Simple Balance Exercises to Improve Your Balance
You may not often think about balance when it comes to health and fitness. However, the truth is that if you genuinely value your fitness and health, improving your balance is extremely important. Your balance has an impact on all aspects of your life.
Balance and stability come into play in everyday tasks such as walking, bending down, climbing stairs, and working out. Therefore, it is crucial that you take measures to improve your balance if you want your body to remain fit.
The importance of improving your balance
It is vital to focus on improving your balance regardless of your age or activity. The apparent reason for this would be that if you enhance your stability, there would be fewer chances of stumbling and falling. Thus, you will decrease your chances of incurring an injury.
Slips and injuries become more likely as we grow older. Therefore, improving balance becomes all the more crucial with advancing age. We all want to take preventative measures to reduce accidents and decrease the chances of landing in a hospital, and improving stability can prove to be important.
Furthermore, your joints also strengthen when you work on your balance. Any existing injuries will also heal faster. Let us provide you with some benefits that would come your way if you work on improving your balance.
Increase in body awareness
Body awareness refers to the sense of your limbs being oriented in space. This is also called proprioception. Body awareness is increased due to balance training and will decrease the chance of injuries as well.
Improved coordination
When you do balance exercises, your entire body is required to work together, or else you will end up falling. Therefore, balance training improves your body coordination, which you will find beneficial in your everyday life as well.
Impact on joint stability
Stable joints like hips, knees, and shoulders are ensured by balance exercises and training. This can protect you from various injuries, including sprained ankles and knee issues, among others.
Improved reaction time
Your reaction time can significantly be enhanced by balance exercises. The thing is when you are performing balance exercises, and you slip or stumble, your body will have to re-balance quickly to prevent a fall. This will inadvertently also find its way into your everyday life wherein your reaction time will be reduced.
Effect on long-term health
When your balance is improved, risks of fractures and falls decrease, and thus, it has a positive impact on your overall health as well.
Some Balance exercises to help you out
If you are unsure about how you can improve your balance, let us provide you with some balance exercises that can make a world of difference.
One-legged balance
This is the right exercise for beginners, in which you need to keep a stable chair within an arm’s reach. Put your feet together and then pick one foot up as your knee faces forward. Remaining in this position, first with your eyes open and then closed. Repeat this routine with the other foot. The regimen has to be repeated four times on each foot.
One-legged clock with arms
Try to balance on one leg while keeping your torso erect and hands on the hip. Your head should be up throughout as you visualize a clock. Point your arms straight above to 12 and then three, circling low to nine, trying all the while to ensure that you do not lose balance. Now switch to the opposite leg and arm and repeat the exercise.
Leg swings
For this exercise, you need to stand on your right leg and raise the left one around three to six inches off the ground. Keep your arms at sides and swing your left leg forward and backward while touching the ground for balance. Make sure that your torso remains erect during the process. Repeat the move while making sure that your foot does not touch the ground. Now swing the left foot to the leg side and hold your right arm out. Repeat the exercise by switching legs.
One-legged squat
Stand to keep your feet hip-width apart. With your left foot out front, touch the floor for balance barely and push your lips back and down into a one-legged squat position. During this time, your right knee will be bent while the chest is upright and arms out front. Now return to the starting position slowly and switch feet. You will need to ensure that your knee does not push in front of the toes.
Single-leg deadlift
While balancing your left foot, engage your abs, and bend forward at the hip as you try to reach the ground with your right hand. While holding onto a 5-pound weight, raise your right leg behind to counterbalance. Now tighten your buttocks while returning to the starting position. Your knees should be relaxed and back flat throughout this exercise. Repeat it by switching legs.
Final words
If you are serious about balance exercises, you can also get some tools to take it to the next level. You can get balance boards, study foam rollers, and balance cushions, among other things, to make your balance training more enjoyable.
However, while doing these exercises, make sure that you take adequate measures for your safety. All objects around your exercising area should be removed. Some exercises might not be suitable for all. If you feel uncomfortable with a specific routine, try something else. You can also seek the assistance of a professional.
You may not often think about balance when it comes to health and fitness. However, the truth is that if you genuinely value your fitness and health, improving your balance is extremely important. Your balance has an impact on all aspects of your life.
Balance and stability come into play in everyday tasks such as walking, bending down, climbing stairs, and working out. Therefore, it is crucial that you take measures to improve your balance if you want your body to remain fit.
