I hope you’re practicing the Weekend Challenges on a regular basis to rebuild your bones quicker than you ever thought possible.
This weekend we’re going to work on balance. It’s important to mix balance exercises with your regular bone-building workout, because it’s such a vital component to avoiding falls that could result in a fracture.
The Balancing Leg Swing is a simple exercise, but it’s a very effective move to improve your balance.
I’m also really excited to share with you new research that reveals just how important balance exercises are.
Let’s get started!
Why:
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, well over half a million people in the U.S. age 65 or older visit the emergency room due to fall-related injuries…and that’s in just one year.
If you think that balance is not really that big a deal, think about these sobering statistics:
- One in 3 adults age 65 and older fall one or more times a year.
- Non-fatal injuries resulting from falls cost $19 billion annually.
Now for some positive statistics!
- Physical activity (that is, regular exercise) can actually counteract the functional decline that often comes with age (and a sedentary lifestyle).
- Regular exercise can prolong independence into old age.
- Improved balance decreases your risk of falling, and therefore you risk of sustaining a fracture.
We’ll take a more in-more depth look at these statistics when we’ll discuss a recent study. But first, I’ll show you today’s exercise.
How:
You don’t need any weights or special equipment for the Balancing Leg Swing, but you might want to stand near a wall or chair so you’ll have something to hold on to.
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Lift one leg slightly (we’ll say the left leg for the sake of clarity).
- Bring the left leg up a bit more, bending your knee (think of taking a big step forward as if you were walking).
- Now bring your left leg back down and sweep it backwards.
- Bring your left leg forward again, and repeat the back-and-forth motion 10 times (or as many times as you can).
- At the same time as you swing the left leg, swing your right arm in the opposite direction (when your leg goes back, your arm goes forward, and vice versa).
- Switch sides and repeat for another 10 reps.
Recent Study Underscores The Importance Of Balance Exercises
Researchers conducted an 18-month long study on the effects of balance exercises in preventing falls among individuals over the age of 50. The participants had a history of falls within the year prior to the study, or had a history of osteoporotic fracture.
They were shown how to perform simple balance exercises that included moves like those found in the Densercise™ Epidensity Training System:
“…strengthening exercise, emphasizing hip abductors and extensors; closed kinetic chain quadriceps exercise; marching; stepping over a bench; standing up from a chair with arms folded; and tandem walk (walking heel-to-toe in a straight line).” 1
After the study was over, the researchers concluded that performing simple balancing exercises three days a week (as in Densercise™):
“… can increase balancing abilities, and decrease fall rates in the elderly with previous falls.” 1
This Is Great News!
It’s wonderful to know you can take action against preventing falls and fractures. When you “Densercise™™,” you’re increasing fracture resistance in multiple ways: by building bone strength, enhancing your bones’ tensile strength, and promoting good posture and balance… to name a few.
Densercise™ is effective and fun on its own, or in combination with the Weekend Challenges.
If you haven’t yet, I encourage you to check out the Densercise™ Epidensity Training System today!
Enjoy the weekend!
References
1 Kuptniratsaiku, Vilai, et al. “Effectiveness of simple balancing training program in elderly patients with history of frequent falls.” Clinical Interventions in Aging. May 6, 2011. pp 111-117. Web. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3095557/
Andrea seipel what vegetable book &facial are you talking about.
To Whom It May Concern
Could you please send me all the excersizes again, from the very beginning as i was in California for months and just returned home to Sandpoint, Idaho. My comp crashed and they are all gone. I will b e 88 next week and i am hoping that your excersises will be good for me. I have none of them and i would like to begin from the start. Thank you kindly
Orania Hamilton
Could you please send me the picture of the leg swing. I cannot find it.
Thank you,
Linda
Thanks for sharing this exercises, I have been practicing them and I feel that the pain in my hips is getting lower and my balance is much, much better, Thanks.
Good morning Vivian,
Balancing exercises are my favorite due to my vertigo.
I loved it. Thank you very much.
Marlene
Dowager’s hump is a rotten term. It really stinks. Isn’t hump enough? I knew a man in town who was so bent over he looked at the sidewalk, and another who died from osteoporosis when it squeezed his lungs. They were not dowagers. Check your dictionary. I did not receive a title from my deceased husband, and having lost more than 7 inches of height, I can hardly be considered of imposing appearance. Vivian, you know heaps about osteoporosis, but you don’t know beans about actually having multiple spinal compression fractures.
I agree that it is an unfortunate term – I prefer the medical term, kyphosis. 🙂
I have added sockeye wild salmon, 1/2 can as many times a week as i can, also before bedtime cream of rice cereal with 1 cup of lactose free milk, which is 50% calcium. I have the salmon over spinach and dandelion greens and arugula. So it is a full time job to be eating 5 small meals a day, calcium rich and at least 1/2 hr a day sun, no sunblock for my D. Added D3 vits and bone building calcium supplements 2xs a day 500 mg each serving. Love the balance exercises, and walking, yoga and light weights 30 min 3xs a week.
I can not thank you enough for all the information you post! The exercises are wonderful! I love the vegetable book and.The facial was fabulous! Thanks
This is a great exercise, even though I need to stabilize my swing leg by touching it slightly to the floor but feel I will get better as I do more of them.
The One I love the best so far is the dowagers hump exercise Vivian
Thank you so much for that
Best wishes Marion
I would like to know how to stop the dowagers hump.
I have my “favorites,” too, Marion! And Sharon, I encourage you to search this site for “Dowager’s hump.” You will find all kinds of valuable information and exercises!