Falling can occur at any age, but according to the American Council on Exercise, a fall involving an elderly adult can lead to more lasting and serious injuries. There are ways to prevent such accidents through specific balance and strength exercises. Spending as little as 20 minutes a day doing a few of these functional exercises can greatly diminish the likelihood of a fall.
Reverse Chair Squat
The reverse chair squat targets muscles in the legs you use for sitting and standing. Strengthening these muscle groups can help prevent you from losing stability anytime you sit or stand. To perform, find a chair with arms and place it in the middle of an open area. Start by sitting in the chair with both feet planted on the ground. Slowly begin to stand up by using your arms as leverage to push up and out of the chair. From a standing position, slowly sit back down by lowering your glutes onto the seat.
Single Leg Balance
The single leg balance is great for building stabilizer muscles in the leg and hips that help control stability while walking or leaning. To perform, use a chair with a back rest roughly at the same level as your elbows. Facing the back of the chair with your feet side by side, slowly lift one leg out to the side. Try to life your leg as far up the side as possible without leaning your torso in the opposite direction. Slowly lower it back down and switch legs.
Seated Leg Raises
Seated leg raises strengthen your quad muscles which are responsible for keeping you balanced while walking and preventing your legs from buckling under your own body weight. To perform the exercise, sit on a chair with your legs bent and feet placed side by side on the ground. Slowly extend one leg out in front of you by lifting your foot off the ground and straightening it out so it's parallel to the floor. Lower it back down and switch legs. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends pointing your toes forward at the top of the extension in order to further target the quad muscles.
Ankle Rotations
According to the American Council on Exercise, weak ankles can greatly increase your risk of falling. To strengthen your ankles, find a towel long enough to wrap around the bottom of your foot so you can hold onto both ends while seated in an upright position. Tug on the towel slightly to add resistance to your ankle and begin making figure-8 patterns with your foot. Make sure you pushing your foot against the pressure you're creating by pulling the towel toward you. Repeat on the other foot.
References
- "American Council on Exercise Personal Trainers Manual"; Cedric X. Bryant; 2003
- "ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2010
