One of the first things that we begin to lose as we age is our balance. There are a lot of factors that can play into this. Eyesight, depth perception, loss of bone and muscle mass etc. We also lose the fat or cushion from the bottoms of our feet which can lead to discomfort and an increase in instability. Maintaining our balance as we age is essential to our day to day health and activity as well as injury prevention.

While we cannot stop our bodies from aging, there are many things that we can do to slow the process down and build strength to preserve our balance. We can reverse bone density loss through diet, but also with strength training and weight bearing exercises. Injury prevention and overall stability start from the ground up. The health of our feet can play a huge role in the health of our ankles, knees, hips etc. An uneven footfall, fallen arches, or lack of foot mobility can have a chain effect on the body. Weakened feet, ankles, and knees can also affect our balance and lead to an increase in risk of injury. A simple exercise of lifting your toes while standing or seated, can help to strengthen the arches and ankles. Key is to keep the weight distributed across the heel and the ball mound of the big and little toe. Another very essential movement is the ability to get down to and up from the ground without using your hands. As we age and begin to lose our balance and strength, we will fall. Being able to slow, stop or support the fall is extremely important. As well as the ability to get back up again if we do fall.
Adding yoga to your fitness routine daily or even weekly can have many positive effects towards injury prevention. Not only does it help to prevent injury by keeping the muscles strong and supple, but yoga can have positive effects on our mental health as well. A calm and focused mind is less prone to injury than an anxious or distracted mind. Yoga can also be extremely beneficial for building and or maintaining balance. As we get older, maintaining good balance becomes more and more essential. Not just in outdoor or physical activities, but in our daily lives as a whole.

Here are some of my favorite yoga snacks that you can do throughout your day to strengthen your feet, ankles and knees and improve your balance and overall mood.

1. Walking meditation. Walking meditations are my favorite forms of meditation. If you have a hard time sitting still like me, then a walking meditation can be a great way to add a mindfulness practice to your daily routine. It can be five minutes, ten minutes or two hours. It is completely up to you. The goal is to focus on your footfall. Notice your stride. Notice the evenness of your step.
   
2. Tree pose or other one legged balance. A one legged balance can be as simple as shifting weight to one foot and coming to the toes of the other. Focus on distributing the weight evenly through the feet. It can also be beneficial to use a mirror. Hips shouldn’t tilt once weight is transferred to one leg. To add an extra challenge, stand on a yoga block or other elevated or uneven surface.
   
3. Lunges or warrior 2 with emphasis on weight distribution in the feet. From any lunge variation or warrior lunge, bend and straighten the front leg with an emphasis of weight shift in the foot. I.E., on an inhale straighten the front left my pressing into the ball or front of the foot. On the exhale, bend the front knee by transferring the weight into the heel of the foot. It’s almost like you are pushing the knee away with the ball of the foot, and pulling the knee forwards with the heel.
   
4. Heel lifts from the ground. Heel lifts from a block or elevated surface. As the heels come down, lower them off the edge of the block to stretch the ankles and calves.