Repeat this exercise five times. Then switch legs. As you improve, try one-leg stands with
your eyes closed.
You can also incorporate one-leg stands into daily routines — while on the telephone, for
example, brushing your teeth, waiting in line or for a bus, or cooking and washing dishes.
Exercises to Build a Motor Skill
”Remember, balance is a motor skill,” Dr. Moffat, professor of physical therapy at New York
University, said in an interview. ”To enhance it, you have to train your balance in the same
way you would have to train your muscles for strength and your heart for aerobic capacity.”
Dr. Moffat pointed out that balance is twofold: static while standing still and dynamic when
moving, as in walking and climbing stairs. Two main routes improve balance — exercises that
increase the strength of the ankle, knee and hip muscles and exercises that improve the
function of the vestibular system.
Like one-leg stands, many can be done as part of a daily routine. Dr. Moffat recommends
starting with strength exercises and, as you improve, adding vestibular training by doing
some of them with closed eyes.
Sit-to-stand exercises once or twice a day increase ankle, leg and hip strength and help the
body adjust to changes in position without becoming dizzy after being sedentary for a long
time. Sit straight in a firm chair (do not lean against the back) with arms crossed. Stand up
straight and sit down again as quickly as you can without using your arms. Repeat the
exercise three times and build to 10 repetitions.
Heel-to-toe tandem walking is another anytime exercise, resembling plank walking popular
with young children. It is best done on a firm, uncarpeted floor. With stomach muscles tight
and chin tucked in, place one foot in front of the other such that the heel of the front foot
nearly touches the toe of the back foot. Walk 10 or more feet and repeat the exercise once or
twice a day.
Also try walking on your toes and then walking on your heels to strengthen your ankles.
Another helpful exercise is sidestepping. Facing a wall, step sideways with one leg (bring the
other foot to it) 10 times in each direction. After mastering that, try a dancelike maneuver that
starts with sidestepping once to the right. Then cross the left leg behind, sidestep to the right
again and cross the left leg in front. Repeat this 10 times. Then do it in the other direction.
In addition, the slow, continuous movements of tai chi, that popular Chinese exercise, have
been shown in scientific studies to improve balance and reduce the risk of falls.
Complete the questions below and submit them through the Assignment link. This
Assignment does NOT require any pictures.
1. After reading this Article, perform the described test while a friend or family member
keeps time to see how long you are able to keep your balance. Perform this test 3 times and
record each test’s times.
(Insert your name and age);
My left foot: 21 seconds, 10 seconds, 27 seconds.
My right foot: 22 seconds, 33 seconds, 20 seconds.
2. Try to have some other people perform the same test. Ideally, people outside your age
group as designated by the test. Record their 3 times.
(Insert the name of second person and age): Note he or she must be older than you
Right foot: 15 seconds, 45 seconds, 25 seconds
Left foot: 18 seconds, 13 seconds, 20 seconds
3. Was there anything you or the other person who performed the test could do to improve
your performance.
The writer of this article highlights that balance is a type of motor skill and, just like other
types of motor skills, has the capability to be enhanced and trained. The author lists exercises
and activities that offer strength to the body, thus improving an individual’s balance. The
activities include the following:
Tai-chi, Sidestepping, Heel-to-toe tandem walking, Walking on toes, Sit-to-stand
exercises once or two times a day may increase the strength of the hip, ankle, and leg.
4. Were you surprised by the results? If so, why?
(Insert your name)
I was surprised a little by the above results. Before I embarked on performing the test
thrice, I had a strong belief that being a person who loves practicing balance and taking part in
sporting activities such as skateboarding and boxing, and I would have the advantage of having
much more seconds on balancing. However, I was shocked by the results I recorded for both
feet.
(Insert the name of the second person)
I was shocked by the number of seconds I recorded for both the feet, given that I am an
athlete and therefore believed I would record much higher than what I recorded on performing
the test thrice.
5. Are you going to use any of the described exercises to improve your sense of
balance? Will you be sharing this Article or the information in this Article with older
members of your family?
Definitely, I will begin using some of the described exercises during my daily exercises
to improve my sense of balance and also investigate for other additional exercises and
activities. I also plan to share this article with my grandfather, who fell a few years back and
dislocated his arm so he could also practice and get a better body balance.
Preserving a Fundamental Sense: Balance
BYLINE: By JANE E. BRODY
SECTION: Section F; Column 0; Science Desk; PERSONAL HEALTH; Pg. 7
LENGTH: 1146 words
Scott McCredie is a Seattle-based health and science writer who says he ”discovered”
what he calls ”the lost sense” of balance after he watched in horror as his 67-year-old
father tumbled off a boulder and disappeared from sight during a hike in the Cascades.
Though his father hurt little more than his pride, Mr. McCredie became intrigued by
what might have caused this experienced hiker, an athletic and graceful man, to lose
his balance suddenly. His resulting science-and-history-based exploration led to a
book, ”Balance: In Search of the Lost Sense,” published last June by Little, Brown.
Noting that each year one in three Americans 65 and older falls, and that falls and
their sometimes disastrous medical consequences are becoming more common as the
population ages, Mr. McCredie wonders why balance is not talked about in fitness
circles as often as strength training, aerobics and stretching. He learned that the sense
of balance begins to degrade in one’s 20s and that it is downhill — literally and
figuratively — from there unless steps are taken to preserve or restore this delicate and
critically important ability to maintain equilibrium.
Vertigo, which can be caused by inner ear infections, low blood pressure, brain
injuries, certain medications and some chronic diseases, is loss of balance in the
extreme. Anyone who has experienced it — even if just from twirling in a circle -knows how disorienting and dangerous it can be. Really, without a sense of
balance, just about everything else in life can become an insurmountable obstacle.
One normal consequence of aging is a steady decline in the three main sensory
contributors to good balance — vision, proprioceptors on the bottoms of the feet that
communicate position information to the brain, and the tiny hairs in the semicircular
canals of the inner ear that relay gravity and motion information to the brain. Add to
that the loss of muscle strength and flexibility that typically accompany aging and you
have a fall waiting to happen.
But while certain declines with age are unavoidable, physical therapists, physiatrists
and fitness experts have repeatedly proved that much of the sense of balance can be
preserved and even restored through exercises that require no special equipment or
training. These exercises are as simple as standing on one foot while brushing your
teeth or walking heel-to-toe with one foot directly in front of the other.
Testing for Equilibrium
Marilyn Moffat and Carole B. Lewis, physical therapists in New York and
Washington, respectively, agree with Mr. McCredie that ”balance is an area of
physical fitness that is often overlooked,” but they seek to correct that in their recent
book ”Age-Defying Fitness” (Peachtree Publishers). They define balance as ”the
ability of your body to maintain equilibrium when you stand, walk or perform any
other daily activity” like putting on pants, walking on uneven ground or reaching for
something on a shelf.
Dr. Moffat and Dr. Lewis suggest starting with a simple assessment of your current
ability to maintain good balance. With a counter or sturdy furniture near enough to
steady you if needed, perform this test:
1. Stand straight, wearing flat, closed shoes, with your arms folded across your chest.
Raise one leg, bending the knee about 45 degrees, start a stopwatch and close your
eyes.
2. Remain on one leg, stopping the watch immediately if you uncross your arms, tilt
sideways more than 45 degrees, move the leg you are standing on or touch the raised
leg to the floor.
3. Repeat this test with the other leg.
Now, compare your performance to the norms for various ages:
20 to 49 years old: 24 to 28 seconds.
50 to 59 years: 21 seconds.
60 to 69 years: 10 seconds.
70 to 79 years: 4 seconds.
80 and older: most cannot do it at all.
If you are wise, whatever your age, you will want to strive for the norm of those
younger than 50. To increase stability and strengthen the legs, stand with feet
shoulder-width apart and arms straight out in front. Lift one foot behind, bending the
knee at 45 degrees. Hold that position for five seconds or longer, if possible.
Repeat this exercise five times. Then switch legs. As you improve, try one-leg stands
with your eyes closed.
You can also incorporate one-leg stands into daily routines — while on the telephone,
for example, brushing your teeth, waiting in line or for a bus, or cooking and washing
dishes.
Exercises to Build a Motor Skill
”Remember, balance is a motor skill,” Dr. Moffat, professor of physical therapy at
New York University, said in an interview. ”To enhance it, you have to train your
balance in the same way you would have to train your muscles for strength and your
heart for aerobic capacity.”
Dr. Moffat pointed out that balance is twofold: static while standing still and dynamic
when moving, as in walking and climbing stairs. Two main routes improve balance -exercises that increase the strength of the ankle, knee and hip muscles and exercises
that improve the function of the vestibular system.
Like one-leg stands, many can be done as part of a daily routine. Dr. Moffat
recommends starting with strength exercises and, as you improve, adding vestibular
training by doing some of them with closed eyes.
Sit-to-stand exercises once or twice a day increase ankle, leg and hip strength and help
the body adjust to changes in position without becoming dizzy after being sedentary
for a long time. Sit straight in a firm chair (do not lean against the back) with arms
crossed. Stand up straight and sit down again as quickly as you can without using your
arms. Repeat the exercise three times and build to 10 repetitions.
Heel-to-toe tandem walking is another anytime exercise, resembling plank walking
popular with young children. It is best done on a firm, uncarpeted floor. With stomach
muscles tight and chin tucked in, place one foot in front of the other such that the heel
of the front foot nearly touches the toe of the back foot. Walk 10 or more feet and
repeat the exercise once or twice a day.
Also try walking on your toes and then walking on your heels to strengthen your
ankles.
Another helpful exercise is sidestepping. Facing a wall, step sideways with one leg
(bring the other foot to it) 10 times in each direction. After mastering that, try a
dancelike maneuver that starts with sidestepping once to the right. Then cross the left
leg behind, sidestep to the right again and cross the left leg in front. Repeat this 10
times. Then do it in the other direction.
In addition, the slow, continuous movements of tai chi, that popular Chinese exercise,
have been shown in scientific studies to improve balance and reduce the risk of falls.
Complete the questions below and submit them through the Assignment
link. This Assignment does NOT require any pictures.
1. After reading this Article, perform the described test while a friend or family
member keeps time to see how long you are able to keep your balance. Perform this
test 3 times and record each test’s times.
2. Try to have some other people perform the same test. Ideally, people outside your
age group as designated by the test. Record their 3 times.
3. Was there anything you or the other person who performed the test could do to
improve your performance.
4. Were you surprised by the results? If so, why?
5. Are you going to use any of the described exercises to improve your sense of
balance? Will you be sharing this Article or the information in this Article with older
members of your family?
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