Improving Balance

Balance is extremely important. It allows you to have your independence. Having good balance allows you to walk and complete daily tasks with ease. This is a skill that you can train every day and for as many times as you want. By training to improve balance earlier in life, you build up the ability to have good balance when you age, whereas others may lose their ability to have this independent skill making activities of daily living more difficult when you get older. Use these exercises as many times as you would like to help improve your balancing skills.

Hip Abductions

Start in a standing position. You can do this with an ankle weight, resistance band or body weight. Bring one leg out to the side and back to the center line. Complete this for both sides.

Heel-Toe Raises

Start standing with feet shoulder width apart. Shift all the weight into your toes and lift your heels up and then lower your heels, shift your weight back and lift the toes up. Rock back and forth.

Banded Side Steps

With a band around your shins or thighs, step from side to side. This strengthens the sides of your legs which are responsible for a good deal of your balance abilities.

Exercises with an agility ladder are great for challenging your balance, especially when you use movements that you don’t normally complete in your daily life.

Ladder Side Steps

Step sideways and feet together facing one direction. Remain facing the same direction but side step with the opposite leg leading as well.

Ladder High Knees

Start by completing high knees slowly and speed it up as you become more comfortable with the exercise. You can do one step per rung of the ladder or your can quicken the movements and do two steps per rung of the ladder.

Ladder Butt Kicks

Start by completing butt kicks slowly and speed it up as you become more comfortable with the exercise. You can do one step per rung of the ladder or your can quicken the movements and do two steps per rung of the ladder.

Ladder Karaoke

Start by facing in one direction, step one leg over the other, step together, step the same leg behind and then step together again. Repeat that patten until you have walked through each rung of the ladder. Keep your body facing in the same direction and go back the opposite way with the other leg leading the pattern. Start slow and speed it up as you become more comfortable.

The foam block is a great challenge for natural balance. You can use any softer surface such as a pillow or even a trampoline to complete these exercises.

Foam Block Feet Together

Stand with feet directly together on a foam block and try to last at least 10 seconds without wobbling. Increase the amount of time that you can stand there without moving. Complete this with your eyes closed as well. Closing your eyes will make any balance exercise much more difficult.

Foam Block Single Foot

Stand on one foot on a foam block and try to last at least 10 seconds without wobbling. Increase the amount of time that you can stand there without moving. Complete this with your eyes closed as well. Closing your eyes will make any balance exercise much more difficult. Do this for both feet.

Foam Block Tandem Stance

Stand with on foot directly in front of the other on a foam block and try to last at least 10 seconds without wobbling. Increase the amount of time that you can stand there without moving. Complete this with your eyes closed as well. Closing your eyes will make any balance exercise much more difficult. Complete this with either foot having the chance to be in front for the tandem stance.

Julia de Reijke RKin, CSEP-CPT, BASc Kinesiology (Hons), DipFTHP