It’s National Balance Awareness Week

And We Can Help

September 19 - 25

One of the biggest myths floating around out there is that falling is a normal part of aging. Not true!  Two things you can evaluate when considering your fall risk are your physical state and your opportunity to fall.  We can share resources for both.

Every Monday, at 10am, experienced YMCA staff lead a 45-minute, balance class on Zoom. Activities involve the 3 sensory systems used for balance including vision, vestibular and somatosensory. Exercises are included for strength, endurance, range-of-motion, static & dynamic balance, core, posture and more. If logging on doesn't work for you, there is a free-to-everyone Balls & Balance handout & video here:  ACTIVE OLDER ADULTS

Next up is the Y’s Virtual Program Site which also has a prerecorded balance session that can be accessed whenever you feel like practicing your skills. This site is accessible for no charge to self-paying Y members, or is $25 per month. There are lots of prerecorded exercise classes, plus access to all of the Y’s weekly virtual classes. ENTER VIRTUAL YMCA

The CDC has great resources to help you reduce your risk of falling. You will be able to find all kinds of tools & checklists to help you recognize, understand and mitigate fall risks in your environment. You can find them here: CDC FALL PREVENTION ARTICLE

We know that being inactive leads to muscle atrophy and sensorimotor deterioration. Just like everything else, balance is a use it or lose it skill. The good news? You can train your body to be more competent at balance. We hope the tools listed about help you to do just that.