Health News Share Email Print Balance exercises Reviewed 1/15/2024 5 balance exercises for seniors These exercises can help you take a stand against falls Falls are a common problem for adults age 65 and older. But there are plenty of steps you can take to reduce your risk of falling. These balance exercises are a great place to start. For safety's sake: Check with your doctor before beginning any home-exercise program. When doing the exercises, position yourself near a countertop or other sturdy surface you can hold on to for support if needed. SIDESTEPPING Step sideways in one direction with your toes pointed straight ahead. Move 10 steps in one direction, then return in the other direction. As this exercise gets easier to do, try using a resistance band stretched across your legs just above the ankles. SIT TO STAND Rise out of a chair without using your arms to push yourself up. Too difficult? Place a firm pad on the chair seat to raise your sitting height as needed. Do this exercise 10 times. STAND ON ONE FOOT Shift your weight onto one leg. Stand on that foot and stretch the other leg out in front of you, a few inches off the floor. Hold that position for a count of eight. Slowly return your leg to the starting position. Repeat with your other leg. For an extra challenge, flex and point your lifted foot: Bend your ankle so your toes first point away from you, then flex the ankle up to point your toes toward you. Do this exercise 10 to 15 times with each leg. BALANCE WALK Raise your arms to the side until they're even with your shoulders. Focus on a spot in front of you to steady yourself as you walk. Walk with one foot in front of the other in a straight line. As you walk, lift your back leg and pause in this position before stepping forward. Do this for 20 steps. As this gets easier to do, try looking from side to side as you walk. (Skip this step if you have inner ear problems.) HEEL-TO-TOE WALK Raise your arms to the side until they're even with your shoulders. Position the heel of one foot just in front of the toes of the other foot. Your heel and toes should touch—or at least almost touch. Take a step. Put your heel just in front of the toes of your other foot. Do this for 20 steps. Avoid getting tripped up inside your home. Here's how to fall-proof the rooms in your house. SPOT HAZARDS Sources American Heart Association. “Strength and Balance Exercises.” https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cardiac-rehab/getting-physically-active/strength-and-balance-exercises. American Physical Therapy Association. “6 Exercises to Promote Balance That You Can Do at Home.” https://www.choosept.com/health-tips/6-exercises-promote-balance-home. National Institute on Aging. “Balance Exercise for Older Adults.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YOBIEOobCE. National Institute on Aging. “Heel-to-Toe Walk Balance Exercise for Older Adults.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_GKdFf3qv4. National Institute on Aging. “Stand on One Foot Balance Exercise for Older Adults.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT5d4tTXW6U. Related stories Health information main Health tools go Select a health topic ADHD Aging Alcohol use disorder Allergies Alternative medicine Alzheimer's disease Arthritis Asthma Babies Backs Bladder Bones Brain Breast cancer Cancer Cancer prevention Caregiving Cervical cancer Children and parenting Cholesterol Colds Colorectal cancer Coronavirus Dental care Depression Diabetes Disaster preparedness Down syndrome Ears Eating disorders Emergencies End of life/Palliative care Environmental health Epilepsy Eyes Fall prevention Family and relationships Feet Fitness and exercise Flu Food safety Hair Headache Health assessments Health calculators Healthcare Heart attack Heart health Hepatitis Hernia High blood pressure Hips HIV/AIDS Holiday health Hormones Imaging Incontinence Joints Kidneys Knees Leukemia Liver Lung cancer Lungs Medications Men's health Menopause Mental health Multiple sclerosis Nails Nose Nutrition Obesity Oral cancer Ovaries Pain Parkinson's disease Pets Pneumonia Pregnancy Prostate cancer Rehabilitation Reproductive health Safety School health Sexuality Sexually transmitted infections Skin Skin cancer Sleep Smoking Sports injuries Stomach pain Stress and anxiety Stroke Substance use disorder Summer safety Surgery Teen health Throat Thyroid Travel Vaccines Vascular health Violence Vitamins and supplements Weight management Winter health Women's health Workplace health Wound care i Providers Family Medicine Geriatric Medicine Internal Medicine Sports Medicine Orthopedic Surgery i Services Home Health Services Rehabilitation Community Alternatives Program RSS If you have questions or comments, please contact Randolph Health. Problems reading or opening a page? Legal restrictions and terms of use applicable to this site.