To Avoid Falls, Check Your Balance

Checking one's balance can help older adults avoid falls, reports U.S. News & World Report. The first step before prescribing an appropriate exercise regimen is to perform the single leg stance test: a person stands barefoot before a chair without touching it, lifts a leg fof the floor and starts a stopwatch timer; the person steadies him- or herself with the chair when they start to sway, and halts the timer. A doctor consultation is recommended if the person starts to feel unsteady before the average time they are supposed to be in balance for their age. Balance can be improved by practicing the one-leg stance, but as a training exercise, persons should hold onto the chair and not let go. The regimen calls for lifting one leg for 15 seconds, resting and repeating three times, and then switching legs. Someone should always be with the person when trying the exercise for the first time, while taking a balance class might be a good suggestion.