Balancing Exercises: Good for Mind & Body

Jul 7, 2011 by ShanteHaymore

FITNESS FRIDAY provides a variety of ideas, new about trending topics, and SPL tested exercises to help improve the quality and enjoyment of your workouts. Email info@sportspeacelove.com with additional suggestions of topics to cover.

Life is a balancing act. We maneuver through our days trying to fit in all of our to-do’s and maintain our sanity. It is no wonder why it is important to incorporate balance into our workout routines as well. Our workouts transfer to our daily life. For example, Strength training yields stronger legs, arms, and core which helps when carrying heavy groceries, playing longer with our children, and walking up stairs more easily. Endurance creates more focus to power through a tough project or focus in a boring work meeting. Balance brings a sense of stability and calm in a world full of chaos.

Balance in an underappreciated component of the workout world. I never knew how important balance was and how often we used it until I blew out my knee and tore my ACL (anterior cruciate ligament). Along with strength and range of motion exercises, balance exercises were pivotal in learning how to walk again. After all, walking is a series of short balances shifting from the left leg to the right leg.

Balance is an all inclusive workout that involves a series of physiological systems.

Sensory input from the eyes detects changes in position
The inner ear controls balance by monitoring the position of your head (vestibular system)
Our nervous system processes information that determines how quickly and efficiently we are able to respond
Our musculoskeletal system is also very important for balance
Adequate joint range of motion, muscle flexibility and strength in our ankles, knees, hips, spine, and shoulders in order to safely and effectively ‘right’ ourselves when we are losing balance

The great thing about balancing exercises is they can be done almost anywhere and with minimal equipment, like a balance disk, or nothing at all. You don’t even need exercise clothes! Here are some great exercises to follow.

The one thing that you must have is the willingness to quite your mind, tune out of the exterior and tune into yourself.

Tips:

Stand next to a wall or chair for additional support until you get more comfortable
Set your gaze at a non-moving point in front of you
Add an additional challenge by closing your eyes or shifting your gaze
It’s okay to fall! Just like in life, things don’t always happen perfectly or without error. Balancing exercises reflect the risks that we take and how we bounce back from the challenges of life. So go ahead and fall, just get back up and try it again!

Check out these diagrams, videos, and links for more information.

Click here to find your “Balance Age” with this test.

Why are balance exercises good for everyone? Here is your answer.

Yoga for Balance video