We often to take our balance for granted.  Unfortunately, as we age our balance can start to deteriorate, increasing the risk of having a fall.

Your balance is affected by a number of the body’s systems.  Good balance requires visual input from your eyes, sensory information from your vestibular system, and sensory information from your joints.

Whilst ageing can affect how well these systems function, it does not necessarily mean that your balance has to deteriorate.  Muscle weakness and reduced activity levels are very common factors which can lead to a loss of balance.  Targeted exercises can therefore help to improve your balance and reduced your risk of having a fall.

As with any skill, you need regular practice to maintain your ability.  Feeling unsteady can have a huge impact on your confidence, which can in turn lead to you avoiding certain activities and generally being less active.  Unfortunately, this quickly turns into a vicious cycle – the less active you are, the weaker your muscles become and the more unsteady you feel.

Try the exercises below to start improving your balance.  Start off holding onto a stable surface such as a wall, banister or kitchen unit.  As you improve, try the exercises without any support.  Do not push any of the exercises into pain.

Exercises to Improve Balance

Try to do 5 minutes of balance exercises twice a day