News

Balance, or lack of it, is one of the most common health issues for older people. Poor balance is a leading cause of falls - the number one reason older people are taken to A&E.

Around a third of people aged 65 and over and approximately half of people aged 80 and above fall at least once a year. Not only are falls a huge burden for the NHS – unaddressed fall hazards in the home are estimated to cost the NHS in England £435 million – they can cause misery for the individuals involved leading to pain, injury and loss of independence. Recurrent falls can ultimately lead to isolation; people are so scared of falling over, they simply stop leaving the house.

But falls are preventable and improving balance most certainly helps. It’s well known and an unfortunate fact that balance declines as we age. As we naturally become less flexible, our reaction times slow down and we lose muscle strength. But we can play our part, by promoting active ageing in our health and fitness facilities, up and down the country, focusing on exercises that target muscular strength and movement sequences to support good balance. It is arguably one of the most important things operators can do for our rapidly ageing society. Promotion of strength and balance exercise should be a stronger message to older adults than messaging around aerobic exercise as a person ages.

Improve balance with power-assisted exercise

Such is the importance of balance that it is considered one of the five elements of healthy ageing; the components of fitness and physical performance that are critical to sustained wellbeing in older adults.

We know that regular exercise can improve balance, while gains in strength and flexibility will also help to keep people on their feet.

Thanks to our partnership with the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre and Sheffield Hallam University, in addition to our work with other research centres, we can evidence the physiological benefits of the power-assisted Innerva circuit on balance in older people.

A study with Oklahoma State University proved the effectiveness of the low impact, full-body circuit  on balance and flexibility, with users (aged over 70) reporting a 33 per cent increase in their balance over three months. Subsequent research by Sheffield Hallam University showed that the performance of balance tasks improved following a programme of power assisted exercise, while data from the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre recorded various speeds of movement – slow movement improves postural control, while the experience of moving quickly improves reaction times for balance.

Encouraging activity at any age

The latest figures from Sport England’s Active Lives Adult Survey show that activity levels among people aged 55-74 and 75 and older has returned to pre-pandemic levels, which is great news, but the fact remains that activity levels generally decrease with age. The sharpest decrease is seen at age 75 and above, and activity is still less common among those with a long-term health condition.

If the physical activity sector is to grow and flourish and make a greater contribution to public health and the economy, it has to become more accessible and appealing to our ageing population. It must promote active ageing and equip staff with the skills to work with older adults. Above all, it must support seniors to exercise in a safe and sociable environment with appropriate equipment that meets their specific needs and that means targeting balance alongside the other four elements of healthy ageing.

For more information on our recent research on healthy ageing see our latest study results.