Life alerts are good, but what if you could help yourself from being prone to falling. A 2015 study by Ravi Shankar Reddy, PhD, PT and Khalid Alahmari, PhD, PT says that falls are among the leading causes of nonfatal and fatal injuries in the elderly.
Maintaining balance is very important as we age. With a more sedentary lifestyle, the higher the chance you have of losing flexibility in the lower limbs, attributing to being at risk for falling. This study took 60 subjects between the ages of 65 to 74 years old. Subjects underwent a single limb stance test — they had to stand on one foot for 45 seconds, as well as the Berg functional test — one of the best functional balance tests in geriatrics. These tests were recorded before they began their stretching program.
The stretching treatment included enacting hamstring, gastronomies, and hip flexor stretches. They enacted each stretch with four repetitions, alternating right and left sides, holding a duration of 30 seconds (8 times). The stretches were preceded with a warm-up period and concluded with a cool-down period.
The warm-up included side-stepping to the right, walking forward 3 steps, clapping, and walking backward 3 steps, holding a chair for balance, and lifting the right knee and left knee into the air. The cool-down entailed taking a deep breath as they raised their arms above their head and then a deep breath out as they lowered them, shaking out the arms and legs, and rotating the wrists clockwise and counterclockwise.
Participants were asked to do the warm-up, stretches, and cool-downs for five-minute sessions twice daily for 10 weeks in their own homes. They were also asked to keep a weekly log sheet to note if they completed the daily stretch routine.
This study proved that the effects of stretching the lower limbs significantly improved balance and lowered the chance of falls in the future. This is known by the single limb stance time improving as well as the Berg balance score improving.
We have specific stretches here at Stretch Zone Longbow that target the lower limbs and will help you maintain the flexibility you need to keep your gait strong and keep you on your toes. Stretching improves good balance. What we do at Stretch Zone Longbow will help these results.
We offer a complimentary introductory stretch where one of our nationally certified neuromuscular behavioralists will consult you on what your goals are, tight areas, and how we can help get you back to doing the things that you love again, comfortably.
Sessions at Stretch Zone Longbow are 30 minutes with the option for a 60-minute stretch session. Prices range from $40 to $65 per half-hour session. Stretch Zone Longbow is located at 3204 N. Recker Road, Suite 104, Mesa. You can contact them at (480) 590-1133.