What Does Balance Mean for You?
The Importance of Balance and How to Maintain It for a Healthy Life
Balance is crucial for maintaining an active lifestyle and ensuring long-term health. As we age, the ability to maintain good balance becomes increasingly important for staying fit, playing sports, and even keeping up with daily activities like playing with grandchildren. In fact, studies show that one in four Australians over the age of 65 will experience a fall, with many of these accidents linked to poor balance.
Understanding How Balance Works
Maintaining balance involves multiple body systems working together. Your brain processes information from your eyes, inner ear, muscles, joints, and skin to help keep you steady. These systems send continuous signals to your brain, which then coordinates muscle movement to stabilize your body and prevent falls.
Key Components of Balance:
1. Vision and Balance
Your eyes play a vital role in maintaining balance by helping you understand your orientation in space. They provide visual cues from the horizon and vertical objects (like walls or trees). When your brain detects that you’re off-balance, it signals your muscles to adjust your posture and bring you back to stability.
2. The Role of the Inner Ear in Balance
Your inner ear contains fluid-filled canals that detect head position. These canals send information to your brain about your body’s orientation. When the fluid particles in your ear move incorrectly, it can result in vertigo—a spinning sensation. However, this can often be treated through physiotherapy.
3. Muscles, Joints, and Balance
Muscles, ligaments, tendons, and bones collaborate to create proprioception, or the sense of body position. This system enables you to move with precision, helping to maintain balance and respond quickly to any changes in posture.
4. Skin Receptors and Balance
Receptors in your skin, especially on your feet, detect pressure changes that help regulate how much force your muscles need to exert. This allows you to maintain balance even while walking on uneven surfaces or climbing stairs.
How to Maintain Balance as You Age
Though balance naturally declines with age, it is possible to slow this process and even improve your balance. Regular balance exercises, along with professional guidance, can significantly reduce the risk of falls. Start by booking a session with Trish Starling at APS Physio and joining our ‘Boost Your Balance’ workshops. By staying active, you can remain steady on your feet and continue enjoying life’s activities.