Importance of Balance Training
Importance of balance training
I would argue that balance training may be the number one most important thing to do when training your body and may be the number one thing neglected by most people. We need balance for EVERYTHING in our everyday lives. Children have great balance because they play tag, change direction, climb trees, run around, pivot, skip, jump etc. As we get older and may not be doing these things as frequently (though I would argue we should). It is so important that we add balance training to our repertoire. Whether I am working with 16 year olds or 86 year olds, I ALWAYS start out with a dynamic warmup that takes the body through its full range of motion and preps the body for activity. It is important for both athletes and non athletes alike.
Balancing is a complex skill that involves the brain, muscles, and parts of the inner ear. If you don't practice and maintain balance, the coordination between these three systems can deteriorate over time, making it harder for you to stay upright and maintain proper posture. Avoiding falls not only helps you avoid physical damage like broken hips; it also boosts confidence. With good balance, you should be able to intuitively adapt to practically any situation, without having to think about it.
Balance can strengthen your muscles, quickly increasing their power output. The more force they can exert, the faster you'll be able to sprint and the higher you'll be able to jump. Balance can help in practically any sport that requires short, sharp, and powerful movements, like boxing, and can help build all-around functional strength.
Activities to work on:
Standing with your weight on one leg and raising the other leg to the side or behind you
Putting your heel right in front of your toe, like walking a tightrope
Standing up and sitting down from a chair without using your hands
Walking while alternating knee lifts with each step
Doing tai chi or yoga
Using equipment, like a Bosu, which has an inflatable dome on top of a circular platform, which challenges your balance
Over time, you can improve your balance with these exercises by:
Holding the position for a longer amount of time
Adding movement to a pose
Closing your eyes
Letting go of your chair or other support