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As we age, many people find it more difficult to get around and maneuver their way throughout their daily activities. Perhaps you’re worried about tripping over uneven pavement or flooring. Maybe you are already using a cane or walker, but still feel apprehensive about your stability, or maybe you have already had the traumatic experience of falling and now need assistance.
Having your gait (stride) checked by a professional therapist is extremely helpful for many individuals with age-related symptoms, and also for people with recent injuries that have an inhibited sense of balance.
A physical therapist will work with you one on one to evaluate your balance, walking ability, foot rotation, steadiness, and control. The therapist will devise a fall prevention program specifically for you in mind. In recent studies, Tai Chi has proven to be an excellent source in helping individuals to gain their balance back by retraining the body to walk stronger with more stability. In addition, the meditative concept stimulates balance and body awareness, as it also helps to build muscle definition with minimal force on the joints.
Tai Chi is a form of exercise that focuses on shifting weight from one foot to the other in a rhythmic pattern. This type of exercise is known to increase balance and prevent falls, especially in the aging population. Tai Chi also alleviates back pain by fostering the flexion and suppleness of the practitioner through recurrent, lengthening, body positioning.
According the AARP, “Tai chi practitioners learn to “sink into the earth and feel the connection with their feet,” which can help them negotiate uneven surfaces, explains international tai chi fitness expert Scott Cole. A 2015 study published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism found the exercise can also help with osteoarthritis, the most common joint disease in midlife, by improving mobility, reducing stiffness, and helping ease pain.
But tai chi, believed to be a centuries-old adaptation of martial arts moves according to the precepts of Chinese medicine, does more than just loosen up your limbs. “When people practice tai chi, there’s a decrease of stress hormones produced by the sympathetic nervous system, which can help lower heart rate and blood pressure,” says Irwin. “That’s similar to the kinds of gains that happen immediately after engaging in more strenuous exercise.” What’s more, by going through the motions with knees slightly ben
t, you’re working the largest muscle groups in the body — the glutes and quadriceps — which are the first to atrophy as we age.
Innovative Therapies Group offers massage, physical, occupational and speech therapy. They embrace alternative and eastern medicine philosophies and will help you explore new inventive ways to combat your pain or disorders.
References:
AARP, B Stepko, “The ancient martial art is a beginner-friendly, low-impact workout” AARP.com, April 16, 2018
Innovative Therapies Group, Inc.
352-433-0091
innovativetherapiesgroup.com
