Aging with Confidence with Improved Balance
Are you looking for the best balance exercises for seniors? Well, you came to the right place! As we get older, staying steady on our feet becomes even more important. But don’t worry, there are simple exercises you can do at home to improve your balance and keep yourself moving with confidence! This blog post will take you through some of the best balance exercises for seniors, all designed to be safe and effective.
First things first, let’s learn more about the building blocks of better balance at any age. Strength, flexibility, mobility, and balance work together to help us find more ease in our physical bodies. Additionally, vision, proprioception, and our nervous system play a critical role as well. Let’s look a little deeper into these concepts and why they are so critical in balance training. Learn more about the scientific research related to the benefits of exercise for balance Here.
The Importance of a Healthy Nervous System for Balance and Beyond:
Your nervous system acts like a control center, using messages from your eyes, ears, and muscles to keep you balanced. Sensory information is received and signals are sent out in response. Likewise, this incredibly discerning system allows you to adjust your posture to maintain balance and safety. As you can see, it all starts with a healthy nervous system.
Flexibility & Mobility:
- Healthy flexibility is the ability to stretch through a full range of motion. Read my article about flexibility, including a 10-minute stretch routine Here.
- Additionally, healthy mobility is the ability to move your body freely and safely through a full range of motion. These abilities reduce injury and fall risk. Therefore, allowing you to enjoy daily activities and stay independent.
Strength & Endurance:
- Healthy strength is all about having muscle mass to support your body, improve daily activities, and reduce your risk of falling or injury. Learn more about improving strength Here.
- While strong muscles help you stay steady, good endurance lets you hold a balanced position for longer. For example, standing on one leg is excellent for building endurance.
Proprioception &Vision:
- Proprioception is your body’s internal sense of position and movement. This sense plays a key role in balance by constantly informing your brain about your body’s posture and motion. Yoga is an excellent tool for improving proprioception. Check out my yoga articles Here.
- In addition, our vision plays a key role in balance by sending our brain information about our surroundings. Consequently, helping us stay oriented and steady.
30 Min Balance/Mobility Class

This 30 minute standing class offers you all my best balance exercises for seniors in one session. For the best results, perform this class 3-4 times a week.
My Top 5 Best Balance Exercises for Seniors
As a yoga teacher and personal trainer who loves working with older adults, I’ve seen first hand how even a few simple exercises can make a big difference for balance. Strong, stable muscles and good coordination are key, and the good news is, we can train both at any age! This list will guide you through my top 5 exercises to improve balance at home, all designed to be gentle yet effective.
These are my go-to movements when I am trying to offer the best balance exercises for the seniors I am working with. Additionally, there is a short tutorial video showing how to perform each exercise. Remember, listen to your body and grab a sturdy chair – let’s get those confidence levels soaring!
#1 Balance Training Exercise: Assisted Downward Dog
Downward Dog is wonderful at improving flexibility and mobility. Here's a step-by-step guide for downward-facing dog using a chair:
- Find your chair: Place a sturdy chair in front of you, with the seat facing you.
- Hands on chair: Stand tall with feet hip-width apart and place your hands shoulder-width apart on the chair seat.
- Walk it back: Step your feet back a few steps until your body forms an upside-down V with your heels flat (or close to flat) on the floor. Knees can be bent if needed.
- Lengthen your spine: Press your hands firmly into the chair and lift your hips back and up, lengthening your spine and pushing your heels towards the ground.
- Head and neck: Relax your head and neck, letting your gaze soften between your legs.
- Hold and breathe: Hold this position for 5-10 breaths, or as long as comfortable. Breathe slowly and deeply.
- Come up slowly: When finished, press back into your hands and slowly roll your spine up to come back to standing.
#2 Balance Training Exercise: One-legged 3-way kick
This exercise challenges your proprioception while working your core and leg muscles.
- Start tall: Stand with your feet hip-width apart and core engaged.
- Lift a leg: Raise one leg straight out in front of you, keeping a slight bend in your standing knee for stability.
- Three-way kick: Perform a controlled kick with your raised leg, kicking forward first (like a front kick).
- Sidekick: Without putting your foot down, bring your leg out to the side (like a sidekick).
- Back kick: Finally, extend your leg straight back behind you.
- Control and repeat: Keep your core tight and your movements controlled throughout. Repeat the three kicks (forward, side, back) with the same leg for 8-12 repetitions.
- Switch legs: Lower your raised leg and repeat steps 2-6 with the other leg.
- Chair support: Hold onto a chair or wall for extra support if needed. If the full kicks are too challenging, start by tapping your toes to the ground in each direction instead.
#3 Balance Training Exercise: Assisted Single Leg Hip Circles
This exercise improves hip mobility and core stability while also building strength. This makes hip circles one of the best balance exercises for seniors to practice to improve balance.
- Start tall: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and core engaged.
- Lift and bend: Lift one leg bent at the knee, forming a 90-degree angle at your hip with your foot flexed (toes pointed).
- Hip circles: Make small circles with your raised knee. Imagine tracing a small circle with your kneecap.
- Focus: Keep your hips level and avoid swaying your torso. Engage your core to maintain stability.
- Direction switch: Do 10 circles forward, then reverse direction and do 10 circles backward.
- Switch legs: Lower your raised leg and repeat steps 2-4 with the other leg.
- Range of motion: If making full circles is difficult, start with smaller circles and gradually increase the range as your mobility improves.
- Chair support: Hold onto a sturdy chair for light support.
#4 Balance Training Exercise: Chair Pose
Chair pose strengthens your legs, core, and improves balance, which makes it one of the best balance exercises for seniors and older adults.
- Start tall: Stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms at your sides.
- Imagine a chair: Pretend you’re about to sit down on an invisible chair behind you.
- Bend your knees: Lower your hips down and back as if you’re sitting, bending your knees. Keep your knees stacked over your ankles and avoid letting them cave inward.
- Keep a long spine: Engage your core and lengthen your spine upwards, reaching through the crown of your head.
- Arm variations: You can keep your arms by your sides, extend them straight out in front of you (parallel to the floor), or raise them overhead. Choose a position that feels comfortable but keeps your core engaged.
- Hold and breathe: Hold the pose for 5-10 breaths, focusing on keeping your core tight and your back straight. Breathe deeply and evenly.
- Stand tall: To come out of the pose, press firmly through your heels and straighten your legs to return to standing.
- Chair support: If lowering all the way down is challenging, use a sturdy chair behind you. Lightly touch the chair with your fingertips as you lower yourself into the squat, and use it for support as needed.
#5 Balance Training Exercise: Assisted Tree Pose
One of the best balance exercises for seniors is the Chair Pose. This is one of my favorite exercises for improving strength, proprioception, and balance. Using a chair for support makes this pose scalable.
- Find your chair: Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart next to a sturdy chair, with the chair slightly behind you.
- Stand tall: Ground down through your feet and lengthen your spine, feeling tall and balanced.
- Move slowly: Slowly lift one leg up, bending at the knee. Reach the sole of your foot towards your standing leg’s thigh.
- Find your pose: Find a comfortable spot to rest your foot on your calf, ankle, or even your shin (avoid placing it directly on the knee).
- Support: If you need more stability, reach out and gently place your hand on the back of the chair for support.
- Core engagement: Engage your core by pulling your belly button in towards your spine. Keep your shoulders relaxed and gaze forward at a steady point.
- Steady Gaze: Hold for a few breaths, then slowly lower your foot back down to the floor. Repeat on the other side.
Top Tips for Balance Training
Below is a list of quick tips for mastering the best balance exercises for seniors. These tips have been instrumental in helping others quickly improve their body awareness. Essentially, body awareness is the magic bullet. Keep these tips in mind while performing the above simple exercises to improve balance and stability.
- Foundation – Think floor up. Find your footing, your deep connection to the earth through your feet.
- Knees – Find your knees. The knees are your shocks. Keep your knees slightly bent and feel the fluidity of the joints.
- Core – Find that deep core engagement. Feel your abdominals tightening in towards your spine, protecting your lower back.
- Spine – Think long and strong. The spine reaching up and supporting your torso. While relaxing your shoulders, the spine extends upward.
- Gaze – Set your gaze outward, not down at your feet. Find a steady gaze and hold that point.
- Concentrate – Come inward. Tune out everything around you and concentrate on your body awareness.
- Mindset – Be your #1 cheerleader! Tell yourself you are balanced, stable, and strong! Our brains listen to the stories we tell ourselves. Make those stories full of self-love and empowerment! Learn how to flood yourself with positive affirmations Here.
Balance Exercises for Seniors Final Thoughts
Without a doubt, one of the most common questions I get on a daily basis is “How can I improve my balance?” Just as we covered above, maintaining balance requires many systems to work together. Naturally, balance declines with age. Unfortunately, this raises our risk of falls and other injuries. Subsequently, it is imperative that we stay vigilant in our efforts to stay consistently active.
For best results, aim to perform my best balance exercises for seniors 3-4 times a week. Better yet, check out my guided online video that offers these exercises packaged together in a handy 30- minute class Here. By consistently working on these movements, you will lower your risk of falls, improve mobility, and enhance well-being.
As always, before you start a new exercise program, it’s a good idea to chat with your doctor. They can help make sure you’re on the right track for a safe and healthy workout plan.
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