Patient advocate: Simon says, work on improving balance
Imagine you’re 6 years old again and playing Simon Says.
“Simon says, ‘Stand on one leg.’ Now, stand on the other one.”
Oops, you’re “out,” because there wasn’t a “Simon says.” But you can be “in” better health if you can train yourself to stand on one leg for a few seconds, or as long as a minute.
A recent article posted by the BBC detailed the positive health effects of being able to balance on one leg. It can improve and maintain balance, mobility and even memory. The thing is, our ability to do it peaks at around age 10 and then slowly declines with age.
“If you find that it's not easy, it's time to start training your balance,” Tracy Espiritu McKay of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation told the BBC.
Quite a lot of research has backed this up. For example, it’s been found that for older adults, including those with dementia, regular single-leg training significantly reduces the risk of falls and helps maintain muscle strength, balance and the ability to perform those all important activities of daily living (ADLs). These are the things that, if you can do them on your own, keep you out of assisted living and nursing homes.
Balancing on one leg also significantly increases muscle activity in the legs and ankles compared to standing on both feet. This includes the hamstrings, which is beneficial for stabilizing our knees.
It seems counterintuitive, but standing on one leg even challenges the brain, improving its alertness and motor control, improving posture and maintaining stability.
In addition, when performed with specific instructions (such as focusing on an external object), the exercise significantly activates core muscles, including the abdominals and back muscles, which is vital for preventing and rehabilitating lower back injuries. It’s also a key tool for recovering from ankle and knee injuries.
It’s even good for your heart and overall cardiovascular fitness. Balancing on one leg is more physically demanding than standing on two, increasing oxygen demand and metabolic rate.
Doctors can use the ability — or inability — to stand on one leg as a reliable indicator of future fall risks and cognitive decline. “In Alzheimer's patients, researchers are actually finding that if they’re unable to stand on one leg for five seconds, it usually predicts a faster cognitive decline,” Espiritu McKay told the BBC.
So let’s get going — I mean standing. And we need to start slowly and safely.
If you can’t hold a one-leg stance for more than a second or two, hold on to the back of a chair. Stand upright with a slight bend in your knees and lift one foot off the ground. Lift your hands off the chair briefly, then repeat on the other side. Keep practicing several times a week until you can maintain a one-leg stance for 10 seconds without holding on and without too much wobble.
Then you can move on to other variations. Wear different kinds of shoes, have socks on or go barefoot. Stand on different types of surfaces: carpet, wood, tile, sidewalks. Focus on an object in front of you, like a clock so you can time yourself. One minute is longer than you think.
Or try it with your eyes closed, which is especially challenging!
The nice thing about this exercise is that you can build it into your everyday routines, such as waiting for the coffee to perk or brushing your teeth before you go to bed.
What else can you do to improve your ability to stand on one leg?
• Lift your knees as high as you can, one after the other, balancing for a few seconds between lifts. Incorporating hand weights makes it more challenging — as well as helping you work on your upper body.
• Sit and stand without using your arms for 30 or so seconds. A dining chair or other straight-backed chair is good for this exercise. (Also works the upper legs and glutes.)
Older adults who work on maintaining strength, balance and mobility have a better chance of remaining independent, being able to drive and aging in place. In addition, research is finding that older brains that are able to keep generating neurons are less subject to cognitive decline.
Do your body and brain a favor by playing a little “Simon Says” every day.
• Teri (Dreher) Frykenberg, R.N., a registered nurse and board-certified patient advocate, is the founder of www.NurseAdvocateEntrepreneur.com, which trains medical professionals to become successful private patient advocates. She is the author of “How to Be a Healthcare Advocate for Yourself & Your Loved Ones” and her new book, “Advocating Well: Strategies for Finding Strength and Understanding in Health Care,” available at Amazon.com. Contact her at Teri@NurseAdvocateEntrepreneur.com to set up a free phone consultation.