>> IT IS WORKOUT WEDNESDAY AND
TODAY WE ARE FOCUSING ON THE
IMPORTANCE OF BALANCE.
FOR MANY BALANCE IS TAKEN FOR
GRANTED BUT FOR MILLIONS OF
OTHERSBALANCE CAN BE A HUGE
STRUGGLE.
HERE TO SHOW WAS AN EXERCISE TO
IMPROVE OUR BALANCE TO PREVENT
FALLS IS PATRICIA HARWOOD.
SHE IS A CERTIFIED PERSONAL
TRAINER AND A MATURE FITNESS
SPECIALIST.GREAT TO HAVE YOU.
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE.
LET'S TALK ABOUT WHY BALANCE
TRAINING IS SO IMPORTANT.
>> BALANCE TRAINING IS OFTEN
OVERLOOKED BUT A VERY IMPORTANT
ASPECT OF
WELL-ROUNDED FITNESS
ROUTINE.
FOR THE ATHLETE , BALANCE
TRAINING WILL ENHANCE POWER AND
AGILITY AND STRENGTH AND THEIR
OVERALL PERFORMANCE OF THE REST
OF US, THOSE WHO MAYBE AREN'T
ATHLETES OR
DON'T CONSIDER
THEMSELVES ATHLETES , WE ARE
NOT OFF THE HOOK EITHER.
BALANCE IS SO IMPORTANT TO
AGING WELL AND TCONTINUE
DOING THE THINGS WE LOVE DOING.
>> WHAT CAN CAUSE BALANCE
IMPAIRMENT?
>> THERE ARE MULTIPLE FACTORS.
NO ONE SINGLE THINGS OR THINGS
WE CANNOT
CONTROL OR DON'T HAVE
A LOT OF CAN THROW .
MEDICAL ISSUES, MEDICATION,
VISION PROBLEMS, COGNITIVE.
ONE VERY COMMON ISSUE IS MUSCLE
WEAKNESS
.
AFTER THE AGE OF 30 WE BEGIN TO
LOSE LEAN MUSCLE MASS
NATURALLY.
IF YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING
PROACTIVELY TO STRENGTHEN YOUR
MUSCLES AND MAINTAIN LEAN
MUSCLE MASS, OBVIOUSLY YOU WILL
BECOME WEAKER AND YOUR BALANCE
WILL BE AN ISSUE.
>> INTERESTING.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT BALANCE.
CAN IT BE IMPROVED?
>> THAT IS THE GOOD NEWS.
YOU CAN DEFINITELYSHAVE OFF
ANY FURTHER DECLINE IN BALANCE.
IN MANY CASES YOU CAN IMPROVE
IT BY INCORPORATING SOME SIMPLE
BALANCE ROUTINES INTO THE
STRENGTH TRAINING AND
FLEXIBILITY TRAINING.
YOU WANT TO BE CONSISTENT.
>> SO YOU ARE GOING TO
DEMONSTRATE A COUPLE EXERCISES
THAT WE CAN DO AT HOME .
>> THE EASIEST THING TO DO IS A
SINGLE FOOT STAND WHERE YOU
WOULD
JUST , YOU MAY PUT
YOURSELF NEXT TO A COUNTER OR
CHAIR SO YOU CAN HOLD ON AND
THEN YOU ARE SIMPLY GOING TO
TRY TO PICK UP YOUR FOOT AND
BALANCE
.
WE ARE GOING TO WORK UP TO 30
SECONDS OR LONGER.
FROM THERE, IT WILL BE
IMPORTANT TO PROGRESS.
WANT TOCONTINUE TO CHALLENGE
YOUR BALANCE AND BE MORE
DYNAMIC AND SO WE ARE GOING TO
INCORPORATE MOVEMENTS AND
PERHAPS MOVING THE FOOT IN A
CLOCK FORMATION.
REPOSITIONING THE ARM .
YOU ARE THROWING OFF YOUR
CENTER OF BALANCE.
>> THAT MAKES SENSE.
>> FROM THERE YOU WANT TO MOVE
FROM A STABLE SURFACE TO AN
INSTABLE SURFACE SUCH AS
, THIS
IS A FOAM PAD OR YOU CAN USE A
ROLLED UP TOWEL
.
YOU CAN SEE IT IS SQUISHING
.
>> SOMETHING THAT IS NOT FIRM
UNDERNEATH YOUR FOOT.
AGAIN, MAY BE TO START OUT OLD
ONTO A WALL OR A CHAI
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> HOW OFTEN SHOULD WE BE DOING
THIS QUICK >> I WOULD SAY AT
LEAST THREE TIMES A WEEK.
>> AND TRY TO LENGTHEN THAT
TIME.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING