Enhancing your balance should be an essential goal in your fitness routine.
Focusing on balance improvement becomes increasingly crucial as we age. A lack of balance can easily lead to falls and injuries. Suffering a fracture, particularly after turning 60, can have long-lasting impacts. Serious fractures, such as those involving the hip, can significantly affect one’s independence, often resulting in prolonged mobility issues and persistent pain.
To reduce the risk of falls and injuries, it is important to work on enhancing your balance. We have compiled four effective wall exercises that could improve your balance more efficiently than yoga for those over 60.
“One of the primary obstacles to improving balance for individuals over 60 is the fear of falling. This fear can cause people to tense up, hold their breath, overly contract their muscles, and move hesitantly. Ironically, this protective response can actually worsen balance,” explains Doug Bertram, M.S., L.Ac., MTCM, the Founder and CEO of Structural Elements®, an orthopedic wellness brand. Bertram created the (SE)® Treatment to evaluate and treat the body through its connective structure, helping to restore balance to the system rather than merely treating the symptoms.
“One of the biggest barriers to improving balance after 60 is fear of falling. When people feel unsafe, they stiffen. They hold their breath, over-contract their muscles, and move with hesitation. This protective strategy actually makes balance worse,” explains Doug Bertram, M.S., L.Ac., MTCM, Founder & CEO of orthopedic wellness brand Structural Elements®. Bertram developed the (SE)® Treatment as a means to assess and treat the body through its connective framework, helping to rebalance the system rather than just addressing symptoms.
The wall provides a safe element where individuals can test their balance without feeling threatened.
“That sense of security allows the nervous system to relax and respond more efficiently,” Bertram adds. “From a clinical perspective, the wall also offers immediate feedback. If the pelvis drifts, the shoulders round, or the head moves forward, the body can sense that change instantly. This enhances proprioception, which is our ability to know where we are in space.”
Dr. Milica McDowell, Doctor of Physical Therapy, AVP of Education, Author, Exercise Physiologist at US Physical Therapy with more than 20 years of experience in sports/orthopedics, agrees that the wall can be an incredibly productive tool for those looking to build better balance with age.
“Well-supported exercises can be a great way to reduce the stress of traditional balance of exercise exercises, making them safer in creating a place where everyone can participate and then eventually progress up to removing the wall,” she says.
Below are four wall exercises to add to your routine.
Wall Sit
“The wall sit is an excellent starting point because it builds endurance in the quadriceps, glutes, and deep core muscles,” Bertram explains. “Balance is not just about the nervous system; it is about having the strength to maintain posture under load. If the legs fatigue quickly, the body loses its ability to stabilize.”
- Stand tall with your back pressed against a wall.
- Slide down until your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle as if you’re sitting in a chair.
Single-Leg Stand
“The single-leg stand with light fingertip contact on the wall directly trains one of the most important balance skills we have: the ability to control our center of mass over a single point of support,” Bertram explains. “Since every step we take is essentially a single-leg balance exercise, this movement has immediate real-world relevance.”
- Stand tall on a flat surface with your feet hip-width apart and arms at your sides.
- Shift your body weight onto your left foot.
- Lift your right foot off the ground.
- Activate your core while keeping your shoulders stacked over your ribs and your hips level.
- The time begins once your leg comes off the floor and stops when your foot touches the ground.
- Hold the single-leg balance with your eyes closed.
- Repeat on the other side.
Wall Angels
“Wall angels reinforce thoracic mobility, shoulder positioning, and postural awareness,” Bertram tells us. “Many balance problems begin higher up the chain. If the head drifts forward and the rib cage collapses, the body’s center of gravity shifts and stability becomes much harder to maintain.”
- Stand tall with your back pressed against a wall, your elbows bent to 90 degrees, and the backs of your hands against the wall.
- Slowly reach your arms overhead while pressing your arms into the wall and keeping your core engaged throughout.
- Lower your arms.
Wall March
“The wall march teaches the body to transfer weight from one leg to the other while maintaining upright posture. This mimics gait mechanics and challenges the hip stabilizers that are essential for preventing falls,” Bertram tells us.
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, facing a wall at arm’s length.
- Place your hands flat on the surface at shoulder level.
- Walk your feet back so you assume a standing plank position.
- Activate your core and press your palms into the wall.
- Lift one knee up to your chest.
- Lower, and then lift the other knee up toward your chest in a marching fashion.
