A vital aspect of our daily life is balance. The bulk of our balance issues is brought on by a loss of strength, with the exception of illnesses involving eyesight, cognition, medication, or irregularities with the inner ear. In this circumstance, balance training exercises may be beneficial.
Why Is Balance Important?
Balance doesn’t come naturally. You have to work at it to keep it. Numerous studies demonstrate that exercising consistently enhances equilibrium and lowers the risk of falls as you age, as well as the risk of ankle and knee injuries. Improving your balance is essential to sustaining an active lifestyle, whether you are a world-class athlete or simply someone wishing to continue the activities you enjoy as you age.
What Can You Do to Improve Balance?
You improve your balance by strengthening your lower body muscles, adjusting your concentration, and developing your core strength. Consider the following exercises to get you on the right path.
Boost Your Core Strength
Our general health and well-being, especially in developing balance, depend largely on our ability to maintain core strength.
You might only think of your abdominal muscles when you consider your core. The muscles between your shoulders and your hips, or the “trunk” of your body, also make up your core.
Exercises to Strengthen the Core
- Planks
- Supermans
- Yoga poses such as Cat, Cow, or Cobra
Increase Lower Body Strength
Lower body muscles like the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles are among our largest muscle groups. As we age, keeping muscular mass becomes more challenging, which could lead to balance issues.
Exercises to Strengthen the Lower Body
- Leg Extend
- Leg-curling Squats
- Deadlifts
- Glute Bridges
- Donkey Kicks
Change Your Focus
Focusing your attention is another crucial component of gaining balance, in addition to particular exercises. Studies show that by keeping your attention off your body, you can enhance your balance in various situations. Too often, though, that’s our main focus.
Consider these tips to help you improve your focus:
- While standing, concentrate on a fixed point at least 10 feet in front of you that does not move.
- Soften your knees
- Engage your core
- Lift your chin to adjust your attention as you lift one foot and prepare to balance
Starting with something as simple as standing, then moving up to standing on one foot, is a simple way to improve your balance. You might be surprised that you have better balance on one foot than the other.
Bring your concentration back to the fixed location when it starts to waver. By focusing on something other than yourself, you may train your body to perform an activity naturally and reflexively without your brain getting in the way.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6873344/
https://www.scienceabc.com/sports/why-focussing-on-something-helps-in-maintaining-balance.html
https://www.prevention.com/fitness/a20443104/6-ways-to-improve-your-balance/