Top Tips to Have a Much Better Balance

Try this self-test to check your balance.

Act like you’ve been pulled over for a DUI and walk in a straight line, putting one foot directly in front of the other – with the toes of your back foot touching the heel of your front foot.

Neurosurgeon Dr. Nancy Trevanian Tsai says, see how many steps you can take like that without wobbling off center. If you can’t take more than 4 steps, your balance needs work. 

So try standing in that same position – one foot directly in front of the other – and raise your hands high above your head. Hold that position as long as you can.

Because with good balance, you’re less likely to fall and injure yourself. And that’s important because 20% of elderly hip-fracture patients die within a year due to complications from the trauma.

You can also try tai chi. A study found that people who do tai chi once a week have much better balance.