Do you feel off balance or worry about slipping and falling?
If you do, try this exercise.
Building leg strength and stability are necessary to improve balance.
They will help you feel more confident when walking down the street, negotiating a curb, or going up and down the stairs.
Improve Balance
In this video, Buffalo Rehab Group Physical Therapist Kristina Hines PT DPT demonstrate a simple, at-home exercise to help build length strength and stability.
Start with your feet together and your hands on your hips.
As you do this exercise, make sure to keep your pelvis nice and level.
With your right foot, take one step forward. As you step, bring your left leg up and balance. Hold this balance for 3-5 seconds.
Advance forward on your left leg, bringing your right leg up into a balance. Hold for 3-5 seconds.
Continue stepping and holding.
If you don’t have a ladder, you can step and balance down a hallway or outdoors on a flat surface.
Another helpful variation of this ladder balance exercise is side stepping.
Starting with your feet together and your hands on your hips, take a step to either your right or your left. Once you’ve stepped, bring your trailing leg up into a balance and hold for 3-5 seconds.
Once you have taken several side steps in a direction, make sure you continue facing the same way and return to where you started – stepping and balancing on your other leg.
Want more help improving your balance?
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