How’s your balance? Better check

Flamingos spend hours at a time standing on one very thin and delicate leg, preening their feathers or even sleeping. How long can you stand on one leg?

Give it a try, but be sure you have a firm surface or a chair in front of you in case you start to fall. Unless you have very good balance, you won’t last more than a few seconds, let alone the whole night.

Balance is one of those things that declines rather rapidly with advancing age — even though that’s a time when you need it most. Once your balance starts to decline, you’re at greater risk of falling. One in three seniors age 65 and over fall each year doing activities of daily living, often resulting in wrist or hip fractures that can affect their lifestyle and independence. By improving your balance with muscle strengthening and re-training exercises, you can reduce your risk of falling by as much as 45 percent, according to a large analysis of balance studies.

Test your balance

The first step is to see how good your balance really is, and the best way to do that is to act like a flamingo. Lift one foot off the ground and hold that pose. How long can you go? Then try the other foot.

Now, try the same thing with your eyes closed. You will see quickly how much you depend on your eyes to maintain your equilibrium.

If you can go 15 seconds with your eyes closed, you have the balance of a 30-year-old. If you toppled within four seconds, your balance is at least as old as the rest of you. Some loss of balance is to be expected, especially after age 60, but you can delay the process and reverse at least some of your loss.

Take a class

Tai chi is an ideal gentle form of exercise for seniors, and it’s been proven to improve balance. Yoga, pilates and zumba also stress physical movements that improve coordination and balance.

Work on balance

You can work on improving your balance during times when you’re not exercising. Stand on one leg for as long as you can as often as you can. Start with your legs slightly apart and your arms and shoulders relaxed. Lift one leg off the ground and try to maintain your balance that way for 30 seconds. Then try the other leg. Practice while brushing your teeth so you are next to a counter. Graduate to practicing when waiting in line at the bank or the grocery store when safe to do so.

For any of these problems, it’s important to see a doctor for advice and treatment. But act quickly. Once you fall, it could be too late.

Contributed by Becky Huebner-Leu, Ministry Living Well-Fine Lines Learning Community, Marshfield. She can be reached 715-389-9895 or email rebecca.huebner-leu@ministryhealth.org.