Balance and Fall Prevention Archives - MelioGuide

Fall Prevention Guide

Margaret Martin — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 18:07:09 +0000

In this fall prevention for seniors (and everyone else!) guide, you will learn:

Consequences of a fall.
Systems that we use to stay upright and steady.
Factors that influence our ability to balance and prevent a fall. These include medication, footwear, and strength.
Steps you can take to improve your balance and reduce your risk of falling.

What is Balance?

The Oxford dictionary defines balance as:

“An even distribution of weight. This weight distribution enables someone or something to stay upright and steady.”

The Consequences of Falling

Falls occur at all ages.

Children don’t gain the confidence to walk without falling. Complete independent mobility can take many years.

Yet, with one fall, an older adult can lose their confidence and their independence.

As we age, our senses diminish, and our strength, agility, and coordination decrease. Many factors can impact the risk of falling.

A fall has consequences for older people. It often leads to an injury, sprain, strain, or fracture. It can also lead to a “fear of falling” or, worse, death.

Falls are the leading cause of injury-related death among adults age 65 and older.

The age-adjusted fall death rate is increasing. (1,2) Between 2012 and 2021, the rate of injury-related deaths among adults over 65 has gone up from 55.3 per 100,000 to 78.0 per 100,000. (3)

A fall and related injuries are a source of distress for:

Individuals.
Partner or spouse.
Other family members.

Falls should not be a “normal” part of aging. Instead, a fall is usually the result of unaddressed issues.

We will cover many of the things that can increase our risk of falling below. Let’s first discuss the systems we use to keep our bodies from falling.

How Our Bodies Stay in Balance

Keeping our bodies upright and steady involves several systems.

In this section, you will learn about these systems. By the end, you will understand:
Why do you sometimes lose your balance?

How you can improve your balance. Let’s start with the visual system and how it affects your balance.

Visual System

The first system most people are aware of when it comes to balance is our visual system. Our eyes allow us to perceive, process, and interpret what we see. We rely on our eyes to keep us oriented toward the world.

Due to concerns about falling, most people look where they walk. Many people look down when the surface is uneven, or the terrain is unfamiliar and focus their eyes on one spot to maintain balance.

If we constantly rely on our eyes, the other systems become dull. The end of this guide will cover tips to protect your eyes and stimulate the other balance systems.

Vestibular System

The second system we use is the vestibular system, or the inner ear.

The ear has three semicircular canals pointed in different directions. They are perpendicular to each other and give us position-sense when we move our heads. Fighter pilots and astronauts must train to avoid dizziness when doing their spins.

Children love to stimulate their vestibular systems. They roll around on the ground, hang upside down from monkey bars, and do other movements.

As we age, we tend to avoid stimulating our vestibular system. We find it unstable and disorienting. Clients tell me that they do the same walk every day. One day, someone comes up from behind and calls their name. Turning their head to see who it is, they fall.

Why does this happen?

Because that individual never worked on their balance with head turns. They lost their balance from a simple head turn. We provide tips at the end of this guide, hoping this never happens to you.

Somatosensory System

The third system we use in our body is the somatosensory system. The somatosensory system is part of our nervous system. It allows us to feel pressure and joint position, among other things.

Specialized nerves called proprioceptors exist in our muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints. Proprioceptors relay information to our brains to let us know where our limbs are in space.

Cerebral vascular accidents, or strokes, cause trauma to the brain. This could lead to various problems.

Somatosensory System Example

A part of the brain receives information from the proprioceptors. Suppose an accident causes damage in that area of the brain.

That individual will not be able to interpret the data coming from the limb. As a result, they will not notice that their hand falls off the arm of the wheelchair when they lift themselves.

That individual then has to rely even more on their visual system. They must use their eyes to know where their hand or foot is.

With our central nervous system intact, we can train our proprioceptors. We do this by challenging our vestibular system or altering our visual system.

It is best to practice in a way that allows your proprioceptors time to succeed and does not overwhelm them. I have many exercises that will provide safe progressions in the tips below.

Factors That Influence Balance and Prevent Falls

Many factors influence our balance and help us prevent falls. We cover several of them in this section, starting with strength.

Strength and Fall Prevention

Strength plays a critical role in fall prevention. The stronger you are, the better the chance that you reduce the risk of an injury from a fall.

Upper body strength improves our chances of catching ourselves in a fall. Lower body strength gives you the ability to withstand more significant perturbations. Core strength provides you with the stability to pull it all together.

Flexibility and Fall Prevention

Flexible ankles are both a curse and a blessing when it comes to falling. Flexible, strong ankles can withstand and correct slips and trips. While flexible, weak ankles are often the cause of a fall.

I encourage my clients to strengthen and improve the flexibility of their ankles.

Posture

A kyphotic posture or rounded upper back can cause balance issues and lead to a fall. In fact, research shows a relationship between kyphotic posture and loss of independence. There is also a correction with a higher death rate among community-dwelling older adults.

Let’s move to eyes, vision, and vision care.

Eyes and Vision Care

As we age, many people develop eye diseases. Some of these diseases will cause a degree of vision change, some of which is irreversible.

I am concerned when I assess an individual and it determines that their primary balance strategy is their eyes. This is a very common issue with most individuals over the age of 50 or if they have experienced previous falls.

Developing alternative balance strategies such as strength, agility, and our proprioceptors can help to keep us upright.

If you are over 65, have comprehensive eye examinations every 24 months.

If you are under 65 and have a family history of eye disease, do not hesitate to visit an optometrist. Changes in your vision are another reason to reach out to your optometrist.

Common visual changes that occur as we age include:

Cataracts.
Glaucoma.
Macular degeneration.
Diabetic retinopathy.
Mini-strokes that can affect the optic nerves.

Be sure to make regular visits to the optometrist part of your healthy aging process.

Pharmaceuticals

Many over-the-counter and prescription drugs can increase your risk of falling. Speak to your pharmacist about their potential impact on balance.

For example, the Tylenol bottle might state that you can take up to four grams daily. But the pharmaceutical company based the recommendation on testing with healthy, 25-year-old men.

The comparison is not useful. A young man has much more muscle content than we do as we age. The percentage of muscle, water, and body fat is very different between 25 and 65 years old. Despite this, the recommended dosage is the same for all adults.

The percentage of muscle, water, and body fat affects how long a medication stays in your body. It also determines whether it leads to toxicity faster.

The following common medications increase fall risk:

Aspirin.
NSAIDs.
Anticonvulsant medications.
Antidepressants.
Opioids.
Muscle relaxants.
Cannabinoids.

Fall Proof Your Home

When our balance is poor, hanging on to furniture to get around the house is dangerous. Just as having too much clutter can be dangerous. I provide suggestion if you find yourself in either or both situations.

Footwear and Fall Prevention

Footwear plays a critical role in balance and fall prevention. What we wear on our feet dictates the comfort, response, and support our feet feel for the task.

My husband says: “You can spot a physical therapist by their shoes.”

Why?

We generally wear sensible shoes: no high heels or floppy slippers. Below you will find all the qualities you should look for when shopping for shoes.

If you have specific shoe needs, seek help from a podiatrist or other foot specialist.

Shoe Wear

Choose shoe wear that reduces your risk of a fall and keeps your feet healthy. I suggest you follow these guidelines.

Slip On Shoes

Slip-ons make it life easier but not safer. I strongly encourage you to look for the following qualities in day-to-day shoes to reduce your risk of falling:

Low Heels

Low heel shoes are safer because you are closer to the ground.

Non-Skid Soles

Wide toe box to allow your toes to stretch out and help you respond to your environment.

Lace-Up Shoes.

Lace-up shoes are essential, but all my clients hate them because they have to lace them up. Instead, get lace-up shoes, but change the laces to elastic laces so you don’t have to bend down.

Use a long-handle shoehorn to slip your foot into the shoe, avoiding the need to reach down.

Foot Care and Preventing Falls

Our feet are essential for balancing. Studies show that the health of our feet is an integral component of fall prevention and balance.

Foot care has been an obsession of mine. Since I turned 50, I noticed that my balance was starting to change. I thought I could harness the power of my feet to improve my balance.

Foot care involves removing many unwanted items from your feet, including:

Plantar warts.
Corns.
Calluses.
Ingrown toenails.
Bunions.
And any other undesirable item.

From there, you want to add regular foot massage, toe stretches, and strengthening.

My YouTube shorts, below, demonstrate each of these.

If you still do not know if you have healthy feet, then have a foot assessment. Pedorthists and podiatrists are foot care experts. They know foot orthotics and orthopedic footwear well.

You don’t have to go see them because you want an orthotic. See them for the health of your feet.

Feet

4 Videos

0:16

Flexible Strong Feet

Studies and my clinical observation tells me that taking care of your feet is critical when it coms to reducing your risk of a fall. I recommend that you begin with some foot care. You can get the help of a professional for corns, calluses, hammer toes and bunions.

I recommend that you start with some basic foot massage that you can do yourself and other important foot care strategies that you will find here.

Balance Exercises

The video below is a sample of several exercises to improve your balance. A more comprehensive series of (ad free) balance and fall prevention videos is available on my site.

Recommended Product

The fastest way to improve your balance is to practice. The videos in this balance exercise series will help you quickly regain your confidence.

Fall Prevention for Seniors Tips

These tips will help reduce your chance of a fall.

Take Care of Your Eyes

Get your eyes checked. Make sure your eyeglass prescription is up-to-date.

Request a low vision exam if you have any vision difficulties. The right tools can ensure you can see important things. This is especially true if you are dispensing the medication at home.

Glasses are an essential consideration in vision care. However, bifocals and progressive lenses impact our ability to perceive depth accurately. You need be cautious when managing steps.

Slow Head Turns Exercise

Head movements stimulate your vestibular system. To train your vestibular system while working on your balance, start with little head turns. As you get more comfortable, add more prominent head turns. The speed and angle at which you turn your head can make a big difference in your ability to stay upright.

Train Your Proprioceptors

Practice balance exercises that do not involve focusing your eyes on one spot. Begin with moving only your eyes without turning your head. Start moving them slowly from side to side, then up and down.

There are many examples of in the Beginner Level Balance Exercises in my book, Exercise for Better Bones. Be sure to explore all the variations.

Strength

The strength of your legs, core and arms play a role in fall prevention as we discussed earlier. The strength training guide will provide you with a greater understanding of the benefits of being strength training and help you find the right resource for you. View our strength training guide.

Flexibility

The flexibility of your ankles play a role in fall prevention as we discussed earlier. The flexibility guide will provide you with a greater understanding of the benefits of flexibility and help you find the right resource for you. You can start with the blog that covers both ankle and toe stretches.

Posture

Posture has been shown to influence your balance. The posture guide will provide you with a greater understanding of the benefits of flexibility and help you find the right resource for you.

Prescription Drugs

Talk to your pharmacist whenever you get a new prescription or a change in dosage. Specifically, ask if any of the medications increase your risk of falling.

Fall Proof Your Home

When our balance is poor, hanging on to furniture to get around the house is dangerous.

Suppose you move around your home using your furniture for stability. In that case, you certainly will benefit from some assistive device. There are many great options to keep you safe, depending on your situation and your home layout.

Please get in touch with a Physical Therapist. They can assess your balance and have you try different devices until you find the one that suits your needs. They can also customize a strength and balance program. When you regain strength and improve your balance, you can try the exercises on this site and build up to not needing an assistive device.

Home Safety – Top Three Tips for the Spaces in Your House

Kitchen

Never use a chair to climb up to reach into a cupboard.
Keep often-used items in easy-to-reach places.
Clean up spills straight away.

Bathroom

Install grab bars.
Consider a shower chair.
Use non-slip mats.

Bedroom

Keep a phone close by in case of emergency with preprogrammed numbers.
Ensure lamps are easy to reach.
Use motion sensor plug-in night lights.

Hallway

Remove clutter, keeping the path free from obstacles.
Use non-skid rugs and carpets with secured edges.
Remove any cords or wires.

Stairway

Keep them free of clutter.
Install full-length handrails.
Attach non-slip treads mark step/stairs edges.

Indoors and Outdoors Stairs

Ensure adequate lighting, including sensor lights.

Consult an Occupational Therapist

Occupational Therapists can do home safety checks and provide detailed reports in most larger cities.

In the meantime, please keep yourself safe. If your safety or that of someone you love is a concern, please check with your local hospital or doctor. Attend a fall screening event in your town or look for a local fall prevention clinic.

Foot Positioning Tips for Balance

Margaret Martin — Tue, 05 Nov 2019 19:18:07 +0000

Balance training is critical to reducing your risk of a fall. When you modify your balance stance, it challenges and improves your balance. In the video below I walk you through foot positioning tips that will improve your balance. I demonstrate how to progress from a parallel stance to staggered stance, and eventually to a tandem stance.

Improve Your Balance

I often tell my clients that improving their balance is like learning to surf (without the cold and wet part). Think of the surface under your feet is an imaginary surfboard. At the beginning, you want to avoid falling off your surfboard while placing your feet in different positions. As you learn to handle the little waves, gradually increase the challenge and ride the bigger waves.

This blog covers in detail how to modify your foot position gradually and safely while still having fun. This knowledge will allow you to safely challenge yourself with your standing balance exercises and, over time, improve your balance.

Foundational Balance Stance

We will start your exercise from the basic foundational balance pose. In this pose:

You have your two feet hip-width apart.
Feet are parallel to one another. This means that if you follow a straight line, your toes and your heels are equidistant apart.

That is a stable and solid foundational balance stance.

Staggered Feet Balance Stance

From this parallel position, you want to work towards a staggered feet balance stance.

Bring your feet back to a comfortable distance apart.

In a staggered stance, you take a step forward (or backwards) with one foot and hold that new balance stance. Now your feet are in a staggered position.

Make sure that you are comfortable and stable in this balance stance. Once you are comfortable, you are ready to make your next move and further challenge your balance.

Once again (like the parallel stance above) you want to, over time, narrow your base of support.

Bring the front heel then toe in until gradually the feet get closer and closer.
You might not feel comfortable yet with both feet on a line, like a tight rope walker.
If that is the case, start to slide that front foot back ever so slightly.
And back some more.

I find with most of my clients that I can get them to the position where their heel is just about in line and on the same plane as their big toe. At that point, they feel comfortable enough to move onto the line where heel and toe are in a straight line.

Exercise Recommendations for Osteoporosis

Exercise is an essential ingredient to bone health. If you have osteoporosis, therapeutic exercise needs to be part of your osteoporosis treatment program.

But what exercises should you do and which ones should you avoid? What exercises build bone and which ones reduce your chance of a fracture? Is Yoga good for your bones? Who should you trust when it comes to exercises for osteoporosis?

A great resource on exercise and osteoporosis is my free, seven day email course called Exercise Recommendations for Osteoporosis. After you provide your email address, you will receive seven consecutive online educational videos on bone health — one lesson each day. You can look at the videos at anytime and as often as you like.

I cover important topics related to osteoporosis exercise including:

Can exercise reverse osteoporosis?
Stop the stoop — how to avoid kyphosis and rounded shoulders.
Key components of an osteoporosis exercise program.
Key principles of bone building.
Exercises you should avoid if you have osteoporosis.
Yoga and osteoporosis — should you practice yoga if you have osteoporosis?
Core strength and osteoporosis — why is core strength important if you have osteoporosis?

Enter your email address and I will start you on this free course. I do not SPAM or share your email address (or any information) with third parties. You can unsubscribe from my mail list at any time.

Tandem Stance Balance Exercise

The tandem stance balance position is a straight line balance stance. It is sometimes known as the heel to toe balance exercise.

In the tandem stance balance exercise, you position the heel of your lead foot such that it grazes the toe of the back foot.

The tandem balance stance is quite challenging and often used in balance testing. This is a really good objective to reach before you progress to standing on one foot.

Balance Stance with Stable and Unstable Surfaces

So far, we have been doing the balance poses on a fairly stable surface. Stable surfaces include your kitchen floor, bathroom tiles, and hardwood floors.

A softer surface (such as a yoga mat) changes everything regarding balance stance. As you gain confidence in your balance, consider doing your balance exercises on a softer surface. I describe how to do this in the section, below, on single leg balance pose.

Toe Touch Pose

Let’s move to a toe touch balance stance.

People with arthritis of the big toe find that the toe touch balance pose is uncomfortable because they have to bend their toe to get into this pose. If this is the case, they might find it more comfortable to use a half foam roller to elevate and support the foot. This allows your big toe to be off the edge and avoid the toe bend.

Make sure that you keep your pelvis nice and level when you do this pose.

Single Leg Balance Pose

Once you have mastered these poses, you can progress to a single leg balance stance in different positions. You can also change the surface that you’re standing on and repeat the earlier balance stances.

A yoga mat is a good soft surface. Start with two folds of the yoga mat. In the video, I have about eight folds of this yoga mat.

Go through the entire sequence standing on the folded mat.
When you do the staggered balance stance, start with one foot.
Use either the front foot or the back foot on an unstable surface.
This kind of change makes the exercise exciting again.

Half foam rollers are also a nice tool to have and allow you to progress through your balance poses. You will see these used in the athletic level of the Exercise for Better Bones program.

Use your foam roller with the round side facing up. I find it a little bit more challenging than having it the opposite way. It is a real challenge with that rocking from side to side.

Balance Exercises for Fall Prevention

I encourage you to determine your level of balance and identify the appropriate balance training exercises. A good place to start is my Balance and Fall Prevention Exercise Workouts available on Amazon Prime and Vimeo.

Conclusion

That covers a number of balance stance variations you can do to challenge and improve your balance. As always, take your time and improve at a pace that you find comfortable and safe.

I hope you have a lot of fun and feel the strength and stability that improving your balance provides.

Balance Exercises for Seniors Guidelines

For more information, check out my Balance Exercises for Seniors guidelines.

The post Foot Positioning Tips for Balance appeared first on MelioGuide.

Self Foot Massage, Ankle Flexibility Techniques, and Toe, Calf and Soleus Stretches

Margaret Martin — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 22:04:41 +0000

Today I am going to show you several self foot massage and ankle stretching techniques as well as toe, calf and soleus stretches that will keep your feet, ankles, toes, calfs and soleus muscles supple and flexible. Not only do these stretches prepare your feet, ankles, calfs and soleus before exercise, they are great after a long workout or anytime your feet and lower legs need some love and attention.

Strong, flexible feet are essential to balance, fall prevention, and aerobic activities. Unfortunately, our feet tend to spend most of our lives sheltered in our shoes. The external support provided by our shoes protects them, however, it limits their movement and flexibility. As a result, we have to actively work on our feet and ankles to increase their flexibility, strength and stability.

The foot massage techniques demonstrated in this blog are great for your plantar fascia and the smaller muscles of your of your feet.

Self Foot Massage With a Ball • Technique #1

You will use a ball during this self foot massage.

Keep your heel on the floor. Place a ball at the bottom of your foot — on the outside edge of your arch. Follow these steps:

Sweep your foot over the ball. The movement should occur from rotation of your hip joint and allow the ball to massage from the outside the edge of your heel bone to the inside edge and back again.
Repeat this action several times before moving the ball.
Next, move the ball a little further into the mid foot. Repeat the sweeping motion back and forth.
Lastly, move the ball a little higher — just beneath the knuckles of the toes. Make slow sweeping motions from the base of your 5th toe to the base of your big toe and back again.
Remember that rotation happens from the hip joint. The knee and foot move as one unit.
Repeat on your other foot.

Self Foot Massage With a Ball • Technique #2

For this technique, imagine your foot resting over a lightly opened, old fashioned, hand-held fan. The handle of the fan is at your heel and the spokes of the fan are in line with the long bones (metatarsals) of your toes.

Begin as you did in the exercise above with the ball at the bottom of your foot outside edge of your arch. However, this time your heel is lifted off the floor. Follow these steps

Adjust the amount of pressure you have on the ball by shifting more or less weight onto the ball — you are looking for a Goldilocks pressure — not too strong or too weak, but “just right”. You should feel the pressure from the base of the heel to the knuckle, and all the way back.
Slowly roll the ball under your foot. Work the soft tissue between your 5th and 4th toes from the base of the heel to the outer two toes.
Next, place the ball in the centre of the base of your heel.
Slowly roll the ball under your foot working into the soft tissue between your 4th and 3rd toes from the base of the heel to the respective toes.
Repeat the massage between your 3rd and second toes and then finally between your 2nd and big toe.

Eventually you may wish to do this in standing position.

Exercise Recommendations for Osteoporosis

Exercise is an essential ingredient to bone health. If you have osteoporosis, therapeutic exercise needs to be part of your osteoporosis treatment program.

I cover important topics related to osteoporosis exercise including:

Can exercise reverse osteoporosis?
Stop the stoop — how to avoid kyphosis and rounded shoulders.
Key components of an osteoporosis exercise program.
Key principles of bone building.
Exercises you should avoid if you have osteoporosis.
Yoga and osteoporosis — should you practice yoga if you have osteoporosis?
Core strength and osteoporosis — why is core strength important if you have osteoporosis?

Toe Curl Exercise

Now we are going to give your toes a workout.

Place the ball just beneath the knuckles of your foot and keep your heel down.
Curl the toes around the ball as you slowly count to three.
At this point, open and stretch your toes away from the ball as you slowly count to three.

Repeat five times and then repeat on your other foot.

Toe Stretches

These toe stretches are done in sitting position. Depending on how flexible you are, either you can bring your foot to rest on your opposite knee or place your it on a chair or a stool.

You are going to stretch the web space between your toes.

Often, if toes have been confined in tight shoes, they begin to develop bunions. Over time our big toe can crowd out the second toe and this “crowding out” effect forces the big toe to sit over top of the second toe. Deformities of our toes are not only unattractive but, more importantly, they impair our foot function.

Toe alignment is very important for balance, posture and walking. Most of us ignore our toes until they become a problem. let’s try to change that!

I encourage you to begin gently. Respect the lack of flexibility that may have developed over the years. If you make foot care part of your daily routine, your feet will get better.

Technique #1

Begin by sitting tall. In a supportive manner, hold the big toe with one hand and the second toe (of the same foot) with the opposite hand.

Gently stretch the space between the big and second toe.
Hold for at least a slow count of three or as long as it feels right.
Move to the next two toes.
Stretch the space between the second and third toes, third and fourth, and finally fourth and fifth toes.

Technique #2

Begin in the same way as the first technique.

In a supportive manner, hold the big toe with one hand and the second toe (of the same foot) with the opposite hand.

Now stretch your big toe towards you as you stretch the second toe away from you.
Remember it should feels like a comfortable stretch.
Next switch the direction of stretch. Stretch your big toe away from you as you stretch the second toe towards you.
Hold for at least a slow count of three or as long as it feels right.
Move to the next two toes.
Stretch the toes in opposite directions between the second and third toes, third and fourth and finally fourth and fifth toes.

Your toes will thank you each day that you do these exercises.

A good time to stretch toes is when you are drying them after a bath or shower.

If your toes are really stiff, you could begin by placing an extra layer of towel between your toes. However you take care of them, do try to give your toes a nice opportunity to stretch out on a regular basis.

Exercise Recommendations for Osteoporosis

Exercise is an essential ingredient to bone health. If you have osteoporosis, therapeutic exercise needs to be part of your osteoporosis treatment program.

I cover important topics related to osteoporosis exercise including:

Can exercise reverse osteoporosis?
Stop the stoop — how to avoid kyphosis and rounded shoulders.
Key components of an osteoporosis exercise program.
Key principles of bone building.
Exercises you should avoid if you have osteoporosis.
Yoga and osteoporosis — should you practice yoga if you have osteoporosis?
Core strength and osteoporosis — why is core strength important if you have osteoporosis?

Plantar Fasciitis Prevention

Tight calf and soleus muscles causes extra strain on the plantar fascia predisposing someone to develop plantar fasciitis. The two stretches below are easy ways to stretch these two muscle groups and prevent the development of plantar fasciitis.

In our heel drop exercise blog (which includes heel raises) we discuss the importance of stretching the calf and soleus muscles.

Calf Muscle Stretch

The next exercises specifically stretches your calf muscles.

You will need either a rolled yoga mat, a half foam roller, or a 1 – 11/2 inch (2.5 – 4 cm) thick book. We will begin by stretching the right calf:

Stand with a supportive surface (a sturdy chair or counter top) on your left side.
Place the object of choice six inches in front of your right foot.
Rest your left hand on the supportive surface.
Step your right foot forward and place your right forefoot onto the raised surface.
Drop your right heel to the floor and straighten your right knee.
If you don’t feel a stretch, step your left foot closer to the raised surface.
If you still don’t feel a stretch, keep going forward until you start to feel a nice stretch in the calf muscle of the foot resting on the raised surface.
Hold the stretch for at least 30 seconds.
Repeat on the opposite side.

Soleus Muscle Stretch

The next exercises specifically stretches your soleus muscles. You will notice that the stretch is identical except for the knee is kept bent during the stretch.

You will need either a rolled yoga mat, a half foam roller, or a 1 – 11/2 inch (2.5 -– 4 cm) thick book. We will begin by stretching the right calf:

Stand with a supportive surface (a sturdy chair or counter top) on your left side.
Place the object of choice six inches in front of your right foot.
Rest your left hand on the supportive surface.
Step your right foot forward and place your right forefoot onto the raised surface.
Drop your right heel to the floor and bend your right knee.
If you don’t feel a stretch, step your left foot closer to the raised surface.
If you still don’t feel a stretch, keep going forward until you start to feel a nice stretch in the calf muscle of the foot resting on the raised surface.
Hold the stretch for at least 30 seconds.
Repeat on the opposite side.

Balance Exercises for Fall Prevention

A good place to improve your balance is my Balance and Fall Prevention Exercise Workouts available on Amazon Prime and Vimeo.

Conclusion

Foot and ankle flexibility are foundational to balance and fall prevention. In this blog, I covered several self foot massage and ankle flexibility exercises, as well as toe, calf and soleus muscle stretches you can do before and after a workout. These exercises will increase your ankle flexibility, build foot strength and improve your balance.

Balance Exercises for Seniors Guidelines

For more information, check out my Balance Exercises for Seniors guidelines.

The post Self Foot Massage, Ankle Flexibility Techniques, and Toe, Calf and Soleus Stretches appeared first on MelioGuide.

Minimalist Walking Shoes and Foot Strength

Margaret Martin — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 18:44:59 +0000

Most people find foot exercises boring and quit doing them before they increase foot strength. Does walking in minimalist walking shoes yield the same benefits as foot exercises? In this blog post, I cover a new study answers this question.

I also provide recommendations if you want to wear minimalist shoes as well as provide suggestions on what to look for if you want the best walking shoe for osteoporosis.

Time to put your foot down and take a step in the right direction. Let’s see how we can increase your foot strength.

Benefits of Strong Feet

Here are five key benefits strong feet for people with osteoporosis, osteopenia or low bone density.

1. You Can Do Weight Bearing Exercises

First, you need strong feet to do most weight bearing exercises (essential to build bone strength). The impact and benefit of weight bearing through your bones and muscles starts when your feet hit the ground. However, foot pain and weakness limits your ability to weight bear.

In my experience, I have seen people develop plantar fasciitis (PF) after eagerly increasing the time devoted to wearing a weighted vest or increasing the weight of the vest too rapidly.

Feet often the first point of failure when you increase weight bearing (either the load or number of steps). It is important to make our feet healthy and strong to be able to load more without consequence of strains such as plantar fasciitis (PF) or stress fractures.

2. You Will Have Stronger Metatarsal Bones

Second, strength training is specific to the bones where the muscles attach. When muscles pull on bone during strength training, the bone get stronger. All bones behave this way, including the bones of the feet. The metatarsal are the long bones in your feet.

Unfortunately, metatarsal fractures are common in people with osteoporosis, osteopenia or low bone density. Strengthening the muscles of the feet may help reduce the incidence of metatarsal fractures.

3. Your Balance Will Improve

Third, some clients have difficulty balancing because of weak foot muscles. This can lead to a higher risk of falls because of foot pain and weakness. Strong foot muscles can improve your balance and reduce the risk of a fall.

4. Knee and Hip Pain Will Not Stop Your From Exercise

Fourth, I have seen clients experience knee and hip pain because of faulty foot positioning during squats, lunges and daily activities. Strong foot muscles allow you to maintain proper foot position and reduce the incidence of knee and hip pain.

5. You Will Have a Better Posture

Fifth, the foundation of a perfect posture are strong foot muscles. I encourage clients to activate their whole body, including their feet, when they work on their posture.

The Path to Stronger Feet

By now you should be convinced that you will be better off in life with strong feet. But how can you improve the strength of your feet? Do you really need to include foot strengthening exercises into your exercise program or is there an easier way to achieve this goal?

Let’s look into whether it is better to improve foot strength through either foot strengthening exercises or walking with minimalist shoes. Fortunately, a new research looked into this question and arrived at some surprising results. Read on!

Exercise Recommendations for Osteoporosis

Exercise is an essential ingredient to bone health. If you have osteoporosis, therapeutic exercise needs to be part of your osteoporosis treatment program.

I cover important topics related to osteoporosis exercise including:

Can exercise reverse osteoporosis?
Stop the stoop — how to avoid kyphosis and rounded shoulders.
Key components of an osteoporosis exercise program.
Key principles of bone building.
Exercises you should avoid if you have osteoporosis.
Yoga and osteoporosis — should you practice yoga if you have osteoporosis?
Core strength and osteoporosis — why is core strength important if you have osteoporosis?

Minimalist Walking Shoes and Foot Strengthening

In 2019 the journal, ACSM Journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, published a study entitled Walking in Minimalist Shoes Is Effective for Strengthening Foot Muscles.

The authors’ state that the purpose of their research was “to determine the effect of walking in minimalist footwear or performing foot strengthening exercises on foot muscle size and strength.”(1)

In other words, the research wanted to know if either foot strengthening exercises or walking in minimalist shoes would yield better foot muscle and strength. If both yielded similar results, then the implications are interesting for all of us. The convenience of walking certainly is better than the inconvenience of adding new exercises to your already busy osteoporosis exercise program! Let’s start with how the study was conducted.

Minimalist Walking Shoe & Foot Strengthening Study Outline

The research team selected fifty-seven (57) runners and randomly assigned each runner to one of three groups

Minimalist shoe walking (MSW) group.
Foot strengthening (FS) exercise group.
Control (C) group.

The research candidates were experienced runners between the ages of 18 to 34 years old. They ran an average of between 15 and 30 miles each week for at least 6 months before study participation.

The study team excluded subjects if they had any lower extremity injuries within the 3 months before beginning the study or if they had run barefoot or in minimalist shoes more than three times within the previous 3 months.

The research team required all of the runners in the study, regardless of group assignment, to maintain their pre-study running mileage in traditional running shoes throughout their participation in the study. The (C) control group did not do any additional activities to improve foot strength. The MSW (minimalist shoe walking) and FS (foot strengthening) groups, on the other hand (or other foot), participated in a foot strengthening exercise program.

Minimalist Walking Shoe Group Protocol

Participants in the MSW (minimalist shoe walking) group were given the following items:

Pair of minimalist shoes (Inov-8 Bare XF 210 or Inova Bare 260) to wear in place of their typical daily footwear. Both shoe styles were zero drop. Neither had a midsole. The two differed only by the closure (the XF 210 had elastic laces, whereas the XF 260 had Velcro which resulted in an additional 50 g of weight).
Pedometer (Omron HJ-720ITFFP) to measure minimalist walking distance.

[Please note that I have linked to these products on Amazon and that I receive a small commission from Amazon if you purchase either of these products as a result of that link click.]

They were provided the following instructions to follow:

Over an 8-week period, the members of the MSW group gradually increased the number of walking steps they took in the minimalist walking shoes while reducing the number of steps taken in their regular footwear. They maintained (or kept steady) their typical daily walking and running activity.
At the beginning and during weeks 1 to 2, MSW participants walked 2,500 steps per day in the minimalist shoes.
During weeks 3 to 4 of the study, they increased to a daily step count of 5,000.
By weeks 5 to 8, the members of the MSW group were walking 7,000 steps daily.
Participants were asked to achieve their step count at least 5 days a week.
The participants were not allowed to run in the minimalist shoes.

Foot Strengthening Group (FS) Protocol

Participants assigned to the FS group were taught a series of foot strengthening exercises developed at the Spaulding National Running Center in Cambridge, MA. The exercises were designed to strengthen their intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles.

Each week during the eight-week study, members of the FS group performed the exercises at least five days a week. The exercises were done once in the laboratory and four times at home.

New progressive resistance variations of the exercises were taught during the weekly laboratory visits. The research team recorded the running mileage of all participants, the steps taken in minimalist footwear by the MSW group, and the foot exercises of the FS group.

Results of the Study

The C (control group) saw no changes in foot muscle size and strength. However, “all [foot] muscle sizes and strength increased significantly from weeks zero to eight in the FS and MSW groups.”

Study Conclusions

The research team concluded that “Minimalist shoe walking is as effective as foot strengthening exercises in increasing foot muscle size and strength.”

They went on further to state: “The convenience of changing footwear rather than performing specific exercises may result in greater compliance.”

This is significant for those of you who need to improve your foot strength. A small investment in minimalist walking shoes coupled with regular walking will yield the same benefits as a dedicated foot strengthening exercise program.

Exercise Recommendations for Osteoporosis

Exercise is an essential ingredient to bone health. If you have osteoporosis, therapeutic exercise needs to be part of your osteoporosis treatment program.

I cover important topics related to osteoporosis exercise including:

Can exercise reverse osteoporosis?
Stop the stoop — how to avoid kyphosis and rounded shoulders.
Key components of an osteoporosis exercise program.
Key principles of bone building.
Exercises you should avoid if you have osteoporosis.
Yoga and osteoporosis — should you practice yoga if you have osteoporosis?
Core strength and osteoporosis — why is core strength important if you have osteoporosis?

My Recommendations for Minimalist Walking Shoes

Before you run (or quickly walk) out to purchase your minimalist walking shoes, consider these nine recommendations:

1. Orthotics and Minimalist Shoes

First, there is no mention of the runners wearing orthotics in the study. All participants had “healthy feet” and they maintained their running distance with their regular running shoes. Therefore, if you currently wear orthotics, I advise you to discuss transitioning to minimalist shoes with your foot care professional.

2. Walking Surface and Minimalist Shoes

Second, minimalist shoes will also reduce the shock absorption provided by the shoe. You may want to consider the surface you use them on. If you have very low bone density and have suffered from a previous foot fracture, consider walking on a running track or treadmill rather than a concrete sidewalk.

3. Minimalist Shoes Recommended Protocol

Third, consider this protocol (similar to the one in the study) to build up your walking steps over an eight week period.

Measure your current number of steps you currently take per day with regular walking shoes.

Begin you program during weeks one and two by wearing the minimalist shoes for 25% of the number of steps you currently walk.
During weeks three and four, increase walking in minimalist walking shoes to 50% of the number of steps you currently walk.
By weeks five to eight, increase walking in minimalist walking shoes to 75% of the number of steps you currently walk.

4. Walking with Minimalist Shoes and Osteoporosis

Fourth, I encourage you to read my article, Is Walking Good for Osteoporosis, to learn more about walking and osteoporosis.

5. Plantar Fasciitis and Minimalist Shoes

Fifth, if you have been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis you should not further challenge or irritate it by starting to wear minimalist shoes. Rather, at this time, your feet need more support through appropriate footwear, orthotics and different forms of therapy until the tissues are ready to be strengthened.

The reasons for developing plantar fasciitis differ in individuals and the treatment approach should be individualized. Once your feet are pain free, you should speak to your foot care specialist about integrating minimalist shoes as an approach to strengthening. They might recommend that you begin with non-weight bearing foot strengthening before graduating to wearing minimalist shoes.

6. Minimalist Shoes, Weighted Vests and Osteoporosis

Sixth, I do not recommend that individuals with low bone density or osteoporosis combine minimalists shoe use with a weighted vest. This may impose too much load on the bones of their feet.

7. Recommended Walking Pace in Your Minimalist Shoes

Finally, the research team in the study did not indicate the walking pace that was used. I would encourage individuals to walk at their current walking pace.

8. Knee Arthritis and Minimalist Walking Shoes

Is it safe to wear minimalist shoes if you have knee arthritis? The answer is yes. A 2011 study (2) showed that minimalist shoes reduced loading on the knee (ie, reduced the strained) during walking compared to walking with heeled shoes.

The minimalist walking shoes used in this particular study were made by Moleca® with the following characteristics.

Women’s double canvas.
Flexible.
Flat walking shoe without heels.
Five millimetre anti-slip rubber sole.
Three millimetre internal wedge of ethylene vinyl acetate.

You can see a photo of them in the published research paper.

9. Transitioning to a Minimalist Walking Shoe from a Heeled Shoe

There is no mention whether or not the participants walked in flat shoes. In my experience, if a person has always worn heels, the transition to flat shoes needs to take place over several months with specific stretches for the calf, soleus and plantar fascia.

Shoes for Osteoporosis

Clients often ask me to recommend the best walking shoes for osteoporosis. While I cannot recommend a specific brand, style of fit (since that is dependent on taste and foot shape), I can suggest several guidelines.

It has been shown that when people wear high heel shoes that their balance is compromised and the risk of a fall is elevated. Avoid high heels!
Walking with minimalist shoes and barefoot is good for balance training and foot strengthening (as discussed in this post). These help reduce risk of a fall and fracture.
Soft heels do not provide enough support to avoid a fall. Use a shoe with standard heel hardness, with or without a tread.
Use a shoe with low collar.
A shoe with standard lace is likely the best option to secure the shoe.
The best time of day to try on and test new shoes for purchase is the end of the day. Your feet swell during the day and you want to make sure that your shoes can accommodate your feet when they are at their largest.
Purchase new shoes based on the fit and not the size. Make sure that both feet are measured and sized correctly to fit the longest of your two feet.
Leave one half an inch from the end of your longest toe to the tip of the shoe to ensure you have adequate room in the shoe and that you can wiggle your toes.
Wear your socks when you try on and test your shoes.
If you have orthotics, make sure you bring them to the fitting.
Try to get the complete experience with your new shoes. Walk, sit and stand in the shoes and make sure that they are comfortable in each situation.
Check the return policy to male sure you can wear the shoes for a few days inside your home.

I would like to acknowledge The Ottawa Hospital Better Shoes Better Balance checklist for several of the items on this list.

Perfect Posture and Postural Alignment

I have a page dedicated to Perfect Posture. You can find information on how to get that perfect posture. For those of you interested in dedicated Physiotherapy, I also offer one-on-one Physical Therapy postural alignment through my Posture Alignment Therapy.

References

Ridge ST, et al. Walking in Minimalist Shoes is Effective for Strengthening Foot Muscles, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, ACSM Journal. 2019; 51(1):104-113.
Trombini-Souza F, et al. Inexpensive footwear decreases joint loading in elderly women with knee osteoarthritis. Gait Posture. 2011 May; 34(1):126-30

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Balance Ball Exercises

Margaret Martin — Mon, 02 Oct 2017 19:20:36 +0000

I will demonstrate three different variations of balance ball exercises — each one progressively more challenging than the last. Are you ready?

Before we start, we should cover why you need a burst resistant exercise ball. Read my blog article Use a Burst Resistant Exercise Ball and then come back here.

This video covers some important safety tips and some basic moves before you start your balance ball exercises.

Balance Ball Exercises

The three balance ball exercises I will demonstrate are:

Four Point Balance Ball Exercise
Three Point Balance Ball Exercise with Arm Lift
Three Point Balance Ball Exercise with Leg Lift
Kneeling on Balance Ball

Let’s start with the Four Point Balance Ball Exercise.

1. Four Point Balance Ball Exercise

The Four Point Balance Ball is a balance exercise from the Exercise for Better Bones program specifically designed for the Athletic Level. This exercise should only be done with the correct sized and safe burst resistant physio or exercise ball.

We’re going into the four-point balance on the ball. It’s a lot of fun to do but it’s very important that we do it safely.

So what I’ve set up here is sort of a mock living room. I often encourage my clients to actually work alongside a sofa so you have a nice height here to stop you from rolling too far to one side.

Then you can take your sofa cushions off and put them along the other side. And you don’t have a chair right in front of you, you can actually just take a sofa cushion and put it forward.

As you’re balancing on the ball, you get the freedom of motion of the ball without the danger of toppling over. If you start rolling a little bit too far to the right or to the left, the cushions will stop you from rolling right over. You’ll butt up against them.

Make sure they’re high enough and firm enough and that will do the job.

1.1 Four Point Balance Ball • Directions

Now for the four-point, you just need a little bit of space of gives on either side so you have that freedom of motion on the ball.

From the widest part of the ball, you’re probably looking at maybe one inch beyond that.
In front of you, you need to place that cushion about one foot in front of you. Or have the chair approximately a foot in front of you.
Next, what you’re going to do is stand tall right behind the ball.
In standing position you’re going to place the ball right up against your shins.
Do not try to climb up on the ball. That’s sort of a big mistake people make.
Just let the ball sit up against your shins.
Your hands next are placed directly underneath your shoulders.
From this position, this is where you take that little leap of faith. And you need to press off or push off from your toes. Your going to push off from your toes.
In this position, you hands are directly still under your shoulders but they’re halfway down to the floor.
You’re here, if you go a little bit too far, notice how that cushion’s going to stop me.
Very stable, so it allows me that play. I don’t want it to be, initially, it can hold you a little bit, gives you that security. But eventually you want that inch of play all the way around.
Take a step back and that’s your four-point balancing on the ball.

2. Three Point Balance Ball Exercise with Arm Lift

The Three Point Balance Ball Exercise is a balance exercise from the Exercise for Better Bones program. This exercise should only be done with the correct sized and safe burst resistant physio or exercise ball.

Athletic level balance, three-point balance ball exercise.

If it’s the first time that you work on your hands and knees on the ball, I encourage you to still make it a safe environment for you. Please refer to the safety tips in the Exercise for Better Bones book.

2.1 Balance Ball Exercise • Sofa or Bed Support

Your sofa is great for support.

You could also use the side of your bed and then use some big cushions in front and to your side. This way, you have a little bit of play with the ball but you’re safe the entire time.

On the other side, the pillows or your bed should be about an inch away from the furthest diameter of the ball, and you’ll need about a twelve inch play in front of you.

It somewhat depends on your ball size and your body size but you’ll soon realize how much space you need as you do the exercise.

2.2 Balance Ball Exercise • Directions

Stand right behind the ball, and as with the four-point.

I’m going to start by getting the ball right up against my shins, placing my hands directly underneath my shoulders.
I’m then going to push off with my heels.
I’m going to come up onto my toes pushing off, letting myself come forward.
From this forward position…so now from the four-point position, you want to center one hand.
Whichever one you’re most comfortable starting with as your supporting hand, bring it to the center of the ball.
The other hand is going to come up and initially, you could just practice lifting it off.
As you get comfortable, start to bring your arm up to the height of your body so that you’re forming a nice, straight line.
This is great for your lower traps, excellent back exercise, great for your shoulders and your postural alignment.
Bring it back down.
Now, the hand that you just lifted is going to replace your other supporting hand.
At this point, if you need a rest, just take a rest.
Go back.
Otherwise, you can go and take it right from the right hand, bring your supporting hand with the left, lifting up.
A 5 to 10 second hold is usually sufficient and then rock right back onto your feet.

And that’s it for the three point balance ball exercise with the arm lift.

3. Three Point Balance Ball Exercise with Leg Lift

The Three Point Balance Ball is a balance exercise from the Exercise for Better Bones program specifically designed for the Elite Level. This exercise should only be done with the correct sized and safe burst resistant physio or exercise ball. This is one the most difficult of the four balance ball exercises. Please make sure you are able to easily complete the first two ball balance exercises before trying this one.

3.1 Three Point Balance Ball with Leg Lift • Directions

It’s easiest to do the three point balance ball exercise by allowing a little bit of rolling of the ball.

You are going to need an additional 2 inches of play on either side. If I go back to the twin point, and I was in the arm position, that’s easy. You can do that without the ball shifting. Here are the step by step directions:

Bring the hands back to shoulder width.
Now that I want to transfer all my weight onto my left knee, I’m going to walk my hands on either side, so slightly to the left, so I’m creating a tripod now, between my left knee and my two hands.
In creating that tripod, it’s going to allow me to take the weight off of my right leg and to bring myself into a three-point with my left hip being my supportive hip.
And then I come back down after I do the hold, bring my hands back and now walk them on either side of my right hip.
So again, I’m creating that tripod with the right hip, and I don’t have enough play so I’m going to just move that a little bit away.
And again, just work on initially lifting, mastering that lift, getting the control and all the muscles around the hip, and then coming up into a three-point with the leg, and then back down.
Bring yourself to the center and roll to complete the exercise.

3.2 Three Point Balance Ball with Leg Lift • Tips & Advice

If you’re just starting the three-point with the leg lift and you’re challenged with the shift of the ball and the change in the weight-bearing, a lot of my clients have found this method a little bit easier.

3.2 Three Point Balance Ball with Leg Lift • Tips & Advice

You will start, instead of having both legs directly behind the ball, you’ll want to have one leg, the leg that you’re going to be doing the supporting on, being the center leg.

You start out the whole exercise in your tripod position. I’m going use my right as my supporting.
My left is going to be touching the ball, but most of the weight is going to be on the right.
Say 80% of my weight is on the right, allow myself to come forward. I still have a little bit of weight on the left.
Now I start to transfer all the weight as I lift my left leg up to the center.

So, I get the benefit of the three-point balancing, without having to do the shift, which requires a little bit more control and is something you can master afterwards.

4. Balance Ball Exercise Kneeling

If you want to increase the challenge and try the most demanding of the balance ball exercises, try kneeling on the ball (with no other support). This is the most difficult of the four balance ball exercises. Please make sure you are able to easily complete the first two ball balance exercises before trying this one. Here is the video demonstration:

Exercise for Better Bones

Exercise for Better Bones is an exercise osteoporosis program (that includes these balance ball exercises and more) designed for people like you. It is available for purchase at Amazon in printed book and Kindle formats.

It provides a safe and effective means to strengthen bone, reduce fracture risk, and build confidence. The Program has been successfully used by thousands of MelioGuide clients worldwide.

And hundreds of Physical Therapists and Physiotherapists have prescribed the Program for their clients.

Balance Exercises for Seniors Guidelines

For more information, check out my Balance Exercises for Seniors guidelines.

The post Balance Ball Exercises appeared first on MelioGuide.

Single Leg Reach

Margaret Martin — Mon, 02 Oct 2017 17:00:08 +0000

The Single Leg Reach is a balance exercise from the Exercise for Better Bones program specifically designed for the Athletic Level.

Single Leg Reach • Balance Exercise

This is the single leg reach balance exercise.

If this is the first time you attempt this, you may choose to do it between two chairs with your hands just above the chair. Here are the steps to complete this exercise:

Transfer all your weight onto one leg and you’re going to reach with your heel as you squat down.
Remember with your squat to your kneecap over your second toe.
Your heel is coming just above the cone, or the can, whatever you choose to use.
Transfer and for a bigger challenge you would place your cones or your cans a little further apart and then reach out, back to the center.
Reach out, back to the center.
You can go across, as long as you don’t compromise your position.
Check the chairs, then you can place your hands on your hips, I’m going to widen the cones a little bit, increase the challenge.
That’s going to put me to go into a deeper squat, so I’m reaching the deeper level. It’s going to require more control both in terms of strength and balance. Then I get the added benefit of all that nice floating through the hip.

And that’s the single leg reach for balance exercise.

Exercise for Better Bones

Exercise for Better Bones is an exercise osteoporosis program designed for people like you.

It is available for purchase at Amazon in printed book and Kindle formats. It provides a safe and effective means to strengthen bone, reduce fracture risk, and build confidence.

The Program has been successfully used by thousands of MelioGuide clients worldwide.

And hundreds of Physical Therapists and Physiotherapists have prescribed the Program for their clients.

Balance Exercises for Seniors Guidelines

For more information, check out my Balance Exercises for Seniors guidelines.

The post Single Leg Reach appeared first on MelioGuide.

Curtsy Lunges

Margaret Martin — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 22:31:30 +0000

The curtsy lunges exercise is the second warmup exercises in the Exercise for Better Bones program. You should do this exercise before you start your Strength exercises and remember to enjoy this, think positive thoughts and use the opportunity to get your training off to a great start.

How to Do Curtsy Lunges • Two Versions

Below I demonstrate the two versions of the curtsy lunges — one for the Beginner level and the other for the Active level. Enjoy!

1. Curtsy Lunges Beginner Exercise

1.1 Curtsy Lunges Beginner Exercise • Instructions

Instructions for the curtsy lunges beginner level.

With the curtsy lunges beginner level, always have your hands over two sturdy chairs.
You want the chairs far enough that your arms are almost fully outstretched.
That’s going to give you a little more stability as you go into your curtsey lunges beginner until you learn to do it with a little better balance.
I’m stepping inside two squares and near the front corners of these squares.
These squares that I’ve drawn are 18 inches by 18 inches.
Based on my leg length, that works well for me.
It’s to give you a sense, you don’t have to draw the squares yourself, but to give you a sense of where to step.
With my curtsy lunges beginner, I’m going to place my foot in the opposite back corner of the square, and I’m going to come down with my knee dropping inside my calf.
Come back, step across into the back of the square, down, and back to the center.

2. Curtsy Lunges Active Exercise

2.1 Curtsy Lunges Active Exercise • Instructions

The curtsy lunge is a move that’s used a lot in Tai Chi. It is also in athletics used, but referred to as a drop lunge.

We’re going to start at the active level with the hands together.
Be centered.
Good weight bearing through your feet, down through your spine.
What I’ve done is drawn two squares beneath me, 18 inches by 18 inches, so they’re 18 inches long by 18 inches wide.
Start in the center of the square.
Go back into my drop lunge or my curtsy lunges.
Using my hands to counterbalance, I’m stepping towards the outside corner of the square.
Then come back, and with the return, the opposite side, stepping towards the outside top corner of the square.
You don’t have to draw squares for yourself, but it’s a good starter to give you a sense of where your foot ends up going.

A point here is to remember that your foot, when placed back into the corner the heel stays up, and your weight bearing through the ball of your foot.

And back in and then, weight bearing to the ball of your foot, back.

And your knee slides inside the calf, and that’s your active level warm up with curtsy lunges.

Osteoporosis Exercise Plan

Visit my Osteoporosis Exercise Plan page for more information on this topic.

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Warm Up Exercises for Seniors on a Ball

Margaret Martin — Wed, 16 Dec 2015 22:56:22 +0000

Here is a short and fun routine of warm up exercises for seniors that you can do in your home before you start your exercise program. The routine is quite different than the warmup exercises found in my book, Exercise for Better Bones.

I often do these warm up exercises with my clients in my Physical Therapy studio and some have enjoyed it so much that they asked me to capture it on video so that they can do it at home.

Warm Up Exercises for Seniors Video with K-os

I use the song Crabbuckit by K-os for timing. I do the routine on an exercise ball.

It is a fun and energetic warmup exercise routine. I am moving on the ball throughout the routine.

A Few Words Regarding Safety

If you do plan to follow along, just make sure that you put secure props around the ball in case you move one way or another that there is something solid to block your movement. I would not want to see you fall off your ball!

Sofa cushions or large pads will do the job. Just make sure that they are stable and do not move easily.

Make sure you are using a burst resistant exercise (physio) ball that can support your weight and is sized correctly. The ball size should be such that when you are sitting on the ball, your legs are parallel to the ground.

Last point: make sure that your feet are very stable and have a good grip on the ground. This is especially important if this is the first time you have done this.

In the video I am in my bare feet. You can also use running shoes and have the ball on a secure mat that grips with the bottom of the shoes.

A good grip allows you to catch yourself in case of a sudden and unexpected move.

Osteoporosis Exercise Plan

Visit my Osteoporosis Exercise Plan page for more information on this topic.

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How to Use a Rocker Board for Balance

Margaret Martin — Wed, 13 May 2015 19:58:23 +0000

When winter sets in, with its cold weather and icy sidewalks, a number of my senior clients become concerned about falling on the ice and fracturing a bone. I encourage many of them to follow some simple balance exercises for seniors so that they feel more stable walking outside. One great tool is a rocker board. In the video I show you how to safely use a rocker board to improve your balance.

Hi, I am Margaret Martin at MelioGuide, and today it is still snowy and cold.

Many of my clients are telling me that they’re not going outside a whole lot, and therefore they’re not really challenging their balance. So it’s a great time of the year to think about boosting your balance.

Here are a couple of ways that you can do that in your home using a rocker board.

You don’t need really sophisticated equipment.

I am going to talk about the rocker board and the wobble board, should you choose to go there, and then we’ll talk about some simple things that you can do without any special equipment at all.

Let’s briefly look at the wobble board first before we take a more detailed look at the rocker board and rocker board exercises.

Wobble Board: Five Step Progression

A lot of balance boards come in circular form; this is actually also known as a wobble board, because, when you’re on it, it’s pretty wobbly and it will have one centered piece.

This is not a balance device that I would recommend to most of my clients.

It’s great if you’re used to a rocker board and you want a bigger challenge.

Rocker Board: My Recommendation

A rocker board is an inexpensive piece of equipment that you can have in your home to practice, improve your balance, and prevent a fall.

If you’ve never been on a rocker board, then I highly recommend you to get more of a square or rectangular board that has either one center piece down or the little knob that you saw on the center of the other one, you might have two legs on this.

What the rocker board allows you to do is practice your balance side to side or forward and back.

Rocker Board Exercises: Five-Step Progression

And I’ll show you some progressions that you can do, even just to make that a little bit safer.

A rocker board would be a great tool to help boost your balance. Here are some suggested steps:

When starting with the rocker board, you’re going to want to place that rocker board between two chairs.
You’re going to want to use two books or little pillows or towels folded or something to the effect that you can lift or provide some lift on either side, and what’s going to do is limit the excursion so you’re not feeling like you’re doing huge, huge excursions.
You are going to do smaller excursions until you build your confidence and you know you can do it.
Then you start to use either smaller books or smaller towels, or you don’t need them at all.
Once you are comfortable standing on them, you can start adding some little squats.

That would be the progression using the rocker board.

Balance Exercises: No Rocker Board

The next progression we’re going to talk about is things that you can do without the use of rocker boards, and that is simply very similar to all the progressions I have talked about in my Exercise for Better Bones in the beginner and active levels.

First, you can start with foot position, or how far those feet are apart.
The second point would be what type of surface you’re standing on.
The third thing is what you’re doing with your eyes, with your head, or whether you’re closing them altogether.
The fourth point is going to be what you’re doing with your arms.

So those are ways of progressing balance, and we’re going to do a whole separate blog, just detailing those four points in more detail.

Balance Exercises for Seniors Guidelines

For more information, check out my Balance Exercises for Seniors guidelines.

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Three Steps to Fall Prevention

Margaret Martin — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 13:49:42 +0000

I recently completed reading the book Being Mortal by Dr. Atul Gawande. It was a great read and I strongly encourage you to read it.

Fall Prevention in Three Steps

In his book, Dr. Gawande discusses three steps to fall prevention. Consider making changes in one – or all – of these factors because a change can considerably affect your chance of a fall.

Weakness

If you have become weaker, consider strength training exercises. A stronger body allows you to react to an oncoming fall and might help you either catch your fall or regain your balance.

Balance

Poor balance is a major reason why many people experience a fall. Consider exercises that improve your balance and agility.

Prescription Drugs

People who take more than four prescription drugs have a higher chance of a fall. Check with your Physician to see if all of those prescriptions are necessary.

Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Margaret Martin at MelioGuide. Today I wanted to share with you a couple of really important topics related to falls.When we think about aging, when we think about our parents, our older uncles and aunts, the people in our lives that we love dearly, we start getting concerned about the possibility of falling.And for some of you, as listeners, you’re thinking about your own possibility of falling.And so I had a great read this winter. It was book by Atul Gawande on Being Mortal and in his book when he looks at aging and some of the consequences of aging, he brings up three points that basically are a prescription for guaranteeing that you will have 100% risk of falling in the next year.

And those three things are weakness, poor balance, and taking more than four prescription medications. And so, if you or any of your loved ones are experiencing poor balance, know that they are not as strong as they should be and/or are taking more than four prescription medications. Then I highly recommend that you make some changes in one or all of those areas because individuals who did not have any of those three factors only had a 12% of falling in the next year.

So from 100% to 12% by having an impact in altering your balance, in strengthening your muscles especially of your lower body, and talk to your pharmacist, and your family physician, see if all those prescription medications are necessary and if they are to make sure their that their side effects don’t cause you to be further at risk for falling.

I hope those points are helpful for you and for those that you love.

Thanks for tuning in. I’m Margaret from MelioGuide.

The post Three Steps to Fall Prevention appeared first on MelioGuide.

Balance and Fall Prevention Archives - MelioGuide

Fall Prevention Guide

Table of Contents

What is Balance?

The Consequences of Falling

How Our Bodies Stay in Balance

Visual System

Vestibular System

Somatosensory System

Somatosensory System Example

Factors That Influence Balance and Prevent Falls

Strength and Fall Prevention

Flexibility and Fall Prevention

Posture

Eyes and Vision Care

Pharmaceuticals

Fall Proof Your Home

Footwear and Fall Prevention

Shoe Wear

Slip On Shoes

Low Heels

Non-Skid Soles

Lace-Up Shoes.

Foot Care and Preventing Falls

Feet

Foot Strength

Toe Stretches

Foot Massage

Ball Massage

Flexible Strong Feet

Balance Exercises

Recommended Product

Fall Prevention for Seniors Tips

Take Care of Your Eyes

Slow Head Turns Exercise

Train Your Proprioceptors

Strength

Flexibility

Posture

Prescription Drugs

Fall Proof Your Home

Home Safety – Top Three Tips for the Spaces in Your House

Kitchen

Bathroom

Bedroom

Hallway

Stairway

Indoors and Outdoors Stairs

Consult an Occupational Therapist

Recommended Posts

Fall Prevention Guide

Foot Positioning Tips for Balance

Self Foot Massage, Ankle Flexibility Techniques, and Toe, Calf and Soleus Stretches

Minimalist Walking Shoes and Foot Strength

Balance Ball Exercises

Single Leg Reach

Foot Positioning Tips for Balance

Improve Your Balance

Foundational Balance Stance

Staggered Feet Balance Stance

Exercise Recommendations for Osteoporosis

Tandem Stance Balance Exercise

Balance Stance with Stable and Unstable Surfaces

Toe Touch Pose

Single Leg Balance Pose

Balance Exercises for Fall Prevention

Conclusion

Balance Exercises for Seniors Guidelines

Self Foot Massage, Ankle Flexibility Techniques, and Toe, Calf and Soleus Stretches

Table of Contents

Self Foot Massage With a Ball • Technique #1

Self Foot Massage With a Ball • Technique #2

Exercise Recommendations for Osteoporosis

Toe Curl Exercise

Toe Stretches

Technique #1

Technique #2

Exercise Recommendations for Osteoporosis

Plantar Fasciitis Prevention

Calf Muscle Stretch

1. Curtsy Lunges Beginner Exercise