Sunday 7/12/15
How’s your balance? Most of the time, you may not even notice how it plays into your day. It’s a steady presence that keeps you on your feet.
But here’s something you may not know: Balance training — exercises designed to improve balance — can give you a stronger core. Your core includes the abdominal, chest, back, and hip muscles.
When you practice staying balanced, you give these muscles a real workout too. This makes your midsection stronger and more stable. That’s one of the ways working on your balance helps reduce your risk of falls, back pain, and injuries.
Balance training is often recommended for older adults. But a strong core and good balance can help people of all ages in their everyday tasks and fitness pursuits. For example, you can put them to use when you’re climbing a ladder, carrying a toddler, skiing, golfing — and more.
It’s actually pretty easy to add simple balance exercises into your day — no special equipment required. These five basic moves are a good start:
Walk backward or sideways.
Walk on your heels.
Walk on your toes or heel–to–toe.
Stand up from a sitting position without using your hands.
Stand on one foot.
You can do these exercises as the space and situation allow. For example, you might stand on one foot while waiting for the microwave or talking on the phone. When you do any of these moves, make sure the surface you’re on is smooth and free of any potential hazards. If you’re unsure how steady you’ll be, have something sturdy to hold on to.
FOUNDATION TRAINING: My absolute favorite training technique for everything. Since we are talking about balance…FT is great for training the core. Movement starts in the core…the legs and arms move all around the core. The stronger the core…the more control you have in balancing and moving.
Stevey's Training Room 