Active: strength and balance
Staying active will help you to stay more independent. Moving more and not sitting for long periods of time helps to maintain and improve your fitness, your balance and your muscles and joints.
Physical activity and exercise makes you feel good and reduces your risk of falling. It:
- improves muscle and bone strength
- improves balance, posture and body awareness
- improves endurance so you tire less easily
- improves sleep
- makes you more alert
- improves mood and decreases stress
- improves memory and concentration
- helps you maintain a healthy weight
- helps control blood pressure
- gives you more opportunities to socialise and meet people
To improve your balance, you could try activities where your stability is challenged. For example;
- Tai-Chi
- yoga
- pilates
- dance classes
You can build your muscle strength through resistance exercises that use external resistance. For example;
- elastic band exercises
- small weights that use your own bodyweight
You can improve your bone health through activities where your body weight is supported through your joints. For example;
- standing
- walking
- dancing
- press ups and push ups are good for your arms
Aerobic forms of exercises will build your endurance. For example;
- brisk walking
- dancing
- jogging
- swimming
What you can do:
- practice some exercises at home 2 or 3 times a week
- lift your feet when you walk and try not to shuffle. Strength exercises will help you do this
- find out which activity suits you best
- limit or break up the time that you spend sitting still
- start slowly and build activities up gradually
- do some seated exercises when you are watching the television
Resources to help you exercise at home
For exercises you can do at home to improve your strength, flexibility and balance visit the NHS website.
See the Chartered Institute of Physiotherapists Get up and Go leaflet which has 6 simple exercises to help you stay steady. You can also watch a video demonstration of the exercises.
Find out more about bone health exercises on the Royal Osteoporosis Society website.
Resources and support to help you get more active
Stockport Life Leisure
Visit the Stockport Life Leisure website to find out how you can get more active.
The Stay Steady falls prevention exercise programme is for anyone who has:
- a fear of falling
- a history of falling
- feels unsteady on their feet due to limited strength and/or balance
You can also watch the falls prevention video about the classes.
SMILE is a programme offering low impact and gentle exercises and takes place in venues across Stockport.
Keep GM Moving
The Keep GM Moving campaign has produced a 'moving with limited mobility' video which includes standing, supported, seated and assisted exercises which are suitable for everyone. It also includes a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter and subtitles.
Healthy Stockport
Find out more about the different types of physical activity and how to fit them into your daily routine on our move more webpages. You can also talk to a specialist advisor for more information and support on how to increase your physical activity.
Walking in Stockport
You can find out about local health walks in the Stockport area, and how you can get more active, on the council website.
Stockport Local
An online directory where you can find information about groups, activities and exercise classes in your local area.