Avoid Falls and Stay on Your Feet
Five Simple Tips for Improving Your Balance
June 2025 Newsletter
Are you worried about falling and injuring yourself? Does limited mobility due to arthritis or another condition make you feel shaky? Balance challenges can certainly be difficult, but you do have options for improving your overall balance and stability!
One of the things we do at Optimum Physio Therapies is help people work on the spatial awareness and muscular strength crucial in addressing balance challenges. This is especially true for people with a high risk of falling, where improved balance could save you a trip to the hospital.
Want to learn more about the importance of good balance? Call to schedule an appointment today.
Why Should I Work on My Balance At All?
The older you get, the more important good balance becomes. Falls are one of the biggest threats to adults 65 years or older, causing millions of hospitalizations and emergency room visits every year.
While several factors contribute to this high fall risk — including age-related sensory and physical changes — you can do things to lessen your risk, and it’s never too early to get started! If you start working to improve your balance now, you’ll be in a better place as you age.
That said, there are other benefits to improving balance for younger people. A good sense of balance has a radiating effect on your overall fitness, helping to improve your posture and overall movement. You’ll be better able to catch yourself if you stumble or trip, and you might notice improvements in other physical activities, like running or playing sports.
How Can I Improve My Balance? Five Suggestions from Our Physical Therapists
1. Go for a Walk
Sometimes, the best solutions are the simplest. Walking helps build core and lower-body strength, two crucial components of good balance, and it’s safe and effective for most people. That said, if you’re struggling with balance, it’s important to speak to your physical therapist first — you might benefit from initial balance training or using a mobility aid during your walks.
2. Restore Your Mobility
Stiff or arthritic joints can negatively impact your balance. Our physical therapists can teach you how to restore or improve your mobility and guide you on a safe routine you can perform at home that targets your individual needs.
3. Target Your Core
If you’re really struggling with balance and instability, it may be time to focus on dedicated core exercises. Your core refers to the muscles that wrap around your spine — your back, hip, glute, and ab muscles. They keep your spine stabilized, which in turn helps you keep your balance. Not sure where to start with core strengthening? Our physical therapists can show you which exercises will work best for you.
4. Challenge Your Balance
As with any other aspect of fitness, spending time on dedicated balance training can help you see results. Your goal is to find exercises that challenge your sense of balance without putting you at risk of falling – again, this is something our PTs can help with.
5. Assess Your Balance
If you want to get serious about improving your balance, schedule an appointment at Optimum Physio Therapies to have your balance assessed by one of our experts. We’ll run several balance screens to help us pinpoint the exact reason for your balance challenges — it may even be something you didn’t expect, such as inner ear issues. With a balance assessment, we can help you target your treatment to suit your exact needs.
Afraid You’ll Lose Your Footing? We’ve Got Your Back
The physical therapists at Optimum Physio Therapies specialize in movement and exercise. If you visit us for a balance assessment, we can design a customized treatment program that addresses your needs and abilities. For example…
- Dealing with persistent pain that makes walking difficult? We can guide you through a drug-free pain management program.
- Find most core exercises impossible? You’re not alone. Although activities like core planks have significant benefits, many beginners need to build up to them. We’ll show you core exercises that you can actually perform.
- Not sure how to challenge your balance? We’ll guide you through a progress balance training program, measuring your progress and increasing intensity as you go.
Don’t miss out on the benefits of good balance. Call us to request your balance assessment today!
Celebrating Father’s Day with Dad Jokes
- I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down!
- Did you know the first French fries weren’t actually cooked in France? They were cooked in Greece.
- Want to hear a joke about a piece of paper? Never mind… it’s tearable.
- I just watched a documentary about beavers. It was the best dam show I ever saw!
- Spring is here! I got so excited I wet my plants!
- I gave up my seat on the bus to a blind lady. And that is how I lost my job as a bus driver.
- Why did the lion spit out the clown? Because he tasted funny!!
- What’s a spider’s favorite profession? Web designer.
- I finally finished my book on penguins. My publisher said it would have been better if I had written it on paper.
- Why did the art thief’s getaway vehicle run out of fuel? He had no Monet to buy Degas to make the Van Gogh.
Our Patients Get Great Results
“…the staff at Optimum Physio were amazing during my PT and dry needling sessions.”
“Dr. De Anda and all of the staff at Optimum Physio were amazing during my PT and dry needling sessions. I felt that they truly cared about me and worked hard to improve my pain level with my piriformas syndrome and other tears in my hip.”
—Karen F.
“Don’t look anywhere else!”
“Don’t look anywhere else! Knowledgeable, attentive team! Professional intake by Dr. Mark De Anda. Physical therapists are cheerful, respectful and thoughtful! I was injured in the fall of 2024 and couldn’t swim or row. Shoulder pain kept me awake at night. Sadly, I didn’t find Optimum until March of 2025. I would have been back in the pool and rowing by now had I been working on my recovery with the team at Optimum! Thank you all!”
—Mariel R.
We Want To Hear Your PT Success Story!
If you’ve ever looked into strengthening your core, you’ve likely heard of planking. This deceptively difficult exercise involves holding your body in a straight line like a plank of wood. The most common version involves supporting yourself on your forearms and your toes.
It looks easy, but in reality, planking requires a tremendous amount of core strength while requiring you to use proper form — not letting your hips sag or stick too high up in the air, for example. And sometimes, someone might try a plank for the first time, only to discover that it’s nearly impossible for them to hold the position for 6 seconds, much less 60!
If that sounds familiar, don’t despair. You can build your core strength through plank variations.
If Planking is Too Hard, Try These Variations Instead
Tabletop Plank
Performing a plank correctly requires activating your core muscles. This exercise helps you learn what that feels like. Position yourself on your hands and knees, your gaze on the floor, and your spine neutral. Practice engaging your core muscles – but don’t hold your breath.
Bear Plank
Once you’ve got the hang of a tabletop plank, try a bear plank. Start in the same position as a tabletop plank. Then, tuck your toes, engage your core, and lift your knees about an inch off the ground. Hold for as long as you can, take a break, and then repeat.
Incline Plank
Rather than resting your forearms on the floor, you can try a plank in which you rest your forearms on a bench or step. Arrange your forearms or palms on a sturdy, flat, elevated surface, then walk your feet back until your body forms a straight, diagonal line. Brace your core and hold for as long as you can.
We’re Here For You!
Want more tips on improving your core strength? Make an appointment with Optimum Physio Therapies today!
Service Spotlight
NEUBIE | NEUFIT
The NeuFit Neubie Reverses Chronic Pain!
Pain is neurologically based. We actually experience pain in our brain, not our body. And when our brain perceives a threat, it sends out a signal that we recognize as pain. Sometimes that pain lingers long after an injury is healed or has been surgically repaired. Like the acute pain caused by an injury or in the aftermath of a surgery, the root of chronic pain can be safely targeted and stimulated with neuromuscular re-education using electrical signals. If you are suffering from lingering pain or a sports injury, look no further! Contact Optimum Physio today!
Click Here to See the Neubie In Action!
Request Your Appointment Today!
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Feel Better by Eating Better!
Mango Lassi Smoothie
Bursting with flavor and protein, this mango lassi-inspired smoothie is your go-to fuel for a busy day. Made with sweet frozen mango, rich Greek-style yogurt, and nourishing hemp seeds, it’s a creamy, energizing blend that keeps you satisfied. Enjoy it as a quick breakfast, a post-workout pick-me-up, or a refreshing anytime snack.
Ingredients
- 1 pitted dried date
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ cup whole-milk plain strained (Greek-style) yogurt
- 1 cup frozen mango chunks
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1½ tablespoons hulled hemp seeds, divided
Place 1 date, 1 cup milk, ¼ cup yogurt, 1 cup frozen mango, ¼ teaspoon cardamom, and 1 tablespoon hemp seeds in a blender. Process until smooth, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.
Pour the smoothie into a glass; top with the remaining ½ tablespoon hemp seeds.
Exercise of the Month
ONE LEG BALANCE
Stand tall near a sturdy surface for support. Lift one foot off the ground and balance on the other leg, keeping your core engaged. Hold for as long as possible, then switch sides to improve stability.
