Whether you use balance to perform an athletic sport, like skating or skateboarding, to engage in leisure activities like dancing or walking, or simply to remain strong, active and independent into your later years, incorporating balance exercises into your daily routine can help and improve on the quality of your healthy lifestyle.
Try these moves, starting with the easier ones and working up to ones that are more challenging. If you have very poor balance, vertigo or are unsteady on your feet, make sure that you ask someone to help, or ‘spot’, you.
There are plenty of ways in which to challenge your balance while you move about your day.
PRACTISE EVERY DAY
There are plenty of ways to challenge your balance while you move about your day.
These include:
- While you’re waiting for the microwave: stand with both feet on the floor and your arms stretched out to the side. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds.
- While you’re brushing your teeth: stand on one foot. Alternate legs after 15 to 30 seconds. Easy? Repeat with your eyes closed!
- At your desk: do simple flexibility stretches throughout the day, such as slowly turning your head from side to side or bending from the waist and turning your torso in a clockwise direction.
Making minor alterations to your exercise programme can help you develop better balance.
BALANCE YOUR WORKOUT
Making minor alterations to your exercise programme can help you develop better balance.
- If walking is a key part of your fitness routine, try varying the terrain on which you walk. Walk up and down inclines, on the beach, on the rough grass of a park or on the uneven ground of a conservation area or trail.
- If you do weight training, try standing on one foot, then the other, when you do bicep curls. Be sure to keep abdominals tight.
- Try Tai Chi or yoga. Many of the movements in these exercises require you to practice balancing by shifting weight, standing on one leg, and moving your head to different angles.
TAKING IT FURTHER
Once you master some basic balance exercises, try using equipment that challenges your stability, such as a stability ball, a balance trainer or a balance board. These balance devices can also help improve your flexibility and core stability, making them a great addition to any workout plan.
If you’re looking to improve on your healthy lifestyle and are searching for tips and advice on how to better your healthy living, click the link here.
