3 exercises to prevent balance loss

Bettering balance begins with the three different sensors that form our personal gyroscope: our inner ear, perception from our eyes, and joint and muscle-nerve receptors are responsible for our balance. If one of these elements goes out of whack, we may have loss of balance.

Specialists ate Harvard Medical School emphasize that working our brain does our balance (and body) as much good as physical fitness.

Another study shows that more than 90 percent of all hip fractures are due to falls. Balance is something most people take for granted after a certain age, so staying mentally active is very important to avoiding falls.

Here are some mind-body exercises that can help to prevent the loss of balance and falls.

Tai-Chi

This exercise is a derivative of traditional Chinese medicine. It involves a series of slow movements focused on, and accompanied by, deep breathing. There are different forms of tai-chi, but research shows this type of exercise generally reduces stress while increasing flexibility, endurance, and longevity.

Qigong

Qigong is an integration of physical postures, breathing techniques, and focused intentions.  Some people  take to calling it a hybrid of tai-chi and yoga. The word qi translates to “life force” or “vital energy,” and gong means cultivating energy. One study found practicing qigong reduces symptoms in women receiving radiotherapy to treat their breast cancer.

Yoga

The purpose of Yoga  is to integrate and balance all the layers of our life so that our body, mind, heart, intellect, and spirit flow in harmony. The physical postures (also known as asanas) connect us to our central selves.

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