How to Improve Balance - Seniors and Beginners

Learn how to improve your balance - whether you're a senior or a twenty-something who's been sitting on his butt!

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At Upright Health we give you strategies and research to get your life back.

With principled functional training, we believe everyone can beat chronic pain and get strong, mobile, and resilient.

Our home training programs help you troubleshoot and train your body safely. We help you tear down fear and build up muscle. We help you think right, move right, and feel right.

Matt Hsu's own battle with chronic pain from the age of 16 in his feet, knees, hips, back, shoulders, elbows, forearms, wrists, hands, and head gives him a uniquely thorough understanding of musculoskeletal pain, the ways in which it can undermine an entire life, and the mental and physical hurdles that keep people from getting out of it.

When not filming videos, he's working out in the living room, surfing, learning dance or gymnastics moves, or riding a bike with his son in tow.

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ABOUT THIS VIDEO
This video will help you improve your balance. You'll strengthen hip muscles and strengthen leg muscles that help you get better balance. Seniors who want to improve their balance will find these balance exercises helpful. And anyone of any age can improve balance using these exercises as well.

#ImproveBalance #Balance #UprightHealth

[jjschereriv]

Matt, I am an 81-year-old American 200 m I.M. & Butterfly guy and a former marathon runner who does gentle yoga virtually every day and works out 3X a week with a great H.I.I.T. Trainer here in Warsaw, Poland. Starting today I am going to do your balance and stretching workouts on my 'off days'! Thank you! (My goal: be 'vertical' as long as possible. . .)

[vittoriomicheli]

I´m 74 y old in Sweden After heart surgery 2 y ago I lost my walking balance till now. Thanks to you I´m coming back.

[exithere]

He’s the only one on YouTube that teaches to exercise these overlooked muscles. Great stuff.

[ritahull]

Thank you I am 75 year old woman and notice the difference over the last 10years.
I want to stay in my own home.
And I need to have leg, calf, knee, muscles as strong as possible .
Thanks again x

[soniajacobs]

Thanks so much for this (and to Mattie T. for your inspiration).

I’m 69 years old and had a stroke 4 years ago. I do water aerobics 3 days a week, and everyone assumes I’m perfectly fine, but I know the truth. My balance and strength are nowhere near what they used to be.

I have a small dog that I take for walks that are not even close to aerobic because he stops to smell everything. Today, after watching this video, I tried balancing on one leg each time he stopped.
I couldn’t do it! I was lucky to hold each foot barely above the ground for only a second or two, but I didn’t give up! By the time we got home, the sides of my hips felt tired. I actually got a workout on one of his piddly walks!

I will be doing the exercises in this video (and challenging myself on our walks) regularly. Thanks again. (And I made a PayPal token of my appreciation before posting this.)

I honestly can’t thank you enough!
Bless you!

[janiswright]

Love this for 66 year old me. Thank you Matt. Please keep posting for the older folks. I have loved when talk about your parents.

[frasersgirl]

I knew I needed to watch you!! Lack of balance is my BIGGEST issue!!!

[rettie]

I am older and very weak in my hips. At first this seemed more like an arm exercise for me since i could not lean in as far as you do in the video. So I moved closer to the wall and now I can lean in with my hips and legs a tiny bit. I have been walking an hour a day but that has done nothing for my hip strength and stability. I am so happy I found your YouTube site!

[lynnchung]

I always thought that being stiff was something I had no control over. My brother is also very stiff. After watching your video on being able to touch my toes, I was totally amazed that I could get lower than my calf. As you said in your video, you can see improvement almost immediately. I have been doing them for a couple of days and now with weights (6 pounds), I can reach down to my ankles!!! Thank you so much. You make total sense in the advice you give. I am 82, always been fit, line dance 5 days/week, walk a couple miles at night with my daughter and her dog. I am working on my balance per your video. I can do 30 sec. on each leg so will try to keep getting stronger. I notice it has started to become harder to get off the floor, so now I am getting up and down daily to strengthen my ability to get up and down easily. My mother's motto was: It's OK to get older, never get OLD; it's OK to go slower, don't STOP!! Now it is my motto. I refuse to believe that you can't do things because you are old. It is because it is so much easier to just sit and stay comfortable. With your help, I will not sit around and slowly see my world collapse around me so that I end up in a wheelchair because I can't move or walk. Thanks for your inspiring videos.

[longhairmullet]

Love when you say tighten your glutes rather than our butt cheeks, which feels less professional. Most are familiar with anatomical abbreviation “glutes” and I do feel you are upright professional with your content. Great exercises!

[NicolleMelanson.Powell]

Thank you for creating videos that are useful to seniors and people who are starting from a weak state. Very helpful.

[malsk]

Wonderful video.. first time learnt that we don’t use that muscles much and that’s how loose the balance after an age.. thanks for teaching the world wonderful messages. Stay blessed

[kimhumiston]

I absolutely love all of your videos. 65 years young and just recently retired. Bound and determined to get better with age.

[judithwoodward]

At 82 balance has become a big goal, and I have not seen these exercises. I am going to see what I can learn, and really am impressed and hopeful, I'm really excited. Thank you!

[mandycat]

I had already saved this nice man's video of a simple way to improve posture, so I was glad to find his workout for balance. He's easy to listen to (somebody needs to tell other exercise instructors that sounding like a drill sergeant or a whistling tea kettle is a bad idea.) More to the point, his exercises are easy to understand and effective.

[artgavel]

Wow! just discovered this guy, wish I found him days ago. functional exercises are the best! I was into heavy bodybuilding for most of my life and now at 65 I find that I need to back off the heavy weights and add more of what Matt teaches stuff

[tonimcrae]

Thank you for these exercises as they are just what my arthritic hips need. I am 83 years old but determined not to be hobbling into old age 😄

[davidjan]

Matt, thanks for giving me some additional exercises to build strength and balance in my leg muscles. I'm 75 years old and swim every day for 45 minutes. It's great exercise but doesn't do much for balance. After just a few days working on these exercises, I'm getting stronger and my balance is improving. You are terrific!!!

[timmulder]

I am 64 years old. 2 years ago I retired. I started out what I love to do and that is rollerblading and ice skating. Also taking long walks with my dog. I have to say that time does have an effect on your balance. I could tell that I needed to work on this area because I was out of shape after 45 years of working full time.. I always did some mild exercises but not enough to be in cardiovascular health.
I just want to say that it's never too late to start.Finding something that you love to do and sticking with the program. In the two years of regular exercises and practicing the many balancing exercises such skating will not only improve your balance but improve your general overall health.

[glendawells]

Thank you for the help with my balance!! I’m 80 years old and don’t have the muscles to get myself off the floor!! I so appreciate your help!!