balance and coordination http://www.telegraphindia.com/1141006/jsp/knowhow/story_18896719.jsp#.VDPDbmeSya8

Balancing act

Your Health DR GITA MATHAI

In the womb, we float around like fish. Once born, we have to learn to sit, crawl, stand up, walk with one foot always touching the ground and run with both feet off the ground. Later we progress to activities that need even more balance, such as riding a bicycle or playing structured games. These skills are lost in reverse as we age. We acquire balance as our nerves mature. We develop a complex interplay of nervous activity with smooth, rapid connections established between the eyes, the vestibular (balance) apparatus in the ears, muscles, bones, peripheral nerves and brain. Constant use and practice hones these pathways. If the centre of gravity shifts and falls outside the base of support (the feet if we are standing or buttocks if we are sitting), we tilt and fall. After the age of two, children are able to correct this easily, automatically widening their feet and legs. As age advances, adults slowly lose this ability. Loss of balance and falls spike sharply after the age of 65. In addition to balance, we require coordination — the ability to perform smooth, accurate, controlled movements, visualising and gauging the distance and the strength required for the action. The graceful strokes of a tennis player or the movements of a basketball team are evidence of this. One of the commonest causes of loss of balance and coordination in older people is lack of exercise. Disuse makes muscles flabby. They are no longer able to support the body and reaction time is slowed. Weak muscles do not respond rapidly or appropriately. Low levels of calcium, with or without vitamin D3 deficiency, is common in older adults. This not only makes muscles flabby but also sends them into spasms. A sudden cramp can cause loss of balance. Substance abuse, particularly alcohol, disturbs the internal equilibrium. When a person who has imbibed a little loses his balance, he are usually able to correct himself . Once he has drunk too much, he “passes out” and lies wherever and however he has fallen. The same holds true of people who have taken recreational drugs like marijuana. Even excess of coffee has a similar effect! If a person who has taken a sleeping pill is woken up suddenly, he can be disoriented. If he tries to stand up, he can lose his balance and fall, particularly if the room is dark, as the eyes are unable to compensate. This is why many physicians are reluctant to prescribe sleeping pills for older adults. Vitamin B 12 deficiency causes a glove and stocking type of loss of sensation in the hands and feet. As the person cannot accurately gauge or feel the position of his feet, there can be loss of balance. Aerobic exercises such as walking, jogging, running, cycling and swimming is recommended for 40 minutes a day to maintain health. In addition, solving puzzles such as sudoku or learning poetry is recommended to keep neurons alive and active. Additional exercises for balance should be done for 10 minutes. Any movements that are repetitive and involve rapid transition from one hand or leg to another is good for maintaining balance and coordination. FIT AND FINE • Pretend to sit on a chair. Hold the pose for 20 seconds. Repeat twenty times • Lift one leg (hold a chair if necessary) till the hip is flexed to 90 degrees. Hold for a count of 20. Repeat with the other leg. Do 20 repetitions • Get down on hands and knees. Stretch a leg out and the opposite hand. Hold for a count of 20. Repeat with the other leg. Do 20 repetitions • Cycle in the air touching the opposite knee with the elbow. Do 50 repetitions • If there is a ladder, place it flat on the ground. Run or walk through the rungs forwards and backwards 5-6 times • There are several yoga poses that help with balance, like the tree, eagle or warrior pose. It is better to go to a yoga class and learn from an instructor Dr Gita Mathai is a paediatrician with a family practice at Vellore. Questions on health issues may be emailed to her at yourhealthgm@yahoo.co.in