By Leslie Stevenson
Strength, flexibility, and endurance are a few terms used to measure physical fitness, but balance is often forgotten. Perhaps many of us do not consider exercises that focus on balance because we downplay the importance of its impact on our well-being, but having good balance can promote body awareness, improve coordination, and provide joint stability.
By definition, body awareness, also known as proprioception, is the unconscious perception of movement and spatial orientation arising from stimuli within the body itself. Since balance partly originates in our inner ear, which we cannot control, and our core, which we can control, it is important to focus on strengthening the muscles that support balance. By having a strong core and practicing exercises that challenge your balance, your body awareness will increase, decreasing your risk for injury.
If you have played sports, it is likely that coordination drills were part of your practice. Weak balance can easily cause you to stumble or fall. By training to improve balance, your coordination will improve not only in a sport but also in everyday life.
Taking care of our joints is vital for us to continue an active and versatile lifestyle. Imagine yourself walking the cobblestone streets of Europe, taking in the sites when suddenly the already uneven surface becomes slippery. Having good balance will likely prevent you from falling but also protect your joints from injury because the appropriate muscles support your body from the unexpected path ahead. Keeping your joints protected will allow you to continue doing the things you love.
While standing on one foot might lead you to believe you have great balance, here are a few exercises to consider to strengthen the muscles that will provide better balance and strength. Plank shoulder taps (keeping your hips stable and not rocking), single-leg deadlifts using a kettlebell, push-ups with one hand on a medicine ball, and arabesque. If you want to make it more challenging, do these exercises using something unstable like a Bosu ball.
Remember, having strong abs does not equate to great balance. We must work specifically to improve our balance by challenging our bodies. Get uncomfortable, push just beyond what seems like your best, and as Jean-Jacques Rousseau put it, “A feeble body weakens the mind”.
