balance exercises – A to Z Personal Wellness

The Importance of Foot Health for your Balance

Feet play a critical role in balance, mobility, and overall stability, especially as we age. Here’s why they matter so much—and how they can impact balance:

1. Foundation of the Body

Feet are literally our foundation. Each foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments, all working together to support movement and posture. When something’s off—sensation, pain, other abnormalities—it can affect everything from the knees to the hips and back, throwing off balance.

2. Sensory Feedback and Proprioception

Feet have a high concentration of nerve endings that provide sensory feedback to the brain about body position—this is known as proprioception. As we age, these nerve signals may slow or diminish (especially in conditions like diabetes and neuropathy), reducing our ability to detect shifts in terrain or posture—making falls more likely.

3. Muscle Strength and Flexibility

The small muscles in the feet and ankles contribute to adjusting weight distribution and stabilizing the body. Weakness in these muscles can result in unsteady gait, poor posture, and a higher risk of tripping or losing balance.

4. Changes with Age

As we age, common foot-related issues may arise but we can make changes and modifications to make the best of it:

Reduced fat padding, leading to discomfort while walking.
Arthritis, causing stiffness or pain in foot joints.
Poor circulation, which can lead to cold or numb feet.
Deformities (bunions, hammertoes) that affect walking mechanics.

5. Footwear Matters

Improper shoes—too narrow, too loose, or lacking support—can greatly impair balance. As people age, shoes that once worked may no longer provide the needed support or traction.

Ways to Improve Foot Health for your Balance

Daily foot exercises (toe curls/scrunches, toe spreads ( spread your toes wide apart), walking around your house barefoot, practicing standing on one leg and tandem stance for balance
Proper footwear (supportive, non-slip soles, good arch support, ideally having a back to them)
Regular foot exams—especially for those with diabetes, neuropathy, or circulation issues. Check for any cuts, swelling, discoloration, changes in sensation.
Stretching and strengthening the lower legs and ankles – can do calf stretches and ankle circles, sit to stands, heel and toe raises etc.

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Spring Better Your Balance Challenge

Here is the PDF of the Spring balance challenge. You can print it yourself, I can print it out for you or you can get a copy at the Perinton Rec Center and Pittsford Senior Center.

I have also made a video with demonstrations of the exercises and the link for that is here: https://youtu.be/0rr4IophTmk?si=ai3Jeqx9avHjeCQE

If you have any questions please let me know! If you would like ways to make it a little less challenging or more challenging please let me know and I’d be happy to accommodate. Have fun with it and get ready for all the nice weather activities ahead 🙂

Spring-25-Balance-Challenge Download

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Simple and Quick Activities to Try with Grandkids

Here are some fun energy burners for you to try with your grandkids. I know my kids love doing these activities with their grandparents. They can be played both indoors and outdoors and only with things you can find around your house!

Red Light Green Light

Green means go, yellow means slow down, and red means stop. Sometimes we add in different colors like purple for backwards walking. This game is also good for grandparents to work on speed changes and reaction time!

Simon Says

A classic game that can be as active as you want it to be. Some examples: Simon says take 3 big steps. Simon says walk as fast as you can. Simon says tip toe. Simon says walk side ways (side step). Simon says walk like a monster. So many ways to play this and also great for grandparents to participate!

Obstacle Course

Use random things from around the house or that are outside to manuever around, step over, step under, step on, balance on, go through, etc. So many options and ways to get creative with objects that you have! Also good practice for grandparents to participate.

Scavenger Hunt

You can do this by having kids find objects of a certain color, shape, theme, or specific objects. Many more options can be found on google.

Stand on One Leg or Tight Rope Walk

See how long you and your grandkids can stand on one leg, you can pretend to be a flamingo. Next see if you can walk a pretend tight rope in the circus by walking heel to toe.

If you want to participate with the grandkids of course be safe and know your limits! If there are things that are challenging, if you feel unsteady or like you aren’t able to do, feel free to contact A to Z Personal Wellness to increase your confidence and improve your strength, balance and mobility to keep up with the grandkids!

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Get Balanced, Stay Balanced, Be Balanced

Most of the time we don’t think about our balance until we feel unsteady or until we have a fall. However our balance starts to decline as early as our 30’s. The good news is that we can improve it with exercise! There are many factors that contribute to decreased balance as we age such as vision loss, medication side effects, decreased muscle strength, other health conditions, fear of falling, not getting enough sleep and the list goes on.

Training static and dynamic balance can increase your coordination, better your reaction time, increase you mobility and agility, reduce fitness related or other injuries and allow you to perform better in your daily life. Falling is NOT a normal part of aging! Be proactive and prevent a fall. Even if you don’t feel old or are not concerned about your balance, focusing on these exercises can help you improve your tennis or golf game.

Personal training is beneficial to determine what area or areas of balance you need to work on. Do you need to train to increase muscle strength, or train one of your sensory systems? A balance assessment can determine what areas need work and what exercises to focus on.

You may have heard about practicing standing on one leg as you brush your teeth or as you are in the kitchen waiting for your coffee and thought why do I need to do that? Well, it is important to practice single leg balance because we are on one leg during walking, climbing stairs, getting in a car, and stepping into a shower or tub. Try to do single leg balance at a counter top 2x/day and hold up to 1 min on each leg with as little or no hand support if possible.

Another exercise to try at home:

Stand with your feet as close together as possible and hold for 30 seconds if you can, if that is too hard you can separate your feet a bit. If it is too easy try with your eyes closed. Another way to make it more challenging is to try it while standing on a pillow. Do this exercise in a corner and with a chair in front of you for safety.

Contact A to Z Personal Wellness for a balance assessment!

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