3 Exercises to Improve Your Balance

Good balance makes it less likely you'll fall. Here are easy ways to improve your stability.

You may think it's inevitable that as you age, you'll lose your sense of balance and increase your risk of falling. And there's good reason to be concerned about taking a tumble. One in three adults over age 65 falls each year, often resulting in serious injuries such as head injuries, hip fractures and other broken bones. Health problems associated with hip fractures alone cause more deaths each year in women than breast cancer.

Balance is important at all stages of life but becomes especially critical as you age. The good news is that you can maintain your balance by staying active and performing exercises that help strengthen your core and improve your stability, mobility and coordination.

Here are 3 simple exercises that help improve your balance:

1. Stand on one leg. You can perform this exercise almost anywhere and at any time. Simply stand on one leg and try to balance for 30 seconds or more. You can begin by placing your hands out to the side to help you balance but eventually you'll want to try to stay steady without arms outstretched. To make this exercise more challenging, close your eyes or stand on a less stable surface, such as a pillow or couch cushion.
2. Walk heel to toe. Put one foot in front of the other as you walk in a straight line, lining up the heel of one foot directly in front of the toes on the other foot. Take about 20 steps forward and then 20 steps back.
3. Learn tai chi. The flowing movements of tai chi have been shown to improve balance and stability. A study published in 2015 showed that older adults who practiced Tai Chi Chuan for several weeks did better on a series of balance tests at the end of the study than they did at the start. They also performed better than people who spent the same amount of time ballroom dancing.