Dancing, Walking While Carrying Objects Can Improve Balance In Elderly, Review Shows
It’s well known that balance exercises can help elderly people avoid dangerous falls — but a new Cochrane Review shows just what kinds of exercises seem to be most effective.
Researchers found that the best ways to improve balance “involved exercises that challenged people’s balance while they were standing,” study researcher Tracey Howe, of Glasgow Caledonian University, said in a statement.
The exercises that were done three times a week for three months seemed to be the most effective, she added. The Telegraph reported that these sorts of activities include dancing and carrying objects while walking.
“What you have to do is combine activities, such as carrying things while walking or dancing which involves using various parts of the body,” Howe told The Telegraph. “It is well worth the elderly putting their favorite music on at home and having a little jig.”
Surprisingly, plain old walking and riding a bicycle didn’t seem to be that effective at reducing falls among the older population, Howe added, though of course there are many other health benefits associated with these activities.