Let’s Challenge Your Balance!

Older adults who are trying to maintain independence in their daily lives often find themselves doing balance and coordination drills to remain steady on their feet. Fortunately, some of them are already fairly decent on their feet, and need a bit more of a challenge to increase their balance capabilities. This article, in addition to the video demonstration above, will give you 5 of my favorite balance and coordination exercises that seniors and beginners can do to keep fit and healthy. I would highly recommend checking out the video demonstration above to see exactly how to do the exercises.

5 Best ADVANCED Balance & Coordination Exercises for Seniors

Scales

Scales are a great single leg balance and strength exercise to really challenge a large change in center of gravity. I usually cue the older adults I work with to try to keep their body as straight as possible, when reaching far forwards. Also, try to keep your trail foot in the air the entire time, instead of cheating the movement and cutting it short.

Single Leg RDL

Single leg RDLs are a step up from the last exercise. Instead of reaching forward on one foot, you will reach straight down to the ground on one foot. This is similar to a “golfers pick up” if you have ever heard of that. Just like the scale, still make sure that you stay on one foot the entire time, as you reach down. I like using a landmark of my shin or toe as a point to try to reach towards.

Over and Back Taps

Over and back taps will work your balance and hip mobility tremendously. For this balance drill, start with both feet together, and alternate reaching one foot over the other one, tapping to the side. Then, you will bring the foot back over, and bring it behind your other one as far as possible, mimicking a bowler lunge. Reach as far possible without pain, as you will notice the further you reach, the more of a lunge you will be doing.

Reverse Lunge March

This exercise will give you not only good work on your leg muscles, but really test your balance. Most older adults are familiar with doing marches in place for balance. This exercise will have you doing a march on one leg where you hold your knee high at the top, and with that same leg, bring it back behind you, completing a reverse lunge. Do about 10 repetitions on one leg, and repeat on the other side. Have a chair near you for support!

Cross Walks

Heel to toe walking is an incredibly common balance exercise seniors to do maintain coordination. A step up from this exercise, is by doing a similar movement. Instead of just doing heel to toe stepping, you will do a heel to toe step, but stepping across your foot instead, similar to the over and back taps from earlier. Once you do this exercise forward the challenge really happens when you attempt it backwards! I would highly recommend checking the video out above to see how to do it.

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Hang On!

If you want to continue to improve your health and knowledge of the gym, regardless of your current abilities, you need to subscribe to our blog. Otherwise, you can check out this other article I created giving you a few more balance exercises to help reduce falls!

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#seniorfitness #balance #balanceworkouts #physicaltherapy #lowimpactworkout #beginnerworkout