Keeping Fit: Preventing falls with strength training

Published 8:00 am Sunday, August 25, 2024

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 83% of hip fracture deaths and 88% of emergency room visits and hospitalizations for hip fractures were caused by falls. The CDC also said falls are the most common cause of a traumatic brain injury. With the right training you can build your body with the protective armor it needs to prevent injury from a fall, and the strength to keep them from happening in the first place. The issue is how do you actually train for balance. Should you stand on a wobble board or practice standing on one foot, or should you do basic strength training?

Strength training versus balance training

The problem with balance is there are a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings with how to train it. You may see people in the gym or on social media training on unstable surfaces for balance. But this is actually inferior to basic strength training, and also much more dangerous.

A study from the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research compared progressive resistance training (PRT) and traditional balance exercises (TBE). The study found that in the functional reach test (a clinical assessment of balance by seeing how far you can reach forward without falling over) the PRT group had significantly better results than the TBE group.

According to the researchers, strength training preferentially increases what is called “type 2 muscle fibers” that contribute mainly for quick reaction time and maintenance of balance. The PRT group also had improvements in muscle mass, strength, power and torque production, all of which may have contributed to the enhanced balance in their group.

Free weights for balance

Free weights are resistance training tools that are not attached to any other equipment and can be lifted and moved around freely. They can include items like dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells and medicine balls. It is my opinion that the best way to achieve muscle growth and stability is through free weight training.

Free weight exercises require you to maintain a stable core, grip the ground with your feet and learn how to balance yourself. These are “functional” movements. They will engage not only the targeted muscle groups tremendously but many stabilizer muscles as well, which is what sets them apart.

For example, if you were to do any kind of squat variation, your quads, glutes and adductors may be the prime movers, but your core is also working hard to keep you balanced and upright throughout the movement. By progressing with foundational exercises such as the squat, lunge and hip hinge you can get great results in lower-body muscle, functional movement, balance and stability. There are many variations of these to pick from so people of different ages and ability can benefit.

Machines, too

If you are new to strength training or aren’t comfortable performing free weight exercises yet, weight training machines are still an amazing option. Machines may be inferior to free weights when it comes to which one is better at building stability but where they shine is they can target specific muscle groups that still grow muscle, build strength and ultimately lead to better balance.

A study posted by the National Institutes of Health tested 50 subjects with ages ranging from 65 to 82. The participants performed 12 weeks of strength training using a leg extension machine and a leg curl machine. The results showed significant improvement in strength and balance compared to baseline. So as long as you are progressive and gaining in strength the important type 2 muscle fibers will be enhanced, and that will aid your reaction time, stability and balance.

Where you will likely see your best results will be a combination of free weights and machines. An example training day for lower-body strength and stability looks like this. Sets and reps will vary based on your level of training.

Exercise 1: Goblet squats.

Exercise 2: Stiff-legged deadlifts.

Exercise 3: Hip abduction machine.

Exercise 4: Leg extension machine.

Exercise 5: Seated leg curl machine.

There are many other great movements that can replace these, this is just an example of how to implement both free weights and machines. This routine alone can be used for a long time to increase lower-body strength, stability and balance for most.

The bottom line

Before you decide to put yourself at risk of injury by standing on one foot or trying to balance on a wobble board, consider embarking on a progressive strength training program instead. Basic strength training with both free weights and machines has regularly been shown in research to improve balance while also improving body composition, building muscle mass and much more. If you’re not sure whether you should start with machines or free weights see us at the Bradley Wellness Center for a free fitness assessment. We’ll be glad to help.

Tucker Gregg is a fitness consultant at the Bradley Wellness Center.