Healthy aging is a term that could almost be considered an oxymoron.  I belive we all can agree, that as we get older, being healthy and staying healthy can mean two different things.  I took a look into what it healthy aging means, especially as it relates to Seniors and their independence.  Most Seniors that I have spoken too after lectures, classes and/or private sessions express to me their desire to live at home for as long as possible.  In fact, home is the place they would like to remain through the end of their lives.  So, what happens to healthy Seniors that are living independent lives and then end up in a facility in long-term care (LTC)?  

I took some time into this topic to find out what are some of the leading issues that causes folks, whom are healthy, but end up spending the last years of their lives in LTC's.  One research article named four key areas that can strongly predict an elderly person's transition from independent community living to a long-term care facility.  These four areas include:
Falls and fall related injuries
Urinary incontinence
Dementia
Social isolation

The article went on to say, "although estimates of fall rates vary widely based on location, age, and living arrangements of the elderly population, it is estimated that each year approximately 30% of community-dwelling individuals ages 65 and older, and 50% of those aged 85 and older will fall."(*1)  "Of those individuals who fall, 12% to 42% will have a fall-related injury."(*1)  The statistics are not on a Seniors side once they experience their first unintended fall.  "Two-thirds of those who fall will do so again within six months."(*2)  Further digging revealed "that the risk of LTC home admission is over five times higher in Seniors who experienced two or more falls without injury, and over 10 times higher in Seniors who experienced a fall causing serious injury."(*1)

Hope is not lost, however!  There are some things that our Seniors can do to make healthy aging a truly easier process.  One study identified 11 different interventions to avoid LTC's.  They are "exercise programs, vision assessment and referal, cataract surgery, environmental modifications, vitamin D supplementation, vitamin D plus calcium supplementation, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), medication withdrawal, gait-stabilizing devices, hip protectors and multifactorial interventions." (*1)  This study was also interesting to me becuase they took a look at the length of time these exercise programs should last in order to make the biggest impact.  And of course, you guessed it... those that have been in exercise programs that have lasted longer than six months were impacted more positively than any other group.

I have spoken about many of the interventions mentioned in the research article, including vitamin D supplementation and the research showing those that regularly take high levels of vitamin D tend to fall less.  I want those of you reading to understand that exercise does not have to be conventional, i.e. fitness centers.  Get out and walk!  You only need 1% of the time given to us in a week for exercise.  There are 10,080 minutes in a week... start with a 30 minute walk for six months, and you will begin to ensure that you are considered to be, healthy aging.

Chris R. Williams


SOURCES:
*1:  National Library of Medicine  (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23074507/)
*2:  https://www.shellpoint.org/blog/10-shocking-statistics-about-elderly-falls/

This is a question I get quite often. Typically, it begins with me sitting with a potential client at a table in their home as they take advantage of our FREE, in-home assessment. We talk a bit about what their goals may be, what the expectations are, and then the question, "I've done physical therapy and that didn't seem to work very well, how is your program different?"

I love this question! The short answer is simple. Physical therapy is great and it does work for a lot of folks. The shortfall may come in the patients line of thinking. For some individuals, they will have very high, sometimes unrealistic, expecatations of where their balance should be at the end of three to four weeks. The problem with those types of expectations are solved by one statement my Uncle would say to me sometimes, "You can't walk into the woods five miles, turn around and expect to walk out in one!" Second, PT doesn't always address all of the under lying issues such as, lack of leg strength, poor posture and lack of flexibility. Any of these three issues will change the way the body is built to move. If you lack leg strength, you typically can't stand or walk for long periods of time. If your posture is not great and you hunch over, this changes your center of gravity and the way the body was built to align itself through movement. If you lack flexibility, this will prevent muscles (particularly the hamstrings) from moving through there entire range of motion they are responsible for moving through. This can shorten the gait length and force other muslces to pick up the "slack". Also, at the end of PT, the patient is given a sheet of exercises they are responsible for perfoming on a daily, or every other day schedule. By show of hands, how many of us have kept that schedule? That's what I thought!

It's funny how you always showed up for all of your PT appointments though. And you executed all the exercises, sets and reps. Most would even admit that therapy did work, at least a little bit. Then, your insurance stops covering your sessions and you get your sheet of exercises for you to do on your own. For most, they have great intentions but life gets in the way. There's golf, pickleball, The Price is Right, happy hour and then hair appointments... the list goes on!

Balance University forces you to show up to a one-hour class, one time per week for 45-60 minutes. The cost is only $99 ($9.90/class) and you will be guided through the program by a Balance University certified trainer (at the moment, we do not accept insurance.). So, to answer the question, why should you try Balance University, even though you've tried physical therapy because:

1. Balance University is built on four core pillars: improve leg strength (which is a life indicator), improve posture, increase flexibility and balance exercises. We focus on the entire problem, not just balance. We fix the underlying issues.
2. The BU course lasts 10-weeks, not three or four.
3. The program focuses on neuromuscular efficiency. That's a fancy term we use so that people think us "experts" know what we're talking about. Neuromuscular efficiency is the communication network between the brain and the muscles. The more you work on their "marriage", the better they will communicate, the better balance and life you will have!
4. You don't have to deal with insurance!
5. You can take the 10-week course over and over again. You could possibly end up with two or more doctorate's in balance!
6. The BU program can be modified for anyone in any condition. From healthy on two feet to wheelchair or bed bound. This program has alternative exercises to make everyone successful.
7. BU is a progressive program. The next week is always tougher and more challenging than the previous.
8. You do NOT need a bunch of fancy, expensive equipment to complete the program.
9. BU helps improve osteoporosis by utilizing many of the same exercises that you would find on the Osteoporosis Foundation’s website.
10. Instead of just a sheet with exercises, BU is a book that gives you the "what's next" exercise. So, after you have mastered a exercise, there's no guessing on what to do next. Just flip to the following week.

I would love for everyone 65 and older to go through the Balance University program! It will help you stay mobile, independent and healthy!

Do want to know the most common question that I am asked from people?  It doesn't matter what the venue or how big or small the group I'm speaking to, inevitably, I get the same question everywhere I go. 

The question?  "Why am I able to balance better on one foot than the other?"

I am willing to bet that we all have experienced this, or most of us have in some capacity.  So, what is the reason for this phenomenon?  It's not exactly a short answer, however, I do have one.

I have asked many healthcare professionals regarding this issue.  I have spoken to physicians, therapists, colleagues and everyone else that I thought would have some knowledge as to why we all seem to have a side that we are better with balancing than another.  What is more baffling, it's not always the dominant side!  Now explain that?!  No one seems to have a scientific answer to this question.

So, here's what I know...  For the last seven years, I have observed folks and how they stand, walk, shift their weight from side-to-side and move overall.  Also, I have watched people who are standing and in casual conversation and how they shift their weight and position themselves when talking.  When most folks are talking and standing, possibly with a freind in a casual conversation, they will stand with the majority of their weight shifted to one side or another.  This results with one side becoming more comfortable handling 70%-80% of your bodyweight, while the other side is not.  So, it's not much of a stretch to shift 100% of your bodyweight to that particular side and your body feeling equipped, comfortable and strong enough to handle the weight versus the other side.  The muscles in your leg become stronger and joints become better equiped to handle the entire load of your body.  Also, your brain (nervous system) and all the muscles (muscular system) involved in maintaining that particular position create a significant amount of nueromuscular effeciency.  This means that the pathways between you brain and muscles create a great and very effecient communication network that allows you to maintain that shifted position with ease so you can focus more on the content of your conversation rather than balancing on one side. 

Here is something fun to do.  Start watching your friends and family when you talk with them and both of you are  standing.  Could you identify which side they would have an easier time standing and balancing with on one foot?  

Some folks may think it's common sense when it comes to beginning a workout routine.  For others, it's not so simple, especially if you are dealing with a lack of balance.  My focus and objective when I was developing "Balance University" was to create a simple to follow but very effective, results driven balance program.  And that's what I've done!!

One of the easiest and more simple exercises you can do to improve your balance is called the Single Leg Lateral (pictured above).  This exercise will strengthen your ankles, lower legs and hips creating a more responsive system that can adjust and redirect misteps quickly.  This movement will also greatly improve the communication network system between your brain, spine and muscular system.  This is ,otherwise, known as neuromuscular efficiency.  The benefit to increased neuromuscular effeciency means that when your brain detects your body becoming unstable and unbalanced, you will be able to adjust and adapt quickly.  This improved system will result in less falls, which means more confidence and less worry for you and your loved ones.

You can find this exercise, along with others like it, in Balance University!

When you work, results follow!

Balance deteriorates as we age and there’s nothing you can do to prevent this natural process. The reason? It all begins with your brain and the way it communicates with the muscular system. As we get older, the synapses in our brain get farther apart, we lose a few connections here and there and on top of all of that, the signals do not travel as quickly as they did when we were younger. Now, this is the “watered-down” version of that story but that will suffice for our purposes of understanding how balance works.

Your brain and spine make up the nervous system. Your muscles make up your muscular system. Our muscular system is attached to our bones, which is the skeletal system, otherwise, we would be big a pile of flesh, cartlidge and muscle on the floor. Our nervous system communicates to our muscular system and those messages, or electrical signals, activates our muscles and instructs their movements. Our balance depends on how well these two systems communicate.

We can do exercises to help improve our balance significantly! However, you have to work at it. Improving your balance requires consistency and progressively harder exexrcises.

Balance University is designed to increase and improve the communication network between your nervous system and your muscular system. The exercises in balance university are organized in such a way, that each week the exercises get progressively harder. In return, you will be challenged each week, within your boundaries, and you will see your balance improve.

Now, the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. If you look at the picture above, you will see the balance university key (colorful circle with arrows and words). Balance University is based on this key. However, YOU DO NOT NEED EQUIPMENT! I have included substitutes for every exercise that uses equipment that you can do at home. Balance University will improve your balance!