Although many health-conscious Canadians realize that physical fitness requires a blend of cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training, few pay attention to another fundamental component: balance.
Top athletes, and their trainers, in almost every sport understand that good balance is essential to improving performance, according to Libby Norris, founder of Inspired Energy, a corporate wellness company in Mississauga, Ont. But many people still think only seniors who risk serious injury from falls need concern themselves with cultivating balance.
But everyone should be integrating balance training into their fitness routines, Norris says. Balance is a positive and important piece of the health puzzle because it doesn’t just improve athletic performance; it makes all movement more fluid.
Children are constantly working on their balance, hopping and skipping (sometimes with eyes closed), riding bikes and skateboards, and turning every curb into a balance beam. Their sense of balance, constantly being refined through play, makes their bodies react quickly and appropriately to mishaps.
What kids are working on unknowingly, says Norris, is their proprioception: the ability to interpret and react to your position in space. It’s the same thing police officers assess during a roadside sobriety test, when they have drivers walk in a straight line with their eyes closed.
We all have varying degrees of proprioception at any given time. Lack of sleep, medication and stress all affect this sense. But, with practice, we can improve our proprioception skills. This can help prevent injuries, Norris says, and improve day-to-day living in a range of situations. Better balance can help casual sports enthusiasts – weekend golfers and tennis players, for instance – perform better. Good balance also can help us salvage our dignity when we stumble: our muscles will react more quickly and help us before we hit the ground (we hope).
To assess your balance, Norris recommends a simple test: stand with your hands on your hips, eyes straight ahead and rise to the balls of your feet with heels off the floor. Lift one foot as if you’re about to take a step, and hold your position. Count how many seconds you can maintain this pose, then do the same on the other foot.
Use this first test as your benchmark and repeat the test after six weeks of using special techniques to improve your balance.
You don’t have to devote significant time to balance training. Activities such as yoga and Pilates work on balance, as do many traditional exercises, such as squats and lunges. You can also use stability equipment, such as balance boards, BOSU balls (which look like spheres sliced in half) and Fit Discs (which look like big whoopee cushions) to speed up the process. By performing traditional exercises – doing crunches or using weights, for example – with these devices, you’re forcing your body to make slight corrections to each movement, which results in improved balance and core strength. However, warns Norris, don’t sacrifice form. Only when you are comfortable doing these moves on a flat surface should they be attempted on a BOSU, for example.
You also can work on your balance during those times when you’re not doing much: standing in line at the coffee shop, for example. Try standing on one foot for as long as you can. When you’ve perfected your technique, switch it up. Try it with your eyes closed, move from foot to foot (changing the tempo) or swing your arms around.
Give yourself challenges, Norris says, adding: “Don’t be afraid to be a little silly with it.”
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