Fitness Friday: Balance training

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Do you feel unsteady on your feet or have a fear of falling? Do you get dizzy when you turn your head, look up, bend down, or get out of bed? If so, you’re not alone.

One in three adults have some type of balance or dizziness problem, but the good news is, regardless of your age, there’s help for you. Wink News Fitness Expert Mike Drumm stopped by the WINK studio with Dr. Virgina Reed to help bring balance back to your life through non-invasive treatments and announce the Grand Opening of South West Florida’s most comprehensive Balance Center, FYZICAL.

Balance problems can result from orthopedic conditions, neurological disorders, or a number of injuries that involve the joints, muscles, and nerves. Some of the facts on Balance are staggering, 1/3 of the population over 65 falls each year which accounts for 25% of ALL hospital admissions. Falls are also the leading cause of death due to injury amongst the elderly. Our balance programs at Fyzical focus on strength, endurance, and coordination for safe walking and preventing falls and today I have Dr. Reed with me to help restore “balance” to your life with some great information on your balance system, and to demonstrate some simple exercises you can do at home.

Balance is maintained as a result of the interaction of three systems: the visual, the vestibular, and the proprioceptive systems. Vision plays a significant role in balance as your eyes give you a picture of the world and where you are in relation to other things in it. The vestibular, located in the inner ear, is responsible for maintaining general equilibrium and is sensitive to any changes in head position or movement. The proprioceptive system includes both the muscles and joints and facilitates neuromuscular coordination to provide stability and maintenance of balance.

Home Balance Test

Stand in the corner of a room and try and narrow your base. To add difficulty (take away your visual system) and close your eyes. To make it more difficult and challenge your proprioceptive system, stand on 1 leg. Try standing on a pillow for an added challenge. Let your significant other push you around (in a helpful way) When you lose balance it can be at the ankles (wobble) at the hips (bend forward/backward) or cause you to reposition and take a step to regain.

The FYZICAL Difference

Fyzical utilizes state-of-the-art specialized technologies designed to give the most accurate diagnosis and targeted treatment for balance and dizziness disorders. A typical patient will encounter equipment originally developed for the Navy’s Special Forces as well as NASA-developed posturography testing that originated to assess astronauts returning from space.

Fyzical Balance & Therapy is located at 13010 Metro Pkwy in Fort Myers about a half mile north of Daniels Pkwy. The grand opening is Thursday May 21 from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. It’s free to the public and there will be food and drinks for you to enjoy. Plus, there will be tons of give-a-ways.