成人头条

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You鈥檙e listening to the podcast edition of the 成人头条 audio newsline. Learn more about WSU 鈥� the home of Thinkers, Doers, Movers and Shockers 鈥� on the Web at .

Aging brings many challenges. One of those is keeping our balance. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls among those 65 and older are responsible for more than 18,000 deaths and nearly 450,000 hospitalizations annually in the United States.

Rogers: 鈥淲e鈥檙e currently undergoing a dramatic increase in the number of people over the age of 65 in the United States, primarily due to the baby boom generation. Currently there鈥檚 approximately 13 percent of our population that are over the age of 65, and this is going to increase to nearly 20 percent by the year 2025.

鈥淎pproximately one-third of individuals over the age of 65 fall each year, and many of those individuals fall more than once per year. Those are just the ones that are reported. Certainly there are many more older adults who do fall, and it goes unreported.鈥�

Rogers says that, until recently, we鈥檝e focused more on other health issues for older adults.

Rogers: 鈥淔rom an exercise standpoint we have long focused on the cardiovascular benefits of physical activity and, over the last couple of decades, more on the benefits of strength training, particularly for older adults. The problem is we have not focused on balance or developed programs appropriate to improve balance.鈥�

Rogers says there are some challenges in addressing balance through exercise.

Rogers: 鈥淥ne of the difficulties in addressing balance through exercise is the multiple systems we have to cover and address, including vision, dizziness and muscular strength.鈥�

Unlike many effects of aging, balance can be improved, and age-related declines can be delayed or minimized with proper training. And, Rogers says, one does not have to work out with a personal trainer to get the benefits of balance training.

Rogers: 鈥淥ne of the unique aspects of balance training is that we can do it anytime, anyplace. We don鈥檛 have to go to a gym. We don鈥檛 have to go outside. You can perform balance exercises while you鈥檙e brushing your teeth.鈥�

According to Rogers, it鈥檚 a good idea to start balance training while you鈥檙e in your 40s and 50s.

Rogers: 鈥淲e often take balance for granted and don鈥檛 become aware of any limitations until after we suffer a fall. The important thing is to start balance training earlier 鈥� say, for example, in your 40s or 50s 鈥� to help prevent a fall from occurring in the first place.鈥�

Rogers suggests several exercises that can help you improve balance.

Rogers: 鈥淭here鈥檚 a variety of different exercises that you can do to improve balance. Examples of those would be to stand on one foot. If that is too difficult, put one foot slightly in front of the other. Or, for example, brushing your teeth with your eyes closed is an effective way to improving your balance.鈥�

Balance training is often seen as part of a larger trend called functional fitness exercises, which are geared toward helping one handle the physical challenges of day-to-day life. Around holiday time, for example, Rogers tries to prepare the elderly in his class for crowded shopping malls. He has them walk between narrow gaps, occasionally getting brushed by others. This, he says, 鈥渉elps give them confidence鈥� to face the holiday throngs. And one of the nice things about balance training is that the results can be evident fairly quickly.

Thanks for listening. Until next time, this is Joe Kleinsasser for 成人头条.