"Move Better" Series: Floor Mobility Exercises

As we age, getting onto and off of the floor can become a more difficult task.  A loss of lower extremity strength, upper extremity strength, and core strength may negatively affect our ability to move around on the floor and return to standing from the floor.  Floor mobility is important for activities of daily living, including playing with your grandchildren, cleaning tasks, or reaching an item that fell under the bed.  Moving from the floor to standing is also an important skill to work on if you have impaired balance and are at a greater risk of falling.

The video below presents some exercises that can be performed to improve your floor mobility:

The video above includes some of the following exercises:

PLANKS: Forward and side planks with movement are good ways to strengthen your core and shoulders.  Core and shoulder strength is important for helping to roll and push your body onto your knees or feet when trying to stand from the floor. 

SIT-TO-STANDS & LUNGES: These exercises can improve your ability to squat and lunge, stand from various surfaces, including the floor, and perform stairs.  

If you are interested in other tips and exercises to improve your balance and decrease your risk of falling, see our previous blog posts here: 

EXERCISES TO IMPROVE BALANCE & TRANSFERS

STEPS TO TAKE TO AVOID FALLS

If you find that you have extreme difficulty returning from standing from the floor, a visit to a physical therapist may be appropriate to work on other lower level strengthening exercises and floor mobility techniques.  

Questions? Contact Sean Tyler, DPT at sean@salmonbaypt.com.

"Move Better" Series: Y Balance Test

The Y Balance Test can be used to assess your dynamic balance and leg strength symmetry, as well as determine your risk of lower extremity injury with athletic activities.     

Tomorrow’s‌ ‌“Move‌ ‌Better”‌ ‌post will include co‌ntent on ways to improve your dynamic balance and single leg strength.

Until then!

-Brian Collins, DPT & Sean Tyler, DPT

Steps to Take to Avoid Falls

As we age, changes in our overall health, strength, and balance may increase our risk of falling. Falls are a leading cause of injury in older adults, and a significant fall can often have lasting impacts on a person’s overall health and mobility. Despite the increased risk of falling with age, there are steps we can take to decrease our risk of falling and keep moving well.  

WAYS TO DECREASE YOUR FALL RISK

Stay active. Physical activity and cardiovascular conditioning can decrease your risk of falling by improving your endurance and preventing fatigue. This may include anything from walking and hiking, to swimming and water aerobics. Yoga and Tai Chi classes can also decrease your risk of falling by focusing on balance and coordination.  

Improve your leg strength and balance. Participating in regular lower extremity strengthening and balance exercises consistently and in a safe environment can help decrease your risk of falling. See yesterday’s blog post "MOVE BETTER" SERIES: EXERCISES TO IMPROVE BALANCE AND TRANSFERS for exercises you can do to improve your leg strength, balance, and transfer abilities.  

De-clutter your living space. Remove any clutter that may be a tripping hazard, especially clutter from hallways and staircases.     

Check your rug. Check that your rugs are not curled up at the edges and that they lay flat on the floor, as uneven rugs may act as a tripping hazard. Also check to make sure that your throw rugs cannot slip or slide easily. Non-slip pads can be used under rugs to keep them in place.  

Install grab bars and handrails. Grab bars can be used to improve stability when moving around in the bathroom or shower. Installing handrails along stairways and larger hallways can also provide support when moving about your home.    

Brighten up your home. Ensure that your home is well lit, replacing burnt out light bulbs in dimly lit areas. Also consider using night-lights in bedrooms, bathrooms, and hallways to illuminate your living space while moving about at night.  

Understand potential medication side effects. Many medications have side effects that may increase your risk of falling, including dizziness, low blood pressure (hypotension), and drowsiness. Make sure you are aware of any medication side effects that may affect your balance and be more cautious moving about while on these medications. 

In summary, although our strength and balance may decline as we age, there are many things we can do to decrease our risk of falls and injuries from falls. If you need more assistance with improving your balance and mobility safely consider reaching out to a physical therapist for help and guidance.   

 -Sean Tyler, DPT

"Move Better" Series: Exercises To Improve Balance and Transfers

As we age, loss of lower extremity strength and balance may decrease our ability to perform once routine tasks. It may have become more difficult to stand up from our favorite living room chair, rise from a low toilet seat, or get in and out of the car. Impaired strength and balance may also increase our risk of falls and subsequently increase the likelihood of sustaining an injury from a fall. 

Although some changes in functional strength are expected with age, we can help combat these changes by participating in regular lower extremity strengthening and balance exercises. This blog post presents some lower extremity strengthening and balance exercises that can be performed to improve your transfers and balance.

SIT-TO-STAND STRENGTHENING EXERCISES

Sit-to-stand and squatting exercises can improve your ability to squat, stand from various surfaces, and perform stairs. The following video shows a progression of sit-to-stand exercises. Perform 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions:

BRIDGING STRENGTHENING EXERCISES

Bridging exercises are a great way to improve the strength in your hip extensors, including the gluteal muscles, and improve your trunk stability.  Perform 2-3 sets of a bridge progression that challenges you while maintaining proper form. 

STATIC & DYNAMIC BALANCE EXERCISES

Static balance exercises  are a great way to start improving your balance, so long as they can be performed safely. It is always a good idea to have a countertop, chair, or other stable surface nearby for upper extremity support for safety while performing balance exercises. You may also want to consider only performing balance exercises when someone else is present if you feel your fall risk is high.

Dynamic balance exercises focus on improving balance and stability while your body is moving or switching positions. In general, dynamic balance exercises are more challenging than static balance exercises, and should also be performed with upper extremity support within reach.

The following video show a progression of both static and dynamic balance exercises (Note: the first four exercises are static balance exercises, the last two are dynamic balance exercises):

Questions? Contact Sean Tyler, DPT at sean@salmonbaypt.com.

"Move Better" Series: 5 Times Sit-To-Stand

This week’s “Move Better” series includes a simple test to assess your balance and fall risk. If you feel like your balance and mobility is not what it used to be, try this test to see if you may be at an increased risk of falling.

Stay tuned for simple strength and balance exercises you can perform at home to improve your mobility and balance.

Be well!

-Brian Collins, DPT & Sean Tyler, DPT