Balance Archive

The bear crawl is a body-weight exercise that consists of moving along the ground using only the hands and feet. The move is a fun way to strengthen core muscles and improve mobility, coordination, and balance.

Approximately 50% of people who begin an exercise program quit within the first six months, according to some estimates. Declining motivation is usually the main reason, but there are ways that people can approach their fitness to help them stay focused and committed. These include recognizing the value of staying healthy, enlisting a workout buddy, adopting specific exercises to reach individual goals, matching workouts to their personality, and finding inspirational figures.

In a 2025 study, middle-aged and older people who could do the sit-to-rise test without support were less likely to die (especially of cardiovascular disease) within the following decade. The test is a good way to assess strength, flexibility, and balance-all of which are all vital for helping people to stay active and functioning well as they grow older.

The sitting-rising test gauges how easily people can rise to their feet from sitting on the floor, using as little support as possible. A 2025 study suggested the test may help predict someone's longevity. People who scored the lowest were nearly four times more likely to die of natural causes and six times more likely to die of cardiovascular causes than participants who scored a perfect 10 on the test. The movement requires strength, coordination, balance, and flexibility. These components of fitness tend to drop off more precipitously in women as we age.

Research suggests that exercise is beneficial in managing insomnia, but current guidelines don't specify which types may be most effective. A 2025 study found that yoga, tai chi, walking, and running were associated with reduced symptoms of insomnia.

Aging often leads to a loss of shoulder strength and motion, especially the ability to reach up and lift objects overhead. The best way to protect the shoulders is to stretch them daily and strengthen them every other day. Exercises can be done consecutively in a single workout or individually throughout the day. It's best to do a warm-up before engaging in any shoulder exercises. A warm-up can be as simple as marching in place for a few minutes while gently moving the arms up and down.

As people get older, they may get clumsier because of multiple factors such as declining hearing and vision, loss of muscle, balance issues, and chronic health conditions. Addressing these issues can help people avoid injury from falls and other accidents.

A three-step routine of leg swings, hip circles, and foot rolls can help prepare muscles and joints for running and walking and reduce the risk of soreness.

Power is the ability to generate a large amount of force in a short amount of time. It can help people to properly and safely execute many everyday movements, such as climbing stairs, lifting and carrying heavy objects, twisting, pulling, and throwing. Power also improves movement efficiency and reaction time, helping to prevent injuries from falls. Increasing overall muscle mass with regular strength training and doing plyometric exercises and explosive moves using a medicine ball can help build power.

A 2025 study found that exercising earlier in the day (before 1 p.m.) offered more benefits like better lung and heart health and walking efficiency compared with exercising later in the day (after 4 p.m.).