Exercises to Improve Your Balance–& Your Safety

The concept of balance is integrated into every aspect of our lives. Physiologically, emotionally, spiritually–you name it. The universe and everything in it constantly seeks balance or equilibrium. Yin and yang, negative and positive, acid and alkaline; too much of one or the other throws everything into a tailspin that results in some type of discord or sense of instability.

Sometimes imbalance is glaringly obvious, like when you accelerate to 50 mph in you car and the entire front end starts to shimmy. It’s difficult to ignore because it needs quick correction. Then there are times when balance issues are almost too subtle to detect, like the seemingly innocuous balance of acid and alkaline within our bodies. Although many people go through their entire life without understanding this common imbalance, it’s anything but harmless. The far-reaching ill effects of an excessively acidic body chemistry can, and oftentimes will, lead to a catastrophic system failure referred to as “dis-ease.” (Note: This topic is an article unto itself, which we’ll gladly expand on in the near future.)

Balance also plays an integral role in how you function outwardly. You can either stand on your own, centered and balanced, or rely on support. But poor balance affects all aspects of your physical being. Therefore, if you have poor balance, you must work to improve it so outside sources of stability, such as a railing or tree limb, which may or may not be reliable, become less needed.

Losing Balance
As your body moves through space, special receptor cells called proprioceptors, found in joints, tendons, muscles and the skin, process information about the body’s orientation. As we age, the sensitivity of these cells diminishes and they provide less of the sensory information the brain needs to maintain balance. Slower reflexes, decreased muscle strength and diminishing eyesight and depth perception also contribute to a diminished sense of equilibrium or balance. So to you youngsters out there, work to keep it! To our more seasoned veterans, start improving your balance now, and work to keep what you still have.

You can improve your balance at any age. Since balance is a common thread between so many activities, developing better balance will also strengthen the lesser-used muscle groups, lending additional strength to every move you make. Use it or lose it, right?

Up & Down
There are a variety of exercises you can perform to develop better balance. In fact, balance is already incorporated into every exercise you do; the idea is to work the balancing element of the exercise to a higher level.

Before we get into the actual exercises, let’s talk about being balanced. If you talk to experts in this arena, like dancers or martial artists, you’ll learn that they rely on being grounded yet fluid. Imagine a force (you) working to draw you up while another force (gravity) works to hold you down. Yes, you can stand on one foot by flailing from left to right, but that’s not what we’re aiming for. The idea is to minimize the flailing and move to center, quietly.

Developing that sense of being pulled up while being drawn down may sound contrary, but give it a try. You want to feel the weight of your body anchoring you to the ground while picturing an imaginary thread barely suspending you from the ceiling.

Feeling grounded doesn’t mean your feet feel like they’re made of concrete. It goes deeper than that. You are grounded at your very core, but there can still be movement and reflex all within the scope of being grounded. The upward pull keeps you on center. Without it, you can easily get pulled or pushed off balance. It doesn’t mean you stand like a tin soldier; there’s fluidity in the upward pull as well. To maintain balance, you must be able to adapt.

It Starts with 1 Foot
Improving your balance starts with standing on one foot. Sound too simple? Give it a try. Not so easy, is it? If you don’t find a challenge in standing on one foot, try it with your eyes closed. (Please make sure you’re in a safe environment first.) This is the foundation for an unlimited number of balance exercises you can perform. One great benefit of performing these simple exercises: improved posture. Balance and posture go hand in hand.

Now that you’re on one foot, see how long you can bounce a small ball against a wall and catch it. You can compound this exercise further by working with a partner. Stand facing each other while both of you are on one foot. Now toss a 6—8-lb. weight ball to each other. You may notice after 30 seconds to a minute of doing this that the muscles in your foot, legs, hips, back and arms are starting to get fatigued.

Another exercise that doesn’t require any equipment is the one-leg squat. You can enhance this exercise by moving the un-weighted leg to the side or back as you squat, working gluteus and abducting muscles. As you lower yourself, extend your arms straight out in front of you to act as a counter balance. Squat down as low as you can comfortably go, trying not to let the knee of your weighted leg extend past your toe. Do as many squats as you can while still maintaining good form and balance. Two—three sets should be enough to tire you out.

The Bosu
Introducing an unstable surface into the equation takes things up a notch. You can do this in a variety of ways, but we’d like to suggest the Bosu (www.bosu.com). The Bosu retails for just under $100 and its possibilities for use are endless. You can use it with the platform or ball side up to change up the experience.

The Bosu can enhance any balance exercise you do. Take the squat, for instance. Although we don’t recommend trying to stand on the platform side of the Bosu with a barbell across your back, you should be able to safely do air squats or a dumbbell squat. You’ll be amazed at how challenging it can be to just stand on the Bosu initially. The photos demonstrate a couple ideas for how to incorporate the Bosu into your training program.

The Tight Rope
For more advanced training, you can set up a slack line, which essentially is a type of tight rope. Use webbing or a static climbing rope attached to a couple of solid anchor points, such as building columns or solid tree trunks, and you’re good to go. To be really challenging, the line needs to be suspended only a foot or so off the ground. Once you’ve mastered walking on the slack line, you can learn to juggle and get a side job with the circus!

Conclusion
The universal nature of balance should be a clue to its importance; it touches every aspect of our lives. As firefighters, a keen sense of balance can mean the difference between life and death, particularly if you’re doing roof work or standing on a ladder.

Take the principles of balance seriously in everything you do, and seek to minimize extreme imbalance, because for every yin, there’s a yang.

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