Kneeling lunges improve lower body strength and mobility.
Heel-to-toe walking is a good exercise for improving balance.
Winter has arrived in Alaska. For many kids, this brings joy and excitement about making snow angels, going sledding, skiing, snowboarding, and ice skating. For some of us, however, the winter season brings fear – fear of slipping on the ice, falling and causing serious injury.
Otherwise easy tasks such as taking out the trash or getting the mail become treacherous in snowy and icy conditions. Walking to the car or bringing grocery bags from the store to the house become high risk activities. The fear of slipping and falling makes those individuals less and less likely to go outside, enjoy the winter, and maintain their regular activities.
Research shows that older adults are at an increased risk of falling any time of the year, but especially in the winter, due to a lack of balance, strength and mobility. In addition, the severity of those injuries is higher in older adults, ranging from fractures in the hips and wrists to spinal cord and brain injuries.
Now to the good news: There are ways to reduce your risk of slipping and falling this winter by establishing a simple workout routine that focuses on balance, strength and mobility. Balance training can help improve coordination and proprioception, which is the body's ability to sense where it is in space. Strength training-especially the legs, hips, core and back-can help with stability and increase bone density so if a fall occurs, the risk of a fracture is reduced. Mobility training can help increase the range of motion of joints and reduce stiffness. This makes it easier to move safely and catch a fall before hitting the ground.
With its many locations in Anchorage and across the state, The Alaska Club is a great environment for your workouts. Personal Trainers can assist in developing a personalized workout plan that focuses on your needs. Classes such as "Group Power" help to stay accountable and make strength training fun.
Many senior centers have well-equipped fitness rooms, trainers and group classes, as do local recreational centers.
An easy way to work on balance is to try standing on one foot for 30-60 seconds, using a chair to hold on for assistance if needed. Switch feet and repeat each side three times. Another exercise is heel to toe walking. Simply pick a straight line and place the heel of one foot directly in front of the toes of the other foot. To make it more difficult, this exercise can also be done walking backward.
To work on upper body mobility, stand with your back against the wall and have your arms extended next to your hips, and the back of the hands against the wall. Now, keep your arms extended and hands against the wall, raising them above your head. This looks like a standing snow angel. For your lower body mobility, perform a kneeling lunge. Start with one foot forward, knee stacked over the ankle. Have a pillow under your knee of the leg in the back to prevent discomfort. Keep the torso upright and hips squared. Hold the position for 30-60 seconds on each side and repeat three times.
If you can relate to this topic, then it's time to get to work! Balance on one foot while you brew your next coffee, search for the closest fitness center, and reach out to personal trainers for workouts and advice.
Yvonne Jeschke grew up in Germany and moved to Alaska in 2015 to study Kinesiology at UAA and compete in track and field for the Seawolves. She is now a Master Level Personal Trainer and the Personal Training Manager at The Alaska Club East in Anchorage. Yvonne spends most of her free time trail running, mountain biking and cross country and backcountry skiing.
