3 Exercises That Improve Your Balance & Stability
By All American Fitness
Falling, especially as you age and begin to have more fragile bones, represents a very real health risk. In light of this, taking steps to improve your body’s ability to balance and remain stable is very important. Fortunately, the exercises you need to do to improve your body’s balance and stability are pretty simple. Here are three that you can try. These exercises improve your core muscle strength, which enhances your ability to balance and remain stable.
PLANK
Good balance requires solid core muscles and a solid center of gravity. The act of planking teaches you how to find your center of gravity. It uses your body weight to strengthen your body’s core muscles, which help to keep your body balanced and stable. Planking is a foundational move that you’ll do in yoga and Pilates as well as in many other exercise classes. You can also do it at home when you have five minutes to spare.
BALANCE ON ONE LEG
The simple act of balancing on one leg is a deceptively good way to improve your balance. Chances are you’ll look and feel a little shaky when you first start this exercise, particularly if you feel you don’t have a good level of ankle stability. You can hold onto a chair until you feel like you can balance well enough to stand on your own. Don’t give up this practice. Physical therapists recommend these types of balancing exercises to improve ankle strength and stability. If you do this exercise consistently, you should see improvement in a matter of weeks.
TAI CHI
Tai chi can help to reduce the risk of falling. Many consider it to be one of the best forms of exercise around when it comes to strengthening balance and stability. Tai chi works the whole body as well as the brain. Because it works these systems together, your overall balance improves on every level, from the physical to the cognitive.
Developing your body’s core muscles and core strength lays the foundation for improved balance and stability. The three exercises in this article not only help you improve your balance, but they also help you to trim down your waist and, in some cases, even improve your cognitive abilities. If you’re having issues with your balance, then try doing these exercises a couple of times a week until you see improvement.