Moving to achieve better balance

Simple movements are now being used to help one prevent themselves from falling.

These movements are what Mary Grubb is now teaching seniors at the Golden Hour Senior Center on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:20 a.m. in the Tai Chi moving for better balance class.

On Monday, Grubb was busy showing the participants how to walk from heal to toe. Once the participants got the hang of it, Grubb took them out into the hallway to practice.

"This is what you should be practicing at home," Grubb said.

The more the participants practice these simple movements the more likely they are to continue doing them.

Next, Grubb showed the class how to move an imaginary ball they were holding in front of them from side to side. Once they got the motions down, they took a couple of steps sideways.

Then, they worked on their ankles by lifting up their heels and moving their ankles around.

"This class is all about fall prevention," Grubb told them. "How many of you have fallen forward?"

After several participants raised their hands, Grubb said when you are falling forward, put your leg forward and take a step.

She said this will prevent one from falling to the ground.

The same works for when one is going to fall backward. Just put your foot behind you.

"When is happens, it's so quick you don't even have realize it," Margaret Buh said.

Buh was taking the class to try to improve her balance.

"I have fallen several times," Buh said.

One time, Buh fell forward on the stairs when she was carrying two grocery bags full of groceries. She said she not only falls forward, but backward and sideways.

Grubb showed the ladies how they should lean forward when going up steps. She said if if someone leans backward while walking up the steps, they are more liking to fall backward.

Grubb also encouraged the class participants to be aware of their surroundings. This came after a lady said her cat made her fall even after she looked for it.

Grubb explained to the group that by practicing these simple movements it will start to become like second nature for them and they will know how to react when they start to fall.