One of the biggest concerns of my older personal training clients is falling. Age-related muscle loss, known as sarcopenia, along with a natural decline in bone density puts seniors more at risk of falls and injuries. But there is something you can do about it.
No matter your age, adding regular balance drills to your week can make a difference—and it’s easier to improve than you might think.
I spoke to Dr Rahul Shah, board-certified orthopedic spine and neck surgeon at Premier Orthopaedic Associates, who said the one-legged sock-and-shoe test is a good place to start.
This simple at-home mobility and stability assessment involves standing on one leg while, you guessed it, putting on your socks and shoes. Sometimes called the old man test, it’s used by healthcare professionals to monitor balance, hip mobility and core strength for people of any age.
“The benefits of this functional movement is improving balance and coordination when standing on one leg. Its mastery will help to prevent falls and/or improve bracing when losing balance,” says Shah.
Ready to give it a go?
How to do the sock and shoe test
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart with your shoes and socks in front of you.
- Stand by a wall or sturdy surface for support if needed.
- Raise one foot, bending your other knee to hinge forward from your hips.
- Reach forward to pick up your sock.
- Slowly return to upright, raising your knee toward your chest to put on your sock.
- Repeat this to put on your shoe, then repeat on the other side.
How to improve your balance
“This sequence is an excellent way to optimize balance and coordination,” says Shah.
“If you have difficulty executing the motions, then I would recommend initially trying to stand on one leg at a time, increasing how long you do this for each time by 5%. For example, if you can stand on one leg for 30 seconds, your next attempt should be to get to 31-32 seconds and so on.
“Once your balance is improved, then you can practice extending the hip and bending at your waist to pick up the sock and shoe.
“Finally, work on flexing at your hip [bringing it closer to your chest] and externally rotate the hip [turning your thigh and knee outward, away from the midline of your body] and bend the knee.
“If bending the hips, knees or ankles is difficult then you can work on increasing these ranges of motion by doing static holds for increasing times.”
How to improve your hip, knee and ankle mobility
Try these mobility exercises to strengthen your hip, knee and ankle joints. Repeat each exercise twice and incorporate them into your routine a few times a week, gradually increasing your hold times. Breathe slowly during the holds to stay focused and relaxed.
Wall sit for hips and knees
This exercise allows you to more comfortably hold a squat position with your heels on the floor to help improve your hip and knee mobility.
How to do it:
- Stand with your back against a wall, feet hip-width apart and knees bent.
- Slide down slowly and pause when your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor or close to. Avoid going any lower—this isn’t a deep squat.
- Hold the position that you can maintain for 20 to 30 seconds, keeping your weight in your heels.
- Stand up slowly to release.
Heel and toe raises for ankles
This seated exercise is a great way to improve ankle mobility.
How to do it:
- Sit upright with your feet hip-width apart.
- Raise your heels, pressing your toes into the floor and hold for 20 seconds.
- Lower your heels then raise your toes, pressing your heels into the floor and hold for 20 seconds.
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