Balance problems can have significant physical and psychological impacts on people’s lives and can occur at any time of life, although the incidence tends to increase with age.
It's reported that 1 in 3 adults over 65 still living independently will have a fall at least once a year, half of these people will fall more frequently. With these statistics, perhaps we all need to be more proactive in our approach to our balance and remember it is never too early or late to start.
So, how does our body prevent us from falling over?
When we move or hold any position, we are continually adjusting our bodies to counteract gravitational forces, which prevents us from falling over. This adjustment comes from multiple sensory systems providing information to our brain about the position of our body in relation to the environment. Messages are then sent to our muscles and joints, to provide corrective action if required. The three main sources of these messages come from the eyes, ears and musculoskeletal system.