Balancing Act
As you slide around on the ice this winter, you may be thinking about balance - a generally neglected part of the fitness regimen. Few of us work on improving our balance on a regular basis. But as we age, maintaining good balance is a key to staying stable and active, and avoiding devastating falls.
How good is your balance right now? Try a simple test:
- Stand up straight – weight evenly distributed on both feet. Do this barefoot or in flat shoes. Close your eyes and feel the difference. Turn your head slowly from one side to the other.
- Open your eyes and raise one foot out in front of you, a few inches off the floor. Did you readjust? Are you wobbling? Keep the knee on the standing leg relaxed.
- Once you get comfortable in a one-legged position, close your eyes. You may want to place your hand on a wall or have someone standing nearby to steady you as you try this move. You probably noticed that with each step, it became more challenging to maintain your balance
Activities to Improve Balance
Develop a stronger core. Ballet dancers know that using your abs helps you keep your balance. (Dancers have very strong abdominals.) Do regular core and ab exercises and you too will notice an improvement in balance.
Engage in an activity that calls for balance - martial arts, horseback riding, yoga, gymnastics or dance such as ballet or jazz.
Work with a trainer to learn how to use balancing equipment such as a BOSU, balance boards and wobble boards.
Learn to juggle. This skill improves neurophysical balance. Granted, this is a project that may take some time and a lot of patient effort, but it could be fun to draw crowds on the beach this summer.
Try tai-chi. This series of slow, flowing movements is generally appropriate for all ages. It has been shown to improve knee joint stability in practitioners. It also may help prevent falls in older people by improving balance.
What is Balance Anyway?
Balance is a team effort by the body. Several systems work together to keep you upright:
Visual system – Your vision is an important component in helping you maintain your balance. Loss of vision can result in a loss of balance. It’s easy to see what role vision plays in body balance when you close your eyes.
Vestibular system – ears (inner ear). This system sends out signals to “the neural structures that control our eye movements, and the muscles that keep us upright.“
Proprioceptors – Proprioception is the body's perception of where it is in space. Proprioceptors are located throughout your body – in muscles, joints, skin, and ligaments. Their function is to detect your body's spatial awareness. For Example, neck proprioceptors, detect motion within the head, proprioceptors in your feet detect motion in the feet and signal your central nervous system.
Brain – The brain puts the information together from the other body systems.
The WELLBEING™ is published monthly by HRMS. Information in The WELLBEING™ is intended as general health information and should not replace medical advice or professional care. Please direct questions or comments to The WELLBEING™, 1847 West Jefferson Avenue, Naperville, Illinois 60540.