Balance is part of everything we do on a daily basis but it is so often over-looked. We become focused on becoming “bigger, stronger, faster” that we do not realize how much poor balance control can greatly affect our ability to perform better. In order to walk, run, or jump, we much be able to control loading, take off, and landing at different speeds or surfaces. This is how training balance can adapt to your level of control and should always round out exercise programs.
Balance demands change with activity but it can also change with seasons (watch out for that ice!), increased age, and recovering from injury. How confident do you feel walking across the parking lot after work with patches of ice? Does you feel less stable now than you did 5 years ago? Do you feel less “controlled or stable” on the ankle after spraining it during that game?
Want to get “stable, controlled,…and faster”? Here are a few ways to challenge your balance to prepare you for those difficult tasks.
- Balance with feet together: add head turns, eyes closed, stand on compliant surface, ball toss
- Balance with heel-to-toe stance: add head turns, eyes closed, stand on compliant surface, ball toss
- Balance on one leg: add head turns, eyes closed, stand on compliant surface, ball toss
- Stair step up with opposite knee lift
- Double leg hops – forward/backward and lateral
Balance can be adapted to any environment and changed to resemble any task or sport so BE CREATIVE! Take your balance to the next level and see how things change. If you are having trouble progressing balance or reaching the level of control you desire with your activity, schedule an appointment with us at mobilizept.com or call us at 206-402-5483. We would love to help you reach your goals!
