A trainer reveals three standing tests that show if your balance is top-tier after 60.
Most people don’t think about balance until they start to lose it. But according to research, balance is one of the most essential and often overlooked markers of overall health as you age.
Your ability to stay steady while standing, walking, or shifting your weight depends on a complex system involving your muscles, joints, nervous system, and inner ear. After you turn 50, these systems can begin to change. Muscle strength naturally declines, joint mobility fades away, and reaction time slows down.
These changes can affect your stability, making balance-based exercises all the more crucial in reducing your risk of falls and fractures as you age—which according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, remain one of the leading causes of injury among adults over 60.
The good news is you can train and improve your balance at any age. Standing balance exercises are top-tier movements for this because they mimic real-life. Unlike seated exercises or machine-based workouts, they require your body to stabilize itself against gravity, which activates multiple muscle groups at once, including your core, glutes, hip stabilizers, and muscles around your ankles.
To uncover which standing positions are ideal for enhancing your balance after 60, we chatted with James Bickerstaff, CPT, a personal trainer at OriGym, who says, “These types of movements challenge the stabilizing muscles around the hips and ankles, which are essential for maintaining balance and preventing falls. They also reflect how well your body coordinates movement during everyday tasks like walking or climbing stairs.”
Read on to learn more. And when you’re done, be sure to check out The 7-Minute Standing Routine That Restores Core Strength Faster Than Floor Exercises After 60.
Single Leg Stand
“Single leg stands show strong stability and coordination as we age,” says Bickerstaff. “It challenges and strengthens the stabilising muscles around our ankles and hips, which play a major role in preventing falls and contribute to daily tasks like climbing stairs.”
How to do it:
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
- Keep your chest upright and your gaze focused straight ahead.
- Place your hands by your sides or rest them on your hips.
- Slowly lift one foot off the floor.
- Balance on the standing leg while keeping your torso steady.
- Avoid gripping your toes or leaning heavily to one side.
- Hold the position for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Lower your foot back to the floor and switch legs.
- Complete 2 to 3 rounds per leg. Rest for 30 to 45 seconds between rounds.
Heel-to-Toe Tandem Stand
The tandem stand challenges your balance by narrowing your body’s base of support. When your feet are placed directly in front of one another, your body is forced to rely heavily on your stabilizing muscles and posture to remain upright.
How to do it:
- Stand upright with your feet together.
- Step one foot directly in front of the other.
- Position your heel of your front foot so it touches the toes of the back foot.
- Keep your posture tall and your shoulders relaxed.
- Allow your arms to rest by your sides or extend them slightly for balance.
- Focus your eyes on a fixed point straight ahead.
- Hold the position for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Switch which foot is in front and repeat.
- Perform 2 to 3 rounds per side, resting for 30 to 45 seconds between holds.
Standing March Hold
The standing march hold helps train the balance required for walking and climbing stairs. When one leg lifts off the ground, your body must stabilize itself using your core, hips, and supporting leg.
“A controlled march hold strengthens your hip flexors, glutes, and core muscles,” says Bickerstaff.
How to do it:
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
- Flex your core muscles and maintain an upright posture.
- Slowly lift one knee upward until your thigh is roughly parallel to the floor.
- Keep your hips level and avoid leaning to one side.
- Hold the lifted position while maintaining a steady balance.
- Keep your gaze forward and your shoulders relaxed.
- Hold for 15 to 20 seconds.
- Lower your foot slowly back to the ground.
- Switch sides and repeat.
- Aim for 2 to 3 sets per leg. Rest for 30 to 45 seconds between sets.
Adam Meyer, RHN
