Why Is Balance So Important?
The older we get, the more likely we are to fall over. A stable base makes daily tasks easier, like walking up and down stairs, carrying heavy items, or lifting yourself back up from a tumble. No matter what age you are, you can enhance your balance with various exercises for all levels of fitness. From chair leg raises to a yoga tree pose, here are simple exercises that will improve your balance:
1. Balance Test!
The simplest place to start is with a one-leg balance test. Like the Superman stance, stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips. Shift your weight into one foot and lift the other foot a few inches from the ground. Hold and stand for 30 seconds, altering your standing leg for a few reps. How easy or challenging does this feel?
2. Walk On A Line
It’s like tightrope walking but on the ground. Use a string, tape, or chalk to make a straight line on the ground. With your arms held out to the sides, walk along the line without stepping off to the side. You can do this forward and backward.
3. Flamingo Stand
Balance like a graceful flamingo. For a flamingo stand, start with one leg firmly rooted to the ground. Lift the other leg with your knee up and hold it for at least 15 seconds. Alternate your standing leg with your lifted leg.
4. Bean Bag Head Balance
Use your head! For this exercise, place a bean bag or similar item on the top of your head, roll your shoulders back for good posture, and face forward. Walk around, move backward, and crisscross your way without letting the bean bag fall.
5. Resistance Band Toe Taps
Resistance bands are great tools for strengthening exercises as well as for balancing. A toe tap is a simple exercise with a band around your ankles for an extra challenge. Start with your two feet together, stand tall, and with one leg at a time, lift it straight to the side without bending your knee, tap your toe, and bring it back.
6. Single Leg Cross-Body Punches
Get your boxing stance ready! With or without dumbbells, hold your hands by your chest and bend your knee to lift your foot behind you. While standing on one leg, punch the weights across your body one at a time.
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7. Chair Leg Raises
If you require sitting exercises, a chair leg raise is a great one to try. Sit down on a chair with your back straight and your feet directly under your knees. With one leg at a time, lift it straight in front of you and hold it for 10 seconds. Use an ankle weight if you want to increase the challenge.
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8. Stability Ball Plank
For this plank, you need a stability ball as a balancing tool. With your forearms or shins on the ball, push yourself up into a plank position. Engage your glute, quads, and core because it requires strength and concentration to balance on the ball.
9. 3-Way Kicks
Start in a sturdy stance with your feet hip-width apart and hands on your hips. Start with one leg planted and lift the other one in front of you. Without touching the ground, move your foot back to your start position and kick it out to the side. Move it back to start again then kick it behind you to complete the 3-way sequence.
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10. Object Pickup
You need an object like a cone, block, or anything you can easily grab. Place the object about 2 feet (60cm) in front of you. As you stand on one foot, bend from your hips and reach your hand towards the object. Your foot will extend behind you as you bend over and grab the object to lift it back up. Repeat and alternate sides.
11. Reverse Lunge
Reverse lunges are great for many reasons and balance is one of them. Start in a hip-width standing position and shift your weight into your planted foot. Take a large step back with your other foot with your knee at a 90-degree angle hovering over the ground. Use the ball of your foot to stabilize yourself and squeeze your core and glutes. Repeat and switch sides.
12. Bird Dog
You must get on all fours to do the bird dog. Align your knees with your hips and your shoulders with your hands with your neck and back straight. Extend your right arm forward and your left leg back at the same time and hold for a few seconds. Alternate sides.
13. Tree Pose
Grow your tree! There are multiple variations of a tree pose but the simplest place to start is in a standing position. Start growing your tree by bending your knee to the side and placing your foot on your inner thigh or calf. Keep your hands by your chest or sprout your arm branches above your head and hold the position for a minute. Switch sides.
14. No Arm Lift
Prepare for future falling accidents! Strengthen your core and your balance by lifting yourself up from the ground or a chair without using your hands. It seems like a simple exercise but it’s more difficult than you think.
15. Heel Raises
This one is easy yet effective! Simply stand up tall and straight with your feet parallel. At the same time, raise your heels and stand on your tippy-toes. Hold for a few seconds then return your heels to the floor. Repeat this movement at least 10 times per rep, your calves will thank you for it too.
16. Closed Eyes One-Legged Stand
By simply closing your eyes, this easy stance becomes a balancing challenge. Once you have your balance standing on one foot, close your eyes. Try to stand as long as you can with your eyes closed and alternate legs.
17. Single Leg Deadlift
This exercise is for balance and strength. Start in a standing position with a weight in each hand. With one foot rooted, slowly lift the other one behind you as you bend from the hips with your arms extended toward the ground. Lift back up and repeat on the other side.
18. Step-Ups
When cardio and balance combine! For this exercise, you need a sturdy platform or a step that’ll lift you a foot or two off the ground. With one foot, step onto the platform and lift the opposite leg up, knee towards hip height. Place your foot back back down and switch to the other side.
19. One-Legged Crunch Claps
You’ll be clapping before you finish this exercise. Start by shifting your weight into one foot and lifting the other leg to hip height in front of you, knee bent at 90 degrees. Lift your hands over your head and clap your hands together. Then bend your torso and clap your hands under your standing leg. Repeat about 10 claps on each side for the best results.
20. Shoulder Tap Plank
If you did this plank every day you’d probably have a core of steel. For this challenging balance exercise, set up in a high plank with your hands and shoulders aligned and your feet hip-width apart. One at a time, tap your shoulder with the opposite hand as you hold yourself up with the other. Switch back and forth as you hold your plank without moving your hips.
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