What Happens When You Turn 40…?
We have all heard the saying “if you don’t use it you lose it” in regards to aging. There was a study published by the Huffington Post this past week displaying its research saying that after the age of 40 your balance suffers. While we can’t always control everything, your balance is one skill you can control if you keep consistent practice towards it. 
Balance plays a role in our everyday life. When you walk you are balancing, when you get up from sitting in a chair you are balancing, when you are doing daily activities you are balancing, anytime you are on your feet… you are balancing. You can see here that balance is extremely important. More research is being published demonstrating the importance of balance training. Improving your ability to balance will reduce the risk for falls, thus reducing your risk for fractures or other serious injuries.
Joint function plays a major role in your ability to balance. There are specialized nerve endings found in joints and muscles called proprioceptors. When stimulated by a chiropractic adjustment and movement, these proprioceptors send signals to the brain coordinating body movement and posture.
There are several ways to train for improvement with your balance. In my chiropractic office, I incorporate a balance test with my patients in which most are surprised they cannot perform as well as they thought. Some of the tests, which I perform in my Chiropractic examination include:
- Standing on one leg for 30 seconds. If you can perform this without touching the ground with the opposite foot, you are off to a great start. Try this exercise on the opposite leg.
- Standing on one leg for 1 minute. If you can do this without letting the other foot touch the ground, then you are TOP NOTCH…. WAY TO GO. Try this on the opposite leg
- Stand on one leg with your eyes closed and time how long you can go without losing balance and putting the other leg on the ground. A good time for this test is 30 seconds – 1 minute. Please use supervision or stand next to a wall for security with this exercise.
If you found the above challenging or you did not perform as well as you would have liked, don’t fret there are ways to improve. Daily consistent practice will improve your tests. Here are some drills to do every day that will improve your balance:
- When brushing your teeth, stand on one leg
- When doing dishes, stand on one leg
- When you are holding a conversation with someone and standing up, stand on one leg
- When a commercial comes on television take that time to…. Stand on one leg.
Practice standing on one leg often while making sure to switch between legs. When you think you have it mastered, try it barefoot or even while standing on a pillow.
Document how long you can stand on one leg and compare your times over the next month. If you are having problems with this and need more instruction it might be time for you to visit a chiropractor. Don’t let turning 40 leave you left on the ground.
