I recognize that my balance has decreased during my 70 years of movement! My favorite exercises are swimming, dancing and roller skating. However, I have stopped roller skating because I tend to fall, albeit safely on my butt, but it’s harming my skeletal system…. I tried a balance class at the YMCA this week since the swimming pool is closed for cleaning…..
I was probably the youngest in the “balance class” and I have no idea what the others thought about doing the Hokey Pokey and playing ring toss and but I found them infantilizing, reminding me of the time spent visiting my mom at the Alzheimer’s wing or doing a movement activity with preschoolers….
However, the “heel-toe” exercise shown below has huge benefits in promoting balance and there are lots of variations that involve keeping feel close together while walking, lifting at various heights, on wide or increasing narrow chalked or taped lines on the ground or repetitions of up and down a single step…. I’ll be sharing more as I continue to take movement classes and watch Reels -absorbing ideas that I adapt for my own individual needs…. as I have done for my clients over the years….