Balance & Stability Training for Seniors

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Concerns about stability and balance impact a huge number of seniors at levels that range from annoying to debilitating. Whether an individual has fallen, is at risk of falling, or their ability to execute day to day movements like getting up and down is limited, it is vital for all individuals to develop the ability to negotiate the terrain of life as safely and freely as possible. There is a cycle of anxiety in those who live under the fear of falling that leads them into movement patterns that weaken their bodies and actually make it more likely that they will fall.

Balance and stability issues are often addressed in the context of physical therapy. Unfortunately this is frequently after an individual has been injured in a fall. The maze of our health care and insurance systems can be a deterrent to finding affordable and timely options. The physical therapist’s job is of necessity focused primarily on the rehabilitation of an injury or addressing a condition. The therapist’s time is often pressed by the scheduling challenges of the health care system.  As a personal trainer and movement specialist I can approach our work from a functional whole body perspective to expand the work that you may already have done with a physical therapist. I am also happy to communicate with therapists or doctors to optimize the training experience and make transitions from therapy to training as seamless as possible. 

Developing an individualized program of movement training and exercise to build a Practical Confidence is the best way to truly address the balance and stability issue. This requires an instructor with a multi-dimensional understanding of movement, perception, and the training process. That's me! 

is designed for each individual and covers a great range of exercise into movement and perceptive repatterning. Safety is always primary. We work from a base of safety and trust which allows us to add challenges in a way that builds Practical Confidence. Exercises and activities can focus on coordination challenges, strength building, decontraction and range of motion, movement repatterning, sensory training, muscle endurance, body alignment, practical task application, and anything else that is relevant. Where many balance and stability programs emphasize one's ability to stand on one leg, we will take a whole body approach that is based in the relationships between two feet, two hands, and the head (check out the picture of Mr. Lee). We learn safely to optimize one's support mechanisms to gain comfort being off center in controlled ways. The practice of learning to shift freely and comfortably between optimized bases of support leads to Practical Confidence in negotiating the terrain of life.

Balance and stability training is best done one on one but I am happy to do group presentations to share information about improving balance and stability. Please call to discuss these possibilities. 404-324-2004