BALANCE TRAINING EXERCISES
Do You Incorporate Balance Training Exercises in your Exercise Program?
Regardless if you recreationally train, are an avid runner, are a competitive athlete, or live a less active life, you should include balance exercises in your training program or weekly routine.
WHY?
1. Prevent injuries, and decrease the frequency of injuries
2. Increase the dynamic stability of your joints (knees, ankles, shoulders)
3. Enhance performance in sport
4. Help older adults in fall prevention
Incorporating balance exercises in your program will train your brain to know where your body segments are situated at any moment. This is due to the adaptations that occur to your prioprioceptors â these detect changes in joint angle, muscle length and tension.
Additionally, you will start developing your small stabilizer muscles around your joints that will help in preventing injuries. Strengthening your stabilizer muscles causes the joint to become stronger and therefore less prone to muscular fatigue and injury.
HOW DOES IT WORK?Â
Balance training works to disturb your balance and stability, which causes you to create adaptations to help resist these disturbances to your balance. Your balance can be challenged statically or dynamically and should be challenged in different directions.
Balance training can be very intense and mentally draining because it requires you to be thinking constantly about what your body is doing. It is beneficial to add 2-3 balance exercises to your strength-training program to start. Keep in mind that like with any exercises, balance-training exercises need to start easy and progress as a person improves. Do not progress to next level until you have mastered the previous with optimal technique.
Additional Equipment: balance boards, BUSU ball, stability ball, sitfit cushion, pilates disc, and harnesses (refer to equipment list if you are unsure of what these are).
EXERCISES TO TRYÂ (These progress from easy to moderate):Â
1. Single Leg Stand (perform near a wall)Â
i. First balance on one foot, raise other leg up â try and hold for 20 secondsÂ
ii. i. + slow head turns to the left and right â try for 6 reps on one legÂ
iii. i. + close your eyes â try for 10-20 secondsÂ
iv. i. + standing on sitfit cushion â try to hold for 10-20 seconds
2. BUSU ball balance (have someone spotting you)Â
i. Two foot balance on the flat side of BUSU ball or on balance boardÂ
ii. Squat on BUSU ball (flat side)Â
iii. Hold a squat and push the BUSU very slowly forward, back, side to sideÂ
iv. Hold a squat and push the BUSU rotationally â CW and CCWÂ
(Start at 0:50 seconds â video)
3. Pelvic BridgeÂ
i. Perform a basic pelvic bridgeÂ
ii. Perform the pelvic bridge with one leg extensionÂ
iii. ii + a sitfit cushion or pilates disc underneath the foot that is on the groundÂ
(I suggest that you use a smaller stability cushion â video)
4. Calf RaisesÂ
i. Perform a regular two foot calf raiseÂ
ii. Perform a single legged calf raiseÂ
iii. Perform a single legged calf raise with a lateral band pullÂ
(Can do this on steeper â video)
Note: If you have any questions about these exercises or how to challenge yourself further contact me through my facebook page.