Try to work on your balance
We recently got a Wii Fit Balance board. In case you haven't seen them it consists of a special electronic board for you to stand on and a gadget to plug into your television.
You can then play various games, or do all sorts of exercises to keep fit. It really is a superb idea to get you exercising in the comfort of your own home, in short bursts.
One of the features of the board is the body test.
The board measures your weight, works out your BMI and then you go through a short set of activities that measures your body's performance.
Essentially, these activities are all about balance and co-ordination. Once you have done them it calculates your Wii Fit age.
When I first did mine I was, I admit, mortified to find that according to it I was fast approaching decrepitude.
Rubbish! I thought. And I started doing the exercises to improve my balance, the result being that I steadily got my Wii Fit age well down below my age. The thing is that it is fun to do and it actually does seem to improve your performance in a short time.
Balance is very important and it is something that we should all strive to maintain. This is particularly the case the older one gets. The fact is that nine out of ten cases of fracture of the hip occur after a fall. Falls are more likely if you have a balance problem, so you can see the potential risk.
The good news is that you can work on three simple exercises to help improve your balance, without having to buy a Wii Fit balance board. Safety is of paramount concern. If you are unsteady on your legs, only consider trying this with someone in attendance. Make sure that you do it where you cannot possibly injure yourself, and where you have something to hold onto. Like the back of a heavy settee or a sturdy table.
Start by standing with your feet slightly apart in front of the settee or table and hold on with both hands. As you progress and your balance improves, you can decrease the amount of support by using one or no hands. Now lift one leg six inches out to the side and hold this position for 10 seconds. Then repeat it with the opposite leg.
Now for exercise two. Standing in the same position, slowly bend one knee toward your chest lifting your foot six inches off the floor. Don't try to lift it any higher. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Then repeat it with the opposite leg.
Finally, exercise three. Again, standing in the same position, lift one leg straight back, keeping your knee straight. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Then repeat with the opposite leg.
That is all. By just repeating these exercises two or three times a day you should slowly start to see an improvement in your balance.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Wakefield
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
