Balance exercises can prevent falls, aid agility The Herald Thursday, February 26, 1998 by Carol Krucoff The skater gliding gracefully on one leg has it. So does the grandfather splitting wood, the schoolgirl hopping on a pogo stick and the yogi performing a headstand. Good balance is both a gift of genetics and an athletic skill that can be improved through training. "Many people think you either have good balance or you don't, but that's not true," says Peter Kormann, head coach of the 1996 U.S. Olympic men's gymnastics team. "With training and practice, nearly anyone can improve their balance." At a time when athletes will try nearly anything to boost performance, balance training has become increasingly popular in a variety of sports, from skiing to golf. Balance workouts are also booming among seniors, as new studies show that strength and balance exercise can help older adults reduce their risk of serious falls. Poor balance more than doubles a senior's risk of being injured in a fall reported a study published last year in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. University of New Mexico researcher followed more than 300 men and women over age 60 for three years and found that the ability to balance on one leg for five seconds is a good predictor of whether or not an elderly person is likely to sustain an injurious fall. "Balance starts to decline when we are in our 40s," writes Tufts University physiologist Miriam Nelson in her book, Strong Women Stay Younger (Bantam Books, $23.95). "This happens so slowly that it's almost imperceptible." Staying active can slow the decline. But sedentary people, by the time they reach their 70s, are likely to have balance that is so poor they compensate by adopting a "shuffling gait," using short steps to avoid standing on just one foot. To test your balance, Nelson suggests trying this: Close your eyes and -for safely - hold your hands just above a firm support, such as a sturdy chair or countertop. Then, keeping your eyes shut slowly lifts one foot and try to balance on the other leg. Count the seconds you remain balanced. Most women past 40, unless they're physically fit, discover they can't hold the position for even 15 seconds, says Nelson, whose studies have been on women. Men probably have a ten-year advantage over females in their ability to balance, she estimates, since men typically are stronger. "Our studies show that the more active you are, the better your balance is likely to be," says cardiologist James Rippe, an associate professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. Active seniors can have better balance than sedentary people many years younger, says Rippe, who offers this test to see "how old" your equilibrium is: Stand straight on both feet, then raise the foot of the leg you consider to be your weakest. Balance on the other, keeping your eyes open and your arms relaxed at your sides. If you can balance for at least 22 seconds you have the equilibrium of a 20 -year-old, 15 seconds that of a 30-year-old, 7.2 seconds that of a 40-year-old, 3.7 seconds that of a 50-year-old and 2.5 seconds that of a 60 year old. Keeping strong is one of the best ways to aid balance, says geriatrician James O. Judge, vice president of medical affairs for Masonic Care, a geriatric health system in Wallingford, Conn. "Weight training to strengthen muscles in the buttocks, quadriceps, and hamstrings can help improve balance," notes Judge, who is studying exercises older people can do at home to reduce their risk of falls. In addition, research shows that training in the martial art of tai chi- which involves slow, deliberate movements, trunk rotation and balancing on one leg-can reduce seniors risk of falling. Balance is affected by a variety of factors including medications, alcohol, neurological disease, osteo-porosis, low blood pressure and vision. But, in general, "use it or lose it" applies to the ability to balance.