{"id":7862,"date":"2026-10-05T21:45:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T21:45:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visiting-angels.co.uk\/cheshire-east\/?p=7862"},"modified":"2026-10-05T21:52:40","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T21:52:40","slug":"balance-exercises-older-adults","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visiting-angels.co.uk\/cheshire-east\/balance-exercises-older-adults\/","title":{"rendered":"Balance exercises you can do in the kitchen"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Quick summary<\/b><\/h3>

You do not need a gym or a class. You need a worktop to hold and ten minutes a day. Balance and strength work is the single most effective thing for preventing falls, reducing the rate of falls by around 23 per cent. Check with a GP or physiotherapist first, particularly if you have fallen recently.<\/span><\/p>

Before you start:<\/b> speak to a GP or physiotherapist if you have had a fall, have chest pain or dizziness, have had recent surgery, or are unsure whether these are right for you. Stop if anything hurts.<\/span><\/p>

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Why balance work specifically<\/b><\/h3>

Because it is the part with the evidence, and it is the part most people skip in favour of walking.<\/span><\/p>

A Cochrane review of 108 trials involving 23,407 people found exercise reduces the rate of falls by around 23 per cent. Crucially, <\/span>balance and functional training drove the effect, and walking on its own did not<\/b> (<\/span>Cochrane, 2019<\/span><\/a>). Programmes combining balance work with resistance exercise probably did better still.<\/span><\/p>

The NHS recommends adults over 65 include activities to improve strength, balance and flexibility at least twice a week, alongside daily activity (<\/span>NHS physical activity guidelines for older adults<\/span><\/a>). NICE adds that a falls prevention programme should be progressive, tailored and reviewed, which is why a class run by a physiotherapist beats anything on a web page, including this one.<\/span><\/p>

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Why the kitchen<\/b><\/h3>

A worktop is the right height, it does not move, and it runs in a line so you can side-step along it. Most people are in the kitchen several times a day anyway, which is what turns this into a habit rather than a plan.<\/span><\/p>

Attach it to something you already do. While the kettle boils is the version most people stick with.<\/span><\/p>

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Six exercises<\/b><\/h3>

Stand close enough to the worktop to touch it at all times. Wear shoes or slippers with a back and a grip, not socks.<\/span><\/p>

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  1. Sit to stand.<\/b> From a firm dining chair, stand up and sit down slowly, using your hands as little as you can manage. Aim for five to ten. This is the most useful exercise on the list, because getting out of a chair unaided is the thing that keeps people independent.<\/span><\/li>
  2. Heel raises.<\/b> Holding the worktop, rise onto your toes, hold for a second, lower slowly. Ten to fifteen. Builds the calf muscles used to correct a stumble.<\/span><\/li>
  3. Toe raises.<\/b> Same position, lift your toes and rock back onto your heels, then lower. Ten to fifteen.<\/span><\/li>
  4. Sideways walking.<\/b> Step sideways along the worktop, ten steps one way and ten back, keeping your body upright. Trains the hip muscles that stop you toppling sideways.<\/span><\/li>
  5. One-leg stand.<\/b> Holding on, lift one foot slightly off the floor and hold for up to ten seconds, then swap. Progress by holding with one hand, then fingertips.<\/span><\/li>
  6. Heel-to-toe standing.<\/b> Place one foot directly in front of the other, as if on a line, and hold for up to ten seconds. Swap feet. Progress to heel-to-toe walking along the worktop when it feels secure.<\/span><\/li><\/ol>

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    How to build it up<\/b><\/h3>

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    Stage<\/b><\/p><\/th>

    What it looks like<\/b><\/p><\/th>

    Roughly how long<\/b><\/p><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>

    Starting out<\/b><\/p><\/td>

    Both hands on the worktop throughout. Small numbers of each<\/span><\/p><\/td>

    Weeks 1 to 2<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

    Building<\/b><\/p><\/td>

    One hand on the worktop. More repetitions<\/span><\/p><\/td>

    Weeks 3 to 6<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

    Progressing<\/b><\/p><\/td>

    Fingertips only, longer holds, heel-to-toe walking<\/span><\/p><\/td>

    Week 6 onwards<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

    Maintaining<\/b><\/p><\/td>

    Keep going, at least twice a week, indefinitely<\/span><\/p><\/td>

    Ongoing<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

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    Progression is the whole point.<\/b> NICE is explicit that these programmes should be progressive. Doing the same easy version for a year produces very little, because balance improves only when it is challenged.<\/span><\/p>

    It should feel slightly wobbly and never unsafe. If you could not catch yourself, you have gone a step too far.<\/span><\/p>

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    Free classes, which are better than doing it alone<\/b><\/h3>

    Home exercises work, and a proper programme works better, because someone watches how you move and adjusts it.<\/span><\/p>