5 Advanced Balance Exercises for Seniors Who Want To Thrive, Not Just Survive

5 Advanced Balance Exercises For Seniors

If you have aspirations of traveling, walking on the beach, hiking, playing pickleball, chasing your grandkids, or doing other activities, you may need some more advanced balance activities.

Below are 5 advanced balance exercises for seniors:

1. Single Leg Balance Kicks with a Band
2. Star Excursion Balance Drill
3. Golfer's Bend (Single Leg Deadlift)
4. Balancing with Raised Center of Gravity
5. Side Kick Exercise

The prerequisite to doing these is that you have to be able to stand on one leg for 10 seconds or longer.

If you're not there yet, that's okay.

Start with this video to improve your single leg balance.

Then, when you can stand on one leg for 10 seconds or longer, come back and try these 5 advanced balance exercises for seniors.

Exercise 1: Single Leg Balance Kicks with a Band

Ideally, you'll want to use a loop resistance band for this exercise.

If you don't have one, they're inexpensive and you can order them on Amazon.

want to use a resistance band.

To do the exercise, put the band around both ankles.

It's a good idea to stand by something that you can hold on just for safety purposes.

Then kick forward, backward, and sideways against the resistance of the band as shown below:

In this exercise, the primary focus is balancing on one leg.

It's not so much of a strengthening exercises for the leg you're kicking with.

Rather use the leg with the band to throw the other leg off balance.

Do 10 kicks forwards, 10 kicks backwards, and 10 kicks sideways, and work up to doing that for a full minute on each leg.

Exercise 2: Star Excursion Balance Drill

During this leg, you balance on one leg and practice tapping in different directions with your other foot.

In case you're wondering, the exercise was originally designed as a test where you stand in the middle of a star.

Journal of Athletic Training. 43(4):347-51. DOI: 10.4085/1062-6050-43.4.347

Stand on one leg and practice tapping straight out in front of you, 45 degrees to the front, straight out to the side, 45 degrees to the back, and then straight behind you.

As you get better, work on tapping farther and farther.

Try doing 10 repetitions to each point on each leg.

Exercise 3: Golfer's Bend (Single Leg Deadlift)

The Golfer's bend exercise helps improve your balance as well as your glute and hamstring strength.

It's sometimes called a single leg deadlift as well, particularly if you hold a dumbbell when doing it. (That's an advanced version of the exercise.  Don't start there.)

To do the exercise, balance on one leg and put the other leg behind you. Bend forwards like a golfer picking up their ball out of the hole.

If you need something to hold on to for balance, you can use a golf club for support.  Or if you need more balance assistance, hold onto a chair or other piece of furniture.

Start with a partial bend, progressing as your balance improves.

Do 10-15 repetitions per leg.

Exercise 4: Balancing with Raised Center of Gravity

For the next exercise, balance on one leg, and bring your other knee up to your chest.

Then raise your arms overhead.

This raises your center of gravity, which challenges your balance.

When your center of gravity is higher, it's farther from your base of support. Therefore, it takes less angular displacement to throw your center of gravity outside of your base of support.

And when you center of gravity goes outside of your base of support, you lose your balance.

This exercise also has some other side benefits. It strengthens the hip flexors of the leg you're raising, and it also strengthens the glutes of the leg you're standing on.

Practice balancing for 10 seconds on each leg, aiming for five repetitions on each.

Exercise 5: Side Kick Exercise

This is a very advanced balance exercise.  Most seniors will have difficulty doing this exercise, so make sure you're able to do the other 4 exercises before trying this one.

Also stand close to something sturdy that you can grab onto for balance if needed.

Stand on one leg and kick to the side with the opposite leg, kind of like a side kick in Karate.

Don't focus on kicking hard. Instead, focus on maintaining your on balance over your stance leg.

Do 10 kicks on one leg, then switch to the other leg.

Summary of the 5 Advanced Balance Exercises

Those were the 5 advanced balance exercises for more active seniors.

Again those were:

1. Single Leg Balance Kicks with a Band
2. Star Excursion Balance Drill
3. Golfer's Bend (Single Leg Deadlift)
4. Balancing with Raised Center of Gravity
5. Side Kick Exercise

Keep in mind these exercises aren't for everyone.

You first need to master the ability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds, then progress into these exercises.

Keep safety in mind when doing these exercise so that you don't fall and hurt yourself.

Need More Help For Your Balance?

If you're in the St. Louis area and need help with your balance, we'd be happy to assist you at More 4 Life.

Just tap the button below to request an appointment with one of our specialist physical therapists.

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