Are You Aging Well?

"Life is a balance of holding on and letting go." - Rumi

Several years ago, after one of my library story times, I watched a grandmother struggling to get to her feet after sitting on the floor. She crawled across the floor, towards a wall, and began to pull herself up. I asked if I could help her and then reminded her that chairs were available at the back of the room.

“Oh, I know that,” she replied. “But I want to sit with my grandchildren and join in the fun. It’s just that I can’t stand up once I sit down!" 

 

IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT AGING:

Getting up and down from the floor is so important that our ability to do so is actually a measure of our fitness and longevity.1

Getting up and down from the floor calls on almost every area of fitness and every part of our bodies: core strength, lower body strength, flexibility, coordination, and especially, BALANCE!2

According to the CDC, one out of four people over 65 falls each year, and having one fall doubles your chances of another fall.3 The best way to avoid falls is to develop strong balance.

 

Are you aging well?  One way to tell is by taking a simple balance test and completing "sit to stand" challenges.  These activities measure your current balance and ability to get up and down – grunting and groaning are optional!  Plus, I will conclude with some basic standing poses to help you build and maintain your balance as you age gracefully. 

 

Begin with this simple balance test from the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York. This test helps to determine your risk for falls as you age. Your time, how long you can stand in a balancing pose, is your benchmark from which you can gauge improvement. You will need a timer (on your phone) or have someone time for you.

Balance Test: Stand up straight with your arms crossed. Lift up either leg, starting a timer as you do so, and hold that leg up with your knee bent for as long as you can without touching the other leg or uncrossing your arms. Don't use a support.

Stop the timer when the raised leg touches the floor or the other leg, or if you uncross your arms or move your arms out of position. This is how long you should be able to hold the pose for:

• Age 60–69: 27 seconds
• Age 70-79: 17.2 seconds
• Age 80 and up: 8.5 seconds

 

SIT TO STAND CHALLENGES:

Here are 3 progressive challenges of your ability to get up and down. They progress from easier to more difficult. Move through the challenges in order, only moving on if you successfully complete the preceding challenge.  You may find that you need to work on a specific challenge for some time.  Like the balance test, this will give you a benchmark to gauge your improvement over time.

 
Challenge #1: Chair Sit to Stand

Most of us “older folks” have probably been asked by our doctors to perform the “Chair Sit to Stand” test. The ideal result is that you are able to rise from sitting in a chair without any assistance such as someone pulling you up or using your hands to push up from the arms of the chair.

 

The chair test: sitting to standing without assistance.Samantha Obakazaki / TODAY

IF THIS IS DIFFICULT FOR YOU:
A simple way that can help to overcome this is to practice standing and sitting into a chair without using your hands. As you become more comfortable with this, try to start reducing the height of the chair or bench that you use. The lower you go the more you will strengthen the muscles and move the joints into greater flexibility. Remember to do this gradually and progressively. Taking it step by step and practicing it on a regular basis, can help you master this important skill before you attempt Challenge #2. 

Challenge #2: Step Down, Step Up - This 2 min. video, courtesy of Silver Sneakers, is an excellent explanation of this challenge.

 

 

IF THIS IS DIFFICULT FOR YOU:
Continue to practice as indicated in the video, using supports (stable, solid furniture) if needed. If you can successfully complete Challenge #2, attempt Challenge #3.  

 
Challenge #3: Sit Down and Get Up from Floor - European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention

Basically this tests your ability to sit down on the floor and then get up, using the least amount of support from hands, knees and other body parts.

You can score between 0 – 10 points. 

Score 5 points if you can sit down without touching your knees, legs, hands, or arms on the floor and another 5 points if you can get back up unaided.

Lose a point for each body part that was leaned on while getting down or up. 

From the floor to standing with assistance. Sorry, that's minus two points for using a hand and foot!Samantha Okazaki / TODAY

 

For example: If you can get down touching the floor with just one knee, you score 4 points for getting down.
If you needed to touch a hand and a knee on the floor while getting up, you lose 2 points for a score of 3.
Total score 4 getting down + 3 getting up = 7 out of 10.
If you were wobbly on the way down or up, deduct ½ a point.

Look, Ma’, No Hands! - 5 points for getting up.

From the floor to standing without assistance. No hands! - Samantha Okazaki / TODAY

If this is difficult for you:
Practice, practice, practice! Use your hands, knees, and feet, as needed or solid, stable supports as you build strength and balance.

BUILDING BETTER BALANCE BASIC POSES:

Balance is the key to staying healthy and avoiding falls as you age.  Your ability to balance depends on several different systems: muscular, skeletal, sight, vestibular (inner ear), and the ability of your feet to feel sensations.  Aging can affect all these systems, which challenges your ability to balance.

Regular practice will help improve your control of aging systems that have kept you upright and balanced all these years. 

1. Tall Mountain – Start in Mountain Pose by standing with your feet hip-distance apart, weight evenly distributed between and across your feet. 

• Relax your shoulder blades down your back, chest is open, and lift up through the crown of your head. 
• Lift your arms overhead, notice how you feel.
• For a greater challenge, lift your heels off the ground, perhaps coming to the balls of your feet, heels high. 
• Hold for 3 -5 slow, calm breaths, 3 repetitions.

 

 2. Chair -Start in Mountain Pose.  

• Sit back in an imaginary chair, feel your weight moving into your heels. 
• Keep your knees facing forward as your hips move back and down. 
• Your arms can be at your side, stretched forward at shoulder height, or overhead. 
•  Hold for 3 -5 slow, calm breaths, 3 repetitions.

 

3. Standing Crane FLOW –  Start in Mountain Pose.

 

Straight Leg Crane – 

• Shift your weight to your right leg, extend your left leg in front of you, 
• and extend your arms to the sides at shoulder height. Hold for 3 -5 slow, calm breaths.

 

Leg Swings – 

• Your arms can stay extended or bring your hands into “prayer” position in front of your chest. 
• Inhale, and on the exhale reach your lifted leg across your mid line, crossing in front of your standing leg. 
• Inhale, return the leg to the start position, exhale, cross mid line. Repeat 3-5 times.

 

Bent Leg Crane – 

• Flex your lifted foot and raise your left leg so that the knee is bent. 
• Hold for 3 -5 slow, calm breaths.

Return to Mountain Pose. Repeat with other, right leg extended.

 

4. Standing Star - Start in Mountain Pose.

• Lift your left leg out to the side, and, if you feel stable, slightly backwards.
• For more challenge, lift your leg higher.
• Your pelvis will be at an angle, that’s okay.
• Your arms can be extended or bring your hands into “prayer” position in front of your chest.
• Hold for 3 -5 slow, calm breaths, then switch sides.
  

 

5. Figure Four - Start in Mountain Pose. Your arms can be extended or bring your hands into “prayer” position in front of your chest.


Variation 1 – 

• Cross your left leg over your right, the ball of your left foot resting on the floor. 
• Bend your knees like you are sitting in a chair. 
• Your left toes can rest on the floor or float just above it. Hold for 3 -5 slow, calm breaths, then switch sides.
  

 

 

 

Variation 2 – 

• Cross your left ankle above your right knee, making a figure “4.” Bring your hands to “prayer” position. 
• Check for stability. 
• Then challenge yourself by bending the knee and lowering your hips back and down as if you were sitting in a chair. 
• Hold for 3 -5 slow, calm breaths, then switch sides.

 

 

 “It's paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn't appeal to anyone.”

 ― Andy Rooney

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23242910/
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0531556518304108?via%3Dihub
3. https://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/adultfalls.html