• Simple exercises help seniors' coordination and balance, prevent falls

  • One of the best ways for seniors to prevent falls, or minimize the impact of a fall, is to stay fit.

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And there's no need to spend your life at a gym, or launch a rigorous workout program, to do it.
Simple exercises can help seniors keep moving, learning, and will improve balance and coordination, says Karen Peterson, physical therapist and author of "Move With Balance: Healthy Aging Activities for Brain and Body."
"Seniors of all ages need to continually work on improving their balance, coordination, strength, vision and cognitive skills," Paterson says. "When they do, they're less likely to fall."
Peterson recommends a light warmup and checking with your doctor before initiating any workout.
Then she suggests these mini-moves:
The Cross-Crawl: Done sitting or standing. While marching in place, reach across and touch the lifted knee with the opposite hand or elbow. Alternate and repeat 10 times.
Forward Toe-Touch Dancer: Stand with your feet shoulder-width. Extend your left leg forward, touching with the toe, and simultaneously reach forward with the right arm. Alternate the pattern and repeat 10 times. If necessary, hold a chair's back for additional balance.
Side-step Walk: Walk sidestep. Step on your right foot, then cross over with your left foot, keeping your ankles crossed as you move along. As a bonus challenge, try reading from a card while sidestepping.
The Cat Jump: This exercise improves muscle memory to help minimize the impact of a fall. Standing in place, bend your knees into a squat. With both feet, jump a little off the ground and land softly, like a cat, without jarring the body. Repeat.
More senior exercise tips are available at www.MoveWithBalance.org.

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