Reducing the Risk of Falling with a Balance Board
One of the greatest fears all seniors have is being injured in a fall. Experiencing a fall is currently the leading cause of injury for senior citizens in America (Hegg, 2018). Over a third of senior citizens suffer a fall and experience a fall related injury that limits their movement as well as their ability to live independently according to National Institute of Health (NIH). This is partly because the ability to balance and stabilize oneself decreases with age. It is for this very reason that balance exercises are highly recommended by the NIH to maintain and increase balance (Strongboard Balance, N.A.). One of the best options for seniors to improve their balance is to use a balance board. Using a balance board is a great exercise equipment for those just starting out with exercise to those interested in pushing themselves with advanced exercise techniques (Hegg, 2018). What makes a balance board good for seniors to use is that not only does the balance board increase balance, it strengthens the core, and improves postural control. All of which are important in reducing the risk of falls (Strongboard Balance, N.A.).
What is The Balance Board Trainer?
A useful piece of exercise equipment, the balance board was made for maintaining and improving balance. The way it works is that the board itself is similar to that of a seesaw. The user must stand on the board balancing their body on the board while preventing the ends of the board from touching the floor (Fit & Me, 2021). Overall, there are five different types when it comes to balance boards, but there’s no way to say which one is the best for seniors. As all other exercise equipment, a balance board is only effective if the user is comfortable with it, and if it suits their individual needs (Fit & Me, 2021). No matter what kind of balance board is chosen, the only important thing for any senior to know is that using a balance board guarantees the strengthening of 29 muscles in the stomach, back, hips, and pelvis that are all critical for improved: balance, stability, postural control, and fall prevention. For seniors that have already suffered a fall the balance board is also great for recovering from a previous fall related injury (Strongboard Balance, N.A.). Lastly, one thing to keep in mind before using a balance board is that it is best to start by using this equipment from a seated position to get a feel of having the balance board beneath your feet. This can be the beginning step of improving balance for seniors carefully learning to balance on the board, and eventually graduating from sitting to standing (Hegg, 2018).
How do You Balance a Balance Board?
Proper posture is key to get the most out of using a balance board. As worrying as this sound it’s to be expected that posture improve the more the balance board is used. For seniors specifically, the more you use the balance board to improve your balance the better you will be able to maintain proper posture on the balance board. Those that are new to the balance board the steps for learning the best posture on the balance board is broken up between the upper and lower body.
Upper Body Positioning: Although difficult, anyone using the balance board must stay focused on looking forward instead of looking down. Looking forward is what will keep the head, shoulders, and back properly aligned as well as activate the core muscles. This is important to establish and maintain good balance and finding your center of balance (Revolution Balance Boards, 2014).
Lower Body Positioning: For the lower body, the main focus is on keeping the knees bent. The more balance improves the more you’ll be able to bend your knees increasing the intensity of the exercises that are safe for a senior to do. For example, a challenging exercise a senior can do are squats by slowly bending the knees and then lifting back up. Adding these extra steps to using the balance board will ensure smaller muscles in the legs and core are also activated and strengthen to further improve ones balance (Revolution Balance Boards, 2014).
How long should you stand on a balance board?
Unlike training individual muscles, there’s no way to over train by using a balance board. In all actuality, the more time for seniors to train on the balance board the better it is for them in improving balance and coordination. It is highly recommended for seniors to use their balance board daily whenever they find the opportunity while respecting their body’s limits. It is okay if only a few minutes on the balance board can be managed at a time. The ideal duration of using the balance board is between ten to fifteen minutes per use. It is not advised to use the balance board longer than fifteen minutes as it can be unsafe to do so (Fit & Me, 2021).