During the event we did a lot of fun activities like playing balance games, and the ‘can you walk in a straight line? test, to find out just how steady (or just how wobbly) everyone was on their feet.

And you’ll never guess what happened, out of the 8 people who came along, all of them said this…

“I didn’t realize my balance was THAT bad!…”

And it’s true! Most of us rarely realise we have a problem with our balance until it’s pointed out and made obvious to us.

Even though not all of us have superhuman balance like gymnasts and ice skaters, we need a certain level of balance to help us go about our daily activities without falling over and hurting ourselves. So I wanted to share the most common signs and symptoms to look out for, when it comes to wobbly balance and an increased risk of falls..

When you experience dizziness…

One of the most common ones is ‘dizziness’.

Everyone has a dizzy spell now and then, but the word ‘dizziness’ may mean something different to different people. For some people dizziness might be a fleeting sensation of spinning. While for others it feels intense and lasts a long time.

If you find yourself feeling as though the room is spinning around you.

If you feel as though you’re moving even when you’re sitting or standing still..

And if you feel lightheaded and experience faint spells frequently..

It’s a good sign you have a balance problem.

When your posture is a bit bad…

Another sign that a lot of people brush to the side as just a part of getting older, or sitting at a desk all day, is poor posture. The muscles in your core and lower back work together to hold your spine and pelvis in place.

If these muscles are weak, your body will be unstable, and you won’t be able to stand steadily for more than a short period of time. Instead, you’ll look slouched and slumped over, which in turn will strain your muscles.

And if because of poor posture you find yourself having to lean on things like the cart at the grocery store, or the handrail next to the staircase to help you move around – there’s a good chance you need to work on your balance.

When there’s pain in your lower back…

Low back pain is also a sign that your balance is slowly getting worse.

The back and core help support the body and keep you standing tall, but if the muscles are weak and your back isn’t straight, then your back will be in pain.

And believe it or not, low-back pain can be brought on by bad balance and a weak core.

In fact, all of them go hand in hand together!

Something else we hear a lot of our clients say, is that they have to rely on their husband or wife to help them get around the house. And because of that they even lack the confidence to leave the house Incase they feel a bit unsteady and ‘slip’ over in front of people. Or worse, have no one there to help them get back up!

We even had one lady tell us at the event that she fell at the grocery store a few days prior to coming along, and that she was embarrassed because she was alone and had no one there to help her, so she has to ask her husband to do the food shopping for her instead.

There’s lots of little signs that your balance is off, and although some are more extreme than others like falling over unexpectedly and feeling worried to leave the house…

Some are a lot more subtle, but if you notice and act on them quickly, you can help lessen the risk of falls and get better balance in good time.

Everyone who arrived last week came not knowing how bad their balance really was until we helped them find out.

If you’d like to come to our Virtual balance and falls class next Tuesday, or, if you’re worried about someone you know falling over, call this number now and we’ll tell you when our next event is being held: (865) 789-8617