5 Simple Exercises to Improve Balance

Equilibrium and balance are important for sports and everyday life no less than endurance, flexibility and strength, and have a direct impact on coordination. But, unfortunately, minimal attention is paid to the development of this quality during training. In our article, we will consider the most important aspects of the influence of balance, and analyze the best balance exercises that allow you to quickly achieve the necessary progress.

Why do balance exercises?

Most modern people perceive balance as the ability to manage time between work and personal life, forgetting about physical balance. Many people mistakenly consider the loss of balance and coordination of movement to be an age-related problem. Unfortunately, the problem affects almost every person under thirty.

A well-developed balance has the following positive effects:

• Reduces the likelihood of injury. Loss of balance causes abrasions, bruises, fractures due to falling. This happens due to the inability to properly react to changes in the environment, maintaining balance when carrying even a small weight. If your balance is disturbed, even just stumbling can cause you to fall and get seriously injured.
• Improves coordination of movement. For professional athletes, this quality is crucial. It allows you to control the position of your body. It is also important for amateurs, since most exercises require balance. In everyday life, coordination allows you to maintain balance and not fall on slippery ice, etc.
• Develops proprioception. Clear awareness of the position of your body parts is necessary for complex manipulations. Without well-developed proprioception, it is impossible for surgeons to perform operations, solder small parts, or work with mechanisms, for example, for watchmakers. In other words, to perform so-called “jewelry work”.
• Improves the condition of joints. Body balance exercises involve numerous small and large muscle groups and joints. As a result, the musculoskeletal system and skeletal muscles are trained, and posture becomes correct.
• Increases reaction time. Driving can be used as an example. A person who has well-developed balance and equilibrium has a reaction timely U-turn/turn that is several times faster.

The balance is divided into two types:

• Dynamic. Allows you to go beyond the basics of your own body without losing control of your posture.
• Static. Maintains the body’s center of mass without changing the body’s position in space.

Both types of balance can be trained with special exercises. It is important to train balance at any age. It is especially useful for those who want to do sports. Many exercises cannot be performed without good coordination.

Lifting weights during strength training is impossible without good coordination. Its violation can lead to injury as a result of the weights being too heavy. Aerobic exercises also require good balance. Good flexibility without balance is simply impossible.

Exercises to develop balance

It is useful to do exercises for body balance at absolutely any age. They do not require any special equipment and excellent physical training. The main thing is to do each one with maximum dedication without haste, observing the technique.

The easiest way to do the exercises is on a special gymnastic mat. If you do the movements on the floor, this will lead to chafing of the skin. Many of the movements presented below are borrowed from yoga, most of whose asanas are aimed at developing good coordination.

Exercise #1. Rolling from toes to heels

An ideal warm-up exercise before performing a complex to develop balance, as well as a warm-up before other physical activity, such as fitness training. It is an excellent prevention of flat feet, allows you to tone the leg muscles.

Execution:

• Stand up straight. Keep your legs and back straight.
• Start rolling from your toes to your heels and back.
• Repeat 8-10 times.
• Hold on your toes and then on your heels for about 10 seconds.

You can gradually increase the time you hold the pose to 20-30 seconds.

Exercise #2. Heel Raises

A fairly dynamic exercise that can be done in sports shoes, but is better barefoot. This will allow you to better feel the movement.

Execution:

• Stand up straight with your feet hip-width apart, not shoulder-width apart.
• Rise and fall onto both heels at the same time.
• Repeat the movement 8 to 10 times.
• Hold the last approach for 15-20 seconds at the top point.

If it is difficult to hold the lift for a long time at first, it is okay. To begin with, you can use support. To make the exercise more difficult, increase the time of holding at the top point, close your eyes, and simultaneously turn your head when lifting.

Exercise #3 Heron

A great pose to strengthen and stretch your hamstrings and back of the thigh. Not only is it good for improving balance, but it also improves flexibility in general. The knee and pelvic joints become more mobile.

Execution:

• Stand up straight. Hands on your waist.
• Slowly and without haste, bend one leg at the knee and press it to the knee with the other, which should remain absolutely straight.
• Maintain the assumed pose for 10 seconds.
• Repeat on the other side.

When the pose is fully mastered, the arms are raised upwards, pressing the palms together, the eyes are closed. This allows the adopted position to be maintained without external help.

Exercise #4. “Dog-Bird”

Combines two poses at once. This makes it incredibly effective. It is quite simple in terms of physical requirements for the practitioner and is suitable for absolutely everyone.

Execution:

• Get on all fours. Back straight. Legs and arms form a right angle.
• Extend your arm forward and the opposite leg back. The movement is done simultaneously.
• Hold the position for a few seconds, then perform the same movement on the other side.

To increase the difficulty, gradually increase the duration of the held position.

Exercise #5: Side Plank

Allows you not only to improve your balance and equilibrium, but also at the same time to give some load to the muscles of the press, back, and forearms.

Execution:

• Take the starting position of a regular (classic) elbow plank. The elbow joints should be exactly under the shoulders. The feet are firmly pressed to the floor surface at the width of the pelvis. The back is absolutely straight.
• Tighten your pelvis, buttocks, and abs. Move both feet to the side, simultaneously moving one arm up. The elbow of the other arm is completely straightened.
• Watch your breathing. It should be absolutely even.
• Hold the position for 20 to 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side.

Don’t try to get into a side plank right away. Always return to the classic position first. To make the exercise more difficult, once you’ve achieved a good level of execution, you can lift your top leg.

From the article you learned how to train your balance. There is nothing complicated in exercises to improve balance and develop coordination. They can be done on their own or as part of training.