Good balance: 6 elements that keep us upright

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Falls are the main cause of injury or injury -related death In older adults in the United States. There are many reasons why older adults are more susceptible to traps and serious injury after a fall. Bone and muscle loss are a natural part of aging, so that our strength and stability are suppressed. Hearing limitations can influence the ability of your vestibular system to keep you balanced. Some common drugs can cause dizziness. The good news is that yoga can help. In future messages I will make suggestions for yoga practices that can help us build balance skills. In today’s post I will describe six factors to consider creating a practice for a good balance.

Good balance is more than just tree posture

Practicing tree attitude (VRKSASANA) can certainly be part of your balance structure regime. But there is more going on. Maintaining a good balance during your life must consider the whole body/spirit spectrum, and yoga can be a long way to improve the skills that contribute to balance.

Here is a list of what I know as elements of a fixed balance. There may be more I have not learned about. This is a constant study area for me, so I would like to hear from readers who can share more information.

Element #1: Strong, sensitive feet

Our feet are our foundation. And yet we don’t give them the attention they deserve. Our feet can lose sensitivity over time, because of neuropathy, keep them in tight or poorly fitting shoes and because of general aging. To maintain a good balance, our feet must be strong, mobile and sensitive. She requires power to use – walking, running, practicing yoga’s standing poses. Our toes are closely involved in balance, so they must be able to move freely. It is also important to be able to feel how our feet articulate the ground so that we can detect when our feet are unevenly thoroughly.

Element #2: Bone and muscle strength

It is perhaps surprised to hear that muscle mass starts to decrease in our 1930s. It is true, and the speed of decrease accelerates around the age of 60. Muscle strength and mass are crucial when maintaining the health of the bone. Weight-bearing exercises such as yoga and strength training can help us maintain overall muscle and bone health.

Element #3: Core strength

A strong core – both abdominal muscles and back muscles – stabilizes the whole body and helps us maintain a good balance. In turn, balance exercises can help us maintain a strong core. Think poses such as Boat Pose (Navasana), Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana) and the baby backbends such as Locust Pose (Salabhasana).

Element #4: Flexibility

It is inevitable that we will sometimes lose our balance. But if we do that, it is important that our body can recover, which can help prevent us from falling when we lose our balance. This means that we must have movement options. A body with stiff joints will simply stay upright when we stumble, a single twist or falter while walking on uneven soil. Yoga is of course especially suitable for promoting flexibility.

Element #5: Vestibular system

According to the Cleveland Clinic: “The vestibular system contains sensory organs in your inner ear That helps you to maintain your sense of balance. We are constantly on the move, just like the world around us. The vestibular system helps your body to understand how you move and how things are moving around you to maintain your balance or stability. “Yoga is unique under physical practices, because many of the poses require our heads in positions other than standing upright, which stimulates and strengthens our vestibular system.

Element #6: concentration

Many falls happen if we just don’t pay attention. We may walk on the wrong terrain and think of something else completely when we stumble over a rock and fall. Or we can practice tree attitude and lose in mind when our balance suddenly falters. In any case, pay attention to our movements, our environment, our attitude, the relationship of our feet to the ground – all these things can help us keep balance. Mindfulness Practice is the key to help us develop concentration skills.

Concluding: build up a yoga practice for a good balance

By making a yoga practice for a good balance, we have to consider all these elements. In the coming weeks, and maybe months, I will share practices that I know as useful. Yoga can be a beautiful ally to keep us upright. In the meantime, exercises that you know to strengthen, stabilize, stretch and promote a constant balance.

About Charlotte Bell

Charlotte Bell discovered Yoga in 1982 and started teaching in 1986. Charlotte is the author of Mindful Yoga, Mindful Life: A Guide for Everyday Practice and Yoga for Meditators, both published by Rodmell Press. Her third book is entitled Hip-Healthy Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Guide to Protect the hips and avoiding SI joint pain (Shambhala publications). She writes a monthly column for Catalyst Magazine and serves as an editor for Yoga U online. Charlotte is one of the founders of board member for GreenTree Yoga, a non-profit organization that brings yoga to disadvantaged population. Charlotte, a lifelong musician, plays oboe and English horn in the Salt Lake Symphony and Folk Sextet Red Rock Rondo, whose DVD won two Emmy Awards.