How to Improve and Maintain Balance
“All you have to do is skip over the low log, college boy the high bar, run down the incline logs, jump over the tall log, scale the wall, stomach roll the vault logs, negotiate the double bars, then climb the rope. Got it?”
“Yes, Gunnery Sergeant!” I yelled as I took my place in line for the Marine Corps Obstacle Course at The Basic School.
The extreme level of balance we needed to sprint down the narrow logs in military obstacle courses as young recruits is probably not crucial for our daily lives now, but that doesn't mean we shouldn’t keep working on our balance.
Balance is a fundamental aspect of our lives that often goes unnoticed until it becomes compromised. We use balance to walk, get up out of a chair, go up or down the stairs, and tie our shoes. In fact, balance plays such a critical role in our lives that researchers found that without it, our future looks quite bleak.
In a 2022 study, researchers found that people who are middle-aged or older and can’t balance on one leg for 10 seconds are more likely to die in the next seven years than those who can do it. The results were the same when they adjusted for age, sex, height, weight, and comorbidities. It’s true. Maintaining balance is an integral part of maintaining overall health and fitness.
Whether you're an athlete striving for peak performance, a fitness enthusiast looking to enhance your workout routine, or simply someone wanting to navigate daily life with confidence and grace, we got you.
Here are five simple exercises you can do to improve your balance:
Single Leg Standing. Stand up straight, keeping your posture upright and your core engaged. Raise one leg, bend your knee, and place the foot against your standing leg so you look like a flamingo. Try to hold this pose for 30 seconds and gradually increase the duration as your balance improves. Want a greater challenge? Close your eyes. It requires you to balance even more.
Heel-to-Toe Walk. Find a clear pathway and imagine there's a tightrope in front of you. Begin by placing your right heel just in front of the toes on your left foot, creating a straight line. Keep your gaze forward and your arms relaxed by your sides. Slowly move forward, placing your left heel in front of the toes on your right foot, maintaining the heel-to-toe alignment. Take small steps and continue for 10-15 steps or as far as you feel comfortable.
Balance on Unstable Surfaces. Stand on a balance board, foam pad, Bosu ball, or with your heels off the edge of a step. This creates controlled instability which provides an even greater challenge for your core and stabilizing muscles. My favorite is the mobo board which is a circular platform with the toes cut out to help increase strength and balance in the big toe.
Start a Yoga Practice. Regular yoga helps improve balance by enhancing body awareness and proprioception, a fancy word for limb awareness. Both are crucial for maintaining equilibrium. Through various standing poses and balancing sequences, yoga challenges your stability, strengthens your core muscles, and improves coordination. Join the Yoga Activity Group in the Team RWB Member App to get started.
Strengthen Your Core. A strong core isn’t just about having six-pack abs. Your core is the foundation of good balance because it provides stability for your body. Regularly incorporate exercises that target your abdominal and back muscles, such as planks and bird dogs, in your workout routine. Need a little inspiration? Check out 3 Core Exercises that aren’t Sit-Ups.
Want to up your fitness game?
Join the Functional Fitness Activity Group in the Team RWB Member App and connect with service members from all branches and eras. They share workouts, tips and information to help you achieve your fitness goals.