Balance refers to the ability of your body to remain steady in a position that is in line with your center of gravity. It is the combined effort of your ears, eyes, muscles, and joints that keep you in a state of balance. However, if you have balance problems, you tend to sway or wobble, resulting in an uneven weight distribution that increases your risk of injuries.
Balance is to every activity that involves the use of the lower extremities such as standing, walking, running, and climbing the stairs. Even sitting upright requires balance. You may not be aware of it but your body always tries to keep yourself upright. Balance and coordination work together to facilitate mobility and reduce your risk of fall-related injuries. However, your sense of balance can also diminish with age, just like any other physiologic processes. In fact, balance problems are a major cause of falls in the elderly population.
A proactive way of countering this phenomenon is with balance-strengthening exercises. Check out these top 5:
Stand Or Sit On A Balance Disk
A balance disk not only alleviates back pain; it can also be used to improve your balance and coordination as you try to distribute your weight equally when sitting and standing on this wobble cushion.
You can start by standing or sitting on a firm balance disk. As you go, you can deflate it gradually and strive to keep your balance while the device wobbles. Balance disks are designed for both workouts and physical therapy so you can also develop your posture and core muscles when using one.
Stand On One Leg
You can transform this balance activity into a balance exercise, which you can do anytime and anywhere. While doing daily chores such as washing the dishes, you can try to stand on your right leg and hold this position for about 10-20 seconds. Then do the same using your left leg. You may increase the number of seconds to challenge yourself. You can also do this balance exercise while watching TV, preparing your meals, or waiting for the bus to arrive.
To take this a little further, there are countless effective single leg exercises you can insert into your workouts. You won't be able to use as much weight, but it will work more of the smaller stabilization and core muscles that are crucial for balance and athletic performance.
Enroll In A Yoga Class
Yoga has a lot of health benefits. Aside from boosting your physical fitness, facilitating meditation, and enhancing your mood, it can also help improve your balance. Research has shown that participating in a 10-week yoga class improved the flexibility and balance of college athletes, thereby improving their athletic performance.
In addition to improving joint flexibility in seniors, another study has shown that yoga interventions resulted in better balance and mobility in people aged 60 years and older. If you have a balance problem, it would be wise to inform your yoga instructor beforehand so that he or she can devise a personalized yoga program for your health needs.
Walk Sideways
Walking sideways is an easy yet effective balance exercise. It helps improve the balance and coordination of your hips, knees, and ankles. To do this exercise, stand straight with your feet together. Step sideways by moving your right foot to the right. Then place your left foot next to your right foot. Repeat this 10 times before going to your left side. When walking sideways, try your best to walk in a straight line.
Do Step-Ups
Step-ups is a well-known cardiovascular exercise but you can also use it to improve your balance. To do step-ups, grab a sturdy step stool. If you don’t have one, you can do step-ups on the lowest level of your stairs. Step up your right foot, followed by your left foot. Then step down your right foot, followed by your left foot once again. Repeat this 10 times.
Make sure that you do step-ups in a controlled and slow manner. You don’t have to do the exercise fast as you are doing a balance exercise this time and not a cardiovascular exercise.
You can increase your balance training intensity as you get used to the routines. Start improving your balance now to avoid living your life with a mobility aid later.
I hope you enjoyed this article about simple exercises to improve your balance without costing you too much money.
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