Balance exercises facts

Practice Your Balance

Balance is the problem of many. However, in order to have better balance, you need skills which are developed through adequate exercises. Once you perfect each of the following exercises, you can include some useful props into your workout schedule. Namely, you might use half foam rolls, airex pads or dyna discs. All these will introduce freshness into your exercise routine, providing you with new balance challenges.

The Exercises

The first exercise you can do involves you standing with your arms resting on your hips, feet at the width of your shoulders. When in this position, contract your belly in and tighten your buttocks. Then, lift one leg, and hold it up for about 20 seconds. Once you manage to do this, switch legs and perform the same exercise again.

Next, from the absolutely same position, once you lift the leg in the same manner, move it close to your upper body, only to return it to the initial position and move it backwards. Each time you reach the peak of your movement, you are to hold the leg in that position for about 2 seconds.

Alternatively, from the same initial position, lift one leg, hold it elevated, next to the other leg while, at the same time, performing hip rotations in the direction opposite from the side of the lifted leg.

Later, once you reach the point when your leg is straightened, from the same position, you can release your arms from the hips and grab a medicine ball or a smaller set of dumbbells. Then, you can hold these as you rotate your hips. Lift the weights or the ball up and, once you reach the peak overhead, stop and hold it for 2 minutes, before returning to the initial, standing position.

Now, there is a more advanced set of balance exercises. Start from the same position as all the previous exercises, with one of your legs in the air, at your hips height, lower your body in a squat, as low as you are comfortable with. Once you reach the limit of feeling comfortable, hold it for 2 seconds and repeat the process 12 times after returning to the starting position.

A good alternative to this exercise is to, instead of holding the balancing position, touch your toes of the foot on the ground, keeping the other leg lifted as before. As you lift your body after a repetition of this exercise, engage your abdomen and glute muscles.

Do one or two of these exercises 3 times a week and your balance will improve significantly.