Articles
The Journal on Active Aging brings articles of value to professionals dedicated to older-adult quality of life. Content sweeps across the active-aging landscape to focus on education and practice. Find articles of interest by searching the article archives in three ways: Enter a keyword in the articles search bar; click on search by topic; or type a keyword or phrase in the general search bar at the top of the page.
Topic- Balance training
Getting the "balance" right by Colin Milner
With the youngest Boomers celebrating their 50th birthday this year--and exponential growth in older age groups for many years to come--many new opportunities are available to support their health and wellness. One such opportunity is a “balance center.”
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Life in balance: Planning a balance-training program by Antonio Galvan, Jr.
It can be a daunting task to develop a comprehensive and effective balance-training program. As practitioners who work with people who can certainly benefit from fall prevention strategies and techniques, it is our professional responsibility to have programs in place that can assist with this mission.
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Rhythm and moves for balance and cognition by Sue Scott, MS
Rhythm and moves, gestures and sound, music and dance . . . toe tapping and the evolution of language? How did the rhythms and music of our ancient ancestors help humans understand each other? And what does that have to do with exercise class, balance or cognition? Evidence from anthropology and neuroscience indicate that language, rhythms, music and movement are deeply rooted in the evolution of our past and still play key roles in our brains.
This article sets the stage for using rhythm and music to enhance balance and cognition in older adults. Weaving together intriguing insights in neuroscience regarding human expression, movement and rhythm can inspire and enhance our practices as exercise professionals.
Balance training
Healthy balance, brains & bones, part one: balance training gets wet by Mary E. Sanders, PhD, FACSM
Millie is 63 years old with a history of being active. Last year, Millie had a right knee replacement—which her healthcare providers considered successful—and she completed all her physical therapy sessions afterwards. Yet she reported feeling “klutzy and unstable a lot.” When we measured her body composition, we learned that Millie’s total muscle mass was greater in her left leg compared to her right. Her scores for static balance (defined below) showed that she was within healthy norms while standing on her left leg, but beneath normative scores for her age while standing on the right. In addition to these issues, Millie was recently diagnosed with osteopenia (lower-than-normal bone density), putting her at risk for osteoporosis.
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Sensational activities that improve balance by Sue Scott, MS
For most of us, balance happens naturally, while we’re busy doing other things. But achieving and maintaining balance is never truly simple. To facilitate even a simple goal, like walking across a room, many systems must work smoothly together. Our balance system continually anticipates, interprets, learns from, monitors, coordinates and responds to ever-changing feedback from multiple sources, including our bodies, the environment and our will. With all of this dynamic interconnectedness, it is no wonder balance issues are complicated.
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Promoting good balance: encouraging older adults to undertake activities that improve balance by Lucy Yardley, PhD, and Chris Todd, PhD
Poor balance, leading to falling, can pose a major problem in later life. Around one in three older people fall each year, and 10% of these are seriously injured, many never fully recovering. The risk of falling can also lead to fear, restriction of activity, and loss of independence. The costs of caring for people who fall have been estimated at $20 billion a year in the United States alone, and are forecast to triple over the next 50 years. Fortunately, there is now good evidence that teaching older people how to undertake “strength and balance training” can reduce their risk of falling.
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