Solution: better balance
Saginaw chiropractor Dr. Dan Kehres shows you how to balance
NBC 25 STUDIO -- What injures people over 60 more than anything else? Falls. Even if you're young and healthy, Saginaw chiropractor Dr. Dan Kehres urges you to work on your balance. He used a balancing disc on me during a segment on NBC 25 Today.
He says we can all use help with balance. But seniors need extra help, since so many of them are falling. And they're really hurting themselves. Dr. Dan says he sees a growing list of people in his office of people having trouble after falling. As with most of what he preaches, prevention is the best cure. If you do fall, Dr. Dan says get up slowly, on your knees. And if you're walking on ice take baby steps.
A few tips from Dr. Dan:
Practice these balance exercises daily:
- Stand on one leg: alternate every 30 seconds, five times on each side. This helps the connection between your brain and the rest of your body improving balance.
- Stand on one leg, eyes closed: alternate every 30 seconds, five times on each side. Be sure to hold on to a wall or chair when you start practicing! This helps to prepare your body for walking when it’s dark. If you get really good at this, buy a balance disk and practice on that.
- Chair squats: Use a chair and practice getting up from a sitting position, 20 times with no hands. Squats help strengthen your legs and hips, creating a strong foundation to prevent falls. Weak leg strength is the main reason people their lose balance and fall.
- Up and down: Practice getting on the ground and getting up. If you have trouble with this, make sure you practice with a friend to help you. Many elderly people struggle getting off the ground without something to grab or lean on. If they fall in an icy parking lot and nobody is around to help it could mean big trouble! This is a very simple exercise to practice, but very important.
For more information, check out www.drkehres.com
