Dear LPG,

I am getting on, as they say, and with age comes varied problems.  I know that asking LPG to print this message is like preaching to the converted, because the site is here especially for people who have reached pensionable age.

The varied problem that I would like to focus down on today is that of balance.  I think that most people that suffer from a lack of it will agree that it is one of the many qualities that we take for granted until it starts to fail us.  I have noticed that when I walk around my house, often without thinking about it, I instinctively use the walls and furniture for support every now and then these days, and just occasionally I find myself having to correct my steps when putting one foot in front of the other while walking. 

I found the following videos on YouTube which are intended to test your abilities and although they look as if they are designed for a health professional to oversee I think that, with the help of someone who can work a stopwatch and be there to catch you if you overbalance, trying them could help to give an indication of how much trust you can continue to have in your sense of stability.

FB, Sydenham

LPG would take the time to remind readers of FB’s advice and mention again that while the words ‘Don’t try this at home’ do not really apply if you plan to try them, it is important to rephrase this and offer the warning ‘Do not try this alone!’

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