Design a balance progression program using static and dynamic exercises

An easy way to track progressions is to have steps that go from easy to hard. When designing my progressions, I think of ways to make an exercise very basic and then I design a progression to make more difficult. This can include going from two limbs to one limb, changing body positions, and going from stable surfaces to unstable surfaces.

Using this guideline helps me to breakdown steps when progressing exercises. Take the time to think through the progression, experiment with exercises, and develop your own guideline. Building a progression program is a huge benefit to a strength and conditioning coach, because it can adhere to different levels of capability and add variety to a program.

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Box Sparta, MI, Interested in reading the print issue of Coach and Athletic Director? Balance becomes more important with age, as you develop an increased risk of falling injuries. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends performing exercises designed to improve balance at least two days per week. Static balance involves supporting your posture while standing still, whereas dynamic balance involves adapting to changes during movement.

An effective balance routine progresses from static to dynamic moves. According to the ACSM, you should be able to stand on one leg for at least 20 seconds without holding onto anything for static balance. If you are unable to do this, start shifting your balance in different directions with your feet in different positions to start building strength in the muscles that stabilize the body and provide balance.

Increase the amount of time you hold each position until you can stand unassisted for 20 seconds. Once you can do this you should progress to movement exercises. Once you have mastered standing on one leg while stationary, begin to introduce movement. Squat down while holding onto a counter, desk or other object. Each time you do this exercise, reduce the amount of support you're giving yourself, until you need no additional support.

You also can lean forward as you raise the unsupported leg behind you to do a one-legged deadlift. Call or Chat now! Everything you want to know about our top-rated Study Programs are just a call or click away. Fall incidence rates currently pose a serious health problem for older adults. Among those who are 65 or older, it has been estimated that 35 percent to 45 percent of otherwise healthy, community-dwelling adults fall at least once a year.

Decreased balance is attributable to an age-related decline in multiple physiological systems that contributes to decreased muscle flexibility and strength, reduced central processing of sensory information, and slowed motor responses American Geriatrics Society, British Geriatrics Society, and American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeon Panel on Falls Prevention, In addition to an increased risk of falls, diminished balance and mobility may limit activities of daily living or participation in leisure-time activities.

Accordingly, it is essential that balance exercises be incorporated into the physical activity programs of older adults. The following article uses case studies to outline the critical components of designing individualized balance exercise programs for clients that reduce their risk of falls.

Sample balance exercises and training progressions from simple to complex will also be presented. Origin of Poor Balance and Falls An understanding and knowledge of the factors contributing to impairments in balance is fundamental to designing an effective balance-training program. Poor balance is multi-factorial in origin; in particular, cognitive impairment, visual disturbances and poor reaction time increase the likelihood of falls. Moreover, balance impairments and lower-extremity skeletal muscle weakness are also well-recognized independent contributors to falls.

In particular, fallers have less muscular strength in the quadriceps and ankle dorsiflexors and plantarflexors compared to non-fallers Orr et al. It should be noted, however, that previous research exploring exercise training as a means for fall prevention in older adults has shown conflicting results Mansfield et al.

While some studies have reported a reduced risk of falls after exercise training, other research has reported limited or no benefits. Even so, there are important lessons to be learned from these incompatible findings, and the complex etiology of poor balance highlights the need for a comprehensive intervention program. With that in mind, consider the following six critical issues that must be considered when developing an all-inclusive strategy for optimizing balance training and fall prevention among older clients.

Multi-component training is superior to single-component balance training. The explanations generally given for lack of a favorable adaptation from balance exercises are 1 lack of specificity with training, and 2 performance of single-component compared to multi-component training. It has been reported that training programs including only single-task activities fail to place the client in an environmental condition similar to that experienced prior to and during a fall Silsupadol et al.

Importantly, though balance training focused on improving functional tasks e. A well-designed exercise program should feature concurrent performance of balance exercises and additional tasks. For example, in addition to performing heel-toe walking, the client may simultaneously be asked to complete a cognitive task, such as counting backward from by increments of three.

An additional form of dual-component training may involve combining a balance exercise with another form of physical activity. For instance, the client could be asked to balance on one leg while playing catch with a light medicine ball. Simulate loss of balance during training. Balance-training programs and fall-prevention interventions must include a focus on balance-recovery reactions Mansfield et al. Ultimately it is the capability—or lack thereof—to recover from a balance perturbation loss of balance that eventually determines whether or not a client falls.

Balance disturbances can arise from collisions, slips and trips. Additionally, loss of balance can occur during voluntary movements, including bending, reaching and turning. Our body has a natural line of defense against balance disturbances: rapid limb movements. For example, reaching out to grab a supporting object or quickly stepping forward with a lower limb are compensatory mechanisms aimed at preventing a fall.

Accordingly, it is logical to address the balance-recovery skill levels of clients because effective training programs will be those that replicate sudden and unpredictable balance disturbances. Couple resistance training with balance training. Despite the fact that poor balance is frequently associated with reduced muscular strength, the literature does not currently support resistance training alone as a successful strategy for enhancing balance performance and fall reduction.

A systematic review of the efficacy of resistance training as an isolated intervention for uniformly improving balance revealed that this approach was successful in only one of five instances Orr et al. Therefore, it is crucial to remember that resistance training needs to also be coupled with balance training for positive modifications to be conferred on postural stability.

Indeed, the integrated exercise-training approach has been found to be effective in the literature de Bruin and Murer, Correctly sequence balance exercises. Aerobic, resistance, flexibility and balance training are each critically important for the overall health, functional capacity and quality of life of older adults. However, to fulfill the minimum frequency requirements of each form of activity, clients will need to perform at least two or more activities on the same day, and most likely within the same exercise session Nelson et al.

Research has reported that participation in either resistance or flexibility activities prior to balance exercise can negatively impact performance Behm et al. For the senior client who may already face significant balance challenges, it would be inappropriate and possibly harmful to create additional perturbations due to improper activity sequencing.

Balance training when combined with resistance and flexibility activities should be performed first or following aerobic activity. Create innovative balance exercises. Conventional balance-training programs include various sitting and standing activities, which, for the motivated client, has been shown to be effective over the long-term. However, in less-motivated individuals the performance of repetitive, basic tasks can lead to poor adherence, less-effective training and ultimately cessation of training.

Consequently, continuously designing novel and creative balance exercises for clients is essential.