Balancing act

Young or old, it’s important to work on your balance

We often talk about balance and how it applies to seniors and their safety. This is certainly a very important topic, but balance is also a big deal for everyone. From the time we are learning to hold ourselves upon our tummies until we are trying to walk without assistance in our older years, balance is an integral part of our lives. It is also one of those “use it or lose it” scenarios. If you don’t dedicate time to working on your balance, you will certainly lose the ability to balance well.

Most likely, you use balance a lot more than you realize. Think about the number of times you have only one foot on the ground at a time. First and foremost, that happens every single time you walk! That alone is enough reason for you to realize the importance of balance in your life.

Now let’s say you’re an athlete. Whether that means you’re an athlete who plays sports or, like most of us, an athlete who trains for a better and healthier life. Running while kicking, throwing or catching a ball, lifting weights, zumba, yoga; all of those things require balance. Not an athlete? You use balance playing catch with your kids (or fetch with the furry ones), carrying baskets around the house, running to answer the phone, and standing up out of your chair. You get the idea.

Since we use it so much, we definitely want to work on improving it. You don’t have to spend 30 minutes straight on balance every day. It is so easy to incorporate balance into your daily life. I always tell people to stand on one foot while they brush their teeth — it’s easy and is hopefully something you do twice a day for two minutes each.

If you have an electric toothbrush that buzzes every 30 seconds, you can switch feet every time it buzzes. Otherwise, do one foot in the morning one foot in the evening. Do some heelto-toe rocks every time you’re standing and waiting at the microwave, stovetop, or the coffee pot. Try to use just one leg when you stand up out of your chair. Get out of bed without using your hands. Stand on one foot while you scroll social media. The possibilities are endless.

If you want to incorporate balance into your usual workouts and still get your sweat on, there are plenty of strength and cardio moves that really

help with balance. Walking lunges are a wonderful lower body move and require quite a bit of balance. If your balance is really poor you can start with stationary lunges and start walking them once you get more confident. Kickboxing moves are great cardio and will help a lot with balance. Think front kicks, side kicks and knee smashers. These are all things that require you to hold up your body with one leg (and your core) while the other leg is moving.

Anything that requires you to stabilize so that you don’t fall over is going to work on, and improve, your balance. Side planks, single-leg deadlifts, leg circles, leg extensions, Turkish get-ups, and plie squats on your toes are some more examples. These are all moves that are so great for developing muscle and giving you a great workout while really working on your balance as well.

So when you are working on your fitness, don’t forget about balance. Don’t wait until you’re older, set yourself up for success now.

Molly Nevins, ACSM HSF, is a longtime contributor to Healthy & Fit Magazine. Check out her Facebook page at: facebook.com/molly.fit