Reduce your fall risk with these two balance exercises

Falling is something that most people don’t think much about. However, almost everyone is at risk of falling, and this risk is much greater for older people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than 25% of older people fall down every year. This organization also reports that 3 million seniors are treated for fall injuries annually. 

Physical therapy is one option you should consider if you want to reduce your fall risk. Therapists can develop an individualized balance training plan for you, and this plan is likely to include balance exercises. Here are two of the balance exercises a physical therapist might prescribe: 

1. Heel raises

Increasing the strength of your leg muscles is one way to reduce your fall risk. This is why many balance training physical therapy plans include leg exercises, and an example of one such exercise is heel raises. 

How to perform the heel raise exercise

• Stand with a stable chair or counter in front of you. This will give you something to hold on to if you’re feeling unsteady during the exercise. 

• Slowly raise both your heels off the floor. 

• Hold this position for three to five seconds. 

• Slowly lower your heels back to the floor. 

• Repeat these steps until you’ve completed 10 repetitions. 

2. Standing hamstring curls

Your hamstrings are an important muscle when it comes to balance. They help support your hip and knee joints, and the hamstrings also help these joints extend and flex. Your therapist may want to help improve the stability of your knee and hip joints, which can help reduce your fall risk. One therapeutic exercise they might recommend for your hamstrings is the standing hamstring curl. 

How to perform the stand hamstring curl exercise

• Stand up straight and hold on to the back of a stable chair. 

• Slowly lift your right foot off the floor and bend your knee upward. Your goal is to bring your heel as close to your butt as you can. 

• Hold this position for three to five seconds.

• Return to the starting position. 

• Repeat these steps to do the exercise with your left leg. 

• Continue to repeat the steps until you’ve done 10 to 15 repetitions with each leg. 

Peak Performance is ready to help reduce your fall risk

At Peak Performance, our therapy team offers balance and gait training that can help reduce your fall risk. All you have to do to get our help is come into one of our clinics for a free screening. This screening will give us the chance to determine the cause or causes of your balance problem. Next, our team will use the information they’ve gathered to create a personalized therapy plan designed to address the root cause of your balance issue. 

Do you want to start getting our help improving your balance? Contact us today for more information or to schedule your free screening.