Just as with core stabilization and strength, balance is not only vital for optimal sports performance, but also for everyday life no matter what your age. Many people mistakenly believe that great balance is just for athletes, but that’s not true.

Think about it! If you tripped over a crack in the sidewalk, wouldn’t it be great to be able to catch yourself before falling to the ground? That’s what great balance will do for you. As a matter of fact, it just happened to me a few weeks ago. I tripped over a raised crack in the sidewalk, but regained my balance and didn’t fall. The first thing that I thought was how thankful I was that I have great balance. I could have fallen and broken my arm or injured myself in some other way.

Balance is part of your everyday life without you even thinking about it. You are actually balancing when you walk down the street or get up out of a chair. Improving your balance can have a profound effect on your quality of life. Not only can it reduce your risk of injury, but it will give you a better since of well being. It’s a piece of the fitness puzzle that many people ignore, especially as we age.

Improving your balance is really quite easy, but you do need to work at it.

Try this simple balance exercise…

·          Stand behind a chair

·          Hold on to the back of the chair with both hands

·          Lift one leg off the ground about 6 inches while maintaining good posture

·          Hold for 5 to 20 seconds

·          Slowly return to original position

·          Switch legs and repeat as instructed

As your balance improves, you can progress to the next level to gain even better balance. Here are some natural exercise progressions…

·          Repeat the above balance exercise with only one hand on the chair

·          Repeat with no hands on the chair

·          Repeat with lifting leg higher

There are even more advanced balance exercises that are great for more active people. I have to go for now, but I’ll plan on covering them in future posts.

Please leave your comment to let me know if these exercises were helpful or if you have any questions.

Be Organic God’s Way!

Edwin

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