Balance training can greatly improve and strengthen the muscles in your feet, and the best part about it is that you don’t even need to head into a gym to do it. Balance training is beneficial for people of all ages, from the young athlete who wants to shed tacklers or defend an opposing point guard, to the senior citizens who want to remain active and reduce their risk of falling. Today, we take a look at some of the benefits of balance training, and we share some techniques.
Balance Training and Your Feet
As we age, our natural ability to gauge our proprioception, also known as our ability to know where your body is in space, begins to decline. When this happens, our coordination and balance suffers, but we can combat this decline by focusing on balance training. But as we mentioned above, balance training is beneficial for other groups of people. Balance training is helpful for athletes, expecting and new mothers, and for people who have recently gained or lost a substantial amount of weight.
Balance training is beneficial because it helps to restabilize joints that have become loose or destabilized either due to acute injury (like a sprained ankle) or due to stress over the years. Balance conditioning is also helpful because it:
- Reduces the risk of lower-extremity injuries, especially to the ankle and knee.
- Lowers the risk of falls, which can be problematic at any age.
- Builds proprioception.
- Increases your reaction time and coordination.
Types Of Balance Exercises
As we mentioned above, you don’t need to step into a gym to challenge and train your feet. Some exercises you can do in your spare time to improve your balance include:
Heel To Toe Walking – Similar to the tests they give suspected drunk drivers, try to walk five yards in a straight line in a heel-to-toe fashion. This tests and challenges your balance and coordination, which is why it’s a great test to try on inebriated drivers.
Balance Boards – Most sporting goods stores sell balance boards, which are essentially just a piece of plastic or wood on top of a soft rubber half-sphere. You stand on the board and try to keep all sides from touching the ground, which means you’re balance on the rubber ball. Not only does this improve your balance, but it also strengthens your core.
One Foot Balances – Another simple balance exercise is to simply stand on one foot for a while. You can take this another step further by trying to bend over and pick up objects or twist and turn all while balanced on one foot.
Tai Chi/Yoga – If you want to improve your balance in a more formal setting, consider joining a Tai Chi or yoga class. Not only will these classes help improve your overall balance, but they also improve your flexibility and can ease your mind.