The Balancing Act

Anyone who has ever slipped on a slick surface knows how unnerving it can be to lose your balance – for a moment your world is literally turned upside down. Yet balance, the ability to control and maintain your body’s position as it moves through space, is such an integral part of daily life that most people rarely give it conscious thought. Balance can be learned or improved at any age, and is beneficial for everyone. Working balance skills also helps strengthen the trunk muscles and can add challenge to a variety of exercises.

Your brain, muscles, and bones work together to maintain your body’s balance and to keep you from falling, whether you are walking, rising from a chair, or skiing down a mountain. Balance relies on three types of information: visual information from your eyes, proprioception or spatial awareness, and sensory information from your inner ears. Problems with any of these senses can alter balance. Other leading causes of impaired balance include poor posture, decreased strength, flexibility, or endurance. Ankle sprains or knee surgeries are frequent contributors to decreased balance as well.

So, what can you do to improve your balance? Try these simple exercises at home or in the fitness center. Start near a wall or with a partner until you are certain you are safe!

1) Try daily activities standing on one foot. Brush your teeth, wash the dishes, or fold the laundry while standing on one foot. See which side you can maintain your balance longer. Dribbling a basketball or tossing a medicine ball while standing on one foot is a great challenge.

2) In the fitness center, perform exercises you are comfortable with on the blue balance pads on two feet. Squats and bicep curls are great starter exercises. As you progress, try the BOSU ball.

3) For multidirectional balance, stand in the center of a circle. While standing on one foot, use your other foot to reach points on all parts of the circle. You can bend your support leg slightly. Be sure you reach behind and across your body. Try this activity using your hands to reach, too!

Written by Kirsten Medeiros,DPT
Kirsten received both her masters degree (in 2001) and doctorate degree (in 2006) in physical therapy from Emory University, after graduating from the College of William and Mary with a B.S. in Kinesiology. While at William and Mary, Kirsten was a scholarship gymnast and NCAA regional competitor. Her physical therapy background includes sports medicine and orthopedic care, incorporating manual techniques and an exercised based approach. She enjoys helping athletes of all ages return to sport and preventing future injuries, and continues to train both state and nationally competitive gymnasts. When not treating patients at the BaySport-San Diego office, she spends her free time with her wonderful family: husband Jeremy, daughter Alani, and dog Duke, as well as running on San Diego’s beautiful coastline.

2 thoughts on “The Balancing Act

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts

Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel.

Back To Top