Balance Keeping intact the fundamental sense

His exploration led to a book, Balance: In Search of the Lost Sense. Noting that the sense of balance erodes as one ages and falls are common among the growing older population, McCredie wonders why balance is not talked about in fitness circles as often as strength training, aerobics and stretching.

He learned that the sense of balance begins to degrade in one’s 20s and that it is downhill — literally and figuratively — from there unless steps are taken to preserve it.

Vertigo, which can be caused by inner ear infections, low blood pressure, brain injuries, certain medications and some chronic diseases, is loss of balance in the extreme. Anyone who has experienced it — even if just from twirling in a circle — knows how disorienting and dangerous it can be. Really, without a sense of balance, about everything else in life can become an insurmountable obstacle.

But while certain declines with age are unavoidable, physical therapists and fitness experts have repeatedly proved that much of the sense of balance can be preserved and even restored through exercises that require no special equipment or training. These exercises are as simple as standing on one foot while brushing your teeth or walking heel-to-toe with one foot directly in front of the other.

Testing for Equilibrium

Marilyn Moffat and Carole B Lewis, physical therapists in New York and Washington, agree that “balance is an area of fitness that is often overlooked,” but they seek to correct it in their recent book Age-Defying Fitness.

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