Illustrations by Michael Klein
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Boost Your Balance
By Kathleen Doheny, July-August 2003
Master these moves, and nothing will topple you
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Practicing tai chi can reduce the fear of falling by strengthening muscles and training your body to maintain balance in a variety of positions. This ancient Chinese dance-exercise uses smooth, easy movements, and it really helps: In a study at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Georgia, 45 women (ages 65 to 96) who did 30 minutes of tai chi twice a week for three months not only improved their balance, but also reduced their fear of falling by 30 percent. "Many falls occur when someone is doing one thing and thinking about something else," explains Steven Wolf, Ph.D., of Emory University in Atlanta. Tai chi helps your balance become automatic, keeping your feet under you when you're distracted. These three moves can be effective balance builders for older persons, says Fuzhong Li, Ph.D., a tai chi researcher at Oregon Research Institute in Eugene. With your doctor's approval, do them twice a day at a slow, even pace, and your balance may be noticeably better in one month.
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1. Pretend you are holding a beach ball, with your left palm on top of it and right palm under it.
Take a small side step with your left foot (point your toes left). As you do this, sweep your left arm upward (palm out) and your right arm by your right hip, palm facing down. (Imagine you're a cop telling traffic to "Stop!")
2. Hold this pose for a moment. To return to the starting position, rotate your left foot so your toes point forward, and your body will naturally rotate to face forward again. Bring your left foot back under you. Allow your arms to draw inward—but this time end with your right hand on top of the imaginary ball.
3. Repeat to the opposite side. Take a small step with your right foot. Raise your right arm, and lower your left.
4. Hold this pose for a second, then reverse the movements to return to the original starting position (left hand on top of the beach ball). Do this move twice, moving as fluidly as you can. You may wish to work up to doing 3 or 4 repetitions in a row.
1. Stand comfortably with your knees bent slightly, as shown.
2. Step forward with your left foot, and raise both hands in front of your face (palms out), as if you were blocking something in front of you. Your left hand should be farther from your body than the right one.
3. Reverse the move, moving your left foot back while lowering your hands, to return to the starting position.
4. Now, step forward with your right foot, again raising your hands. Your right hand should be in front of the left. Gradually work up to 3 or 4 repetitions.
1. Position a sturdy chair (without wheels) on your left. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, your right arm slightly bent at the elbow, palm facing down. Hold the chair for support.
2. Shift your weight slowly to the left leg, and raise your right hand and knee in one motion, as if they were attached by puppet strings. Hold this position for 1 second. Lower your hand and knee to return to the starting position. Repeat steps 1 and 2 if it's comfortable.
3. Move the chair to your right side, and assume the starting position from step 1 (holding the chair with your right hand).
4. Repeat the move on the opposite side by lifting and lowering your left hand and leg. Gradually work up to doing 3 or 4 repetitions on each side.
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