Balance is something most of us take for granted, or don’t even think about at all, until we do. And, having better balance can dramatically improve our lives. What causes us to think about our balance? Usually, it’s after a stumble or fall. And that’s the absolute worst time to wonder about our balance…AFTER the fall. We should be working to train and improve our balance NOW so we don’t have to think about it after we fall. That’s why having better balance is so important
Balance is important for all of us in nearly all of our daily activities. Without good balance we risk injury and reduce our athletic performance. So, it makes sense to do what we can to improve our balance, especially as we get older.
Takeaways:
- Improving balance through simple exercises can significantly reduce the risk of falls and injuries.
- Balance training enhances body awareness, coordination, and joint stability, promoting overall health.
- Training for balance should start early and be integrated into regular fitness routines.
- The fear of falling can lead to reduced activity levels, creating a vicious cycle of weakness.
- Statistics show that falls are a leading cause of injury and death among older adults.
- Balance training is proven to be effective for older adults, improving their ability to prevent falls.
What is Balance
Balance (in the physical activity sense) is often defined as:
A state of physical equilibrium where weight is evenly distributed, allowing one to remain upright without falling.
Another, more sports oriented definition:
Balance is the ability to stay upright or stay in control of body movement, and coordination is the ability to move two or more body parts under control, smoothly and efficiently.
In both definitions the concepts of “remain upright” and “under control” are key. Why? Because lack of being upright and under control usually means we’re falling, which is something we want to avoid!
Two Types of Balance
Balance is divided into two types: static and dynamic.
- Dynamic balance: The ability to move outside the body’s base of support while maintaining posture control
- Static balance: The ability to maintain the body’s center of mass within its base of support
Here are some benefits to incorporating balance training into your daily life :
A strong sense of balance can be learned and trained. Taking balance seriously and working to build it through specific training can have many benefits:
1) Body Awareness – Body awareness is the sense of how your limbs are oriented in space. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, balance training improves body awareness, which decreases the likelihood of injury.
2) Coordination – Balance training requires your entire body to work together, otherwise you will fall or stumble. Improved coordination during balance training will be transferred into coordination in everyday life.
3) Joint Stability – Balance training promotes stability in the knees, ankles, hips, and shoulders. This can prevent a large array of injuries including sprained ankles and serious knee problems.
4) Reaction Time – Balance training can improve your reaction time. If you happen to slip or stumble when performing balance exercises, your body needs to re-balance immediately or you will fall. This in turn will improve your reaction time in everyday life.
5) Long term health- Incorporating balance training into your exercise routine helps to maintain or improve your balance, which is needed to prevent falls and fractures. As we age, our balance can deteriorate, something we want to avoid.
Facts on Falls
A lack of balance can result in a fall. Falls are one of the leading causes of injury and death among adults, especially older adults. As children or young adults a fall is usually not a serious thing but as we get older falls become VERY serious.
- According to a 2024 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one out of every 4 adults age 65 and older falls each year. That’s over 14 million! And, 37 percent of these falls lead to moderate or serious injuries, including fractures and head injuries that can be life altering. Falls are the leading cause of accidental death in adults age 65 and older. The age-adjusted fall death rate is going up. From 2012 to 2021 it increased by 55%
- A May 2024 article from the CDC called “Facts About Falls” has some very sobering details about the physical and financial impacts of falls:
- One out of 10 falls results in an injury that causes the older adult to restrict their activities for a day or more or to seek attention from the healthcare system.1
- Each year, there are about 3 million emergency department visits due to older people falls.2
- Each year, there are about 1 million fall-related hospitalizations among older adults.2
- In 2019, 83% percent of hip fracture deaths and 88% of emergency department visits and hospitalizations for hip fractures were caused by falls.3
- Each year, nearly 319,000 older people are hospitalized for hip fractures.3
- Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBI).4
- Many people who fall, even if they’re not injured, become afraid of falling. This fear may cause a person to cut down on their everyday activities. When a person is less active, they become weaker and this increases their chances of falling.8
- Falls also happen to one in 10 younger and middle-aged people every year, but the risk for falling and suffering a serious injury or death increases with age.
I hope this convinces you that all of us should be working to improve our balance, no matter how old we are or what activities we pursue. So, if we want to improve our balance what do we need to be focusing on?
Well, we want to train our bodies to be more aware of where it is in space at all times. This is called proprioception, which is defined as:
The sense of self-movement, force, and body position. Proprioception is mediated by proprioceptors, a type of sensory receptor, located within muscles, tendons, and joints.
A strong sense of proprioception will help us stay upright. Training our balance is ultimately a way of increasing our proprioception.
Real World Results
Does training our balance really work? What are the effects of balance training on real world people and is it something we should be doing?
A meta analysis published in 2015 titled “**Effects of Balance Training on Balance Performance in Healthy Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis”** found that balance training
…is an effective means to improve proxies of static/dynamic steady-state, proactive, and reactive balance as well as performance in balance test batteries in healthy older adults. Furthermore, we were able to establish effective BT modalities to improve balance performance in healthy older adults.
Balance Exercises
Here are 5 basic balance building exercises you can start with. As with anything, If you are concerned at all with your balance please be sure to use a wall, hallway or friend for support in case you start to lose your balance. As you work on building your balance you will improve and require less and less assistance.
Single-Leg Balance
This is a basic drill, and the place to start to see where you are at balance-wise. You’ll probably be surprised by how challenging it can be. I started with this and failed pretty miserably at first but have improved steadily over time.
Stand on a stable ground, then stand on one foot for 30 seconds. The first time you try this you may want to do it in a narrow hallway so you can easily stabilize yourself, if needed. You can also have someone hold your hand for extra support.
If you can do this without much effort, try closing your eyes to make it harder
Repeat on the other side.
Stork Stand
Begin by standing barefoot on a stable surface.
Lift your right leg and bring the bent knee toward your chest while keeping an upright stance.
Keep your hips in place.
Then balance on your left leg for 15 to 30 seconds, then switch sides.
You can make this drill more challenging by closing your eyes, standing on an unstable surface, or slowly raising your arms and/or moving them in circles.
Leg Swings
This drill is essential for improving body control.
Stand tall in a doorway with your feet flat on the floor, and one hand against the frame of the door for balance.
Next, stand on your right leg, and swing the left ten degrees forward and backward without compromising your posture.
Make sure to control the swinging leg and work up to 30 degrees of swing front to back.
Once you get the hangs of this, step away from the doorframe and perform the swings without holding on to anything for balance.
Avoid any inward or outward rotation of your knees during the exercise.
For an extra challenge, swing the opposing arms to tap the swinging leg in its forward position.
Single-Leg Reach
This move not only improves your balance on the stable leg, but it also strengthens your core, glutes, and hamstrings.
Begin by placing a cone or tennis ball or another prop roughly two-three feet in front of you.
Next, while balancing on your right leg, bend from the hips (hinge your hips back) as you reach toward the cone.
Then balance on your right leg, lift your left leg behind you.
Lean forward, and reach your right hand to the cone.
Return to an upright stance, staying on the right leg.
Perform eight reps on each leg.
Build it to 16.
Then add more sets.
Hip Abduction
Put a resistance band around your ankles. Balance on your right leg. Lift your left leg to the side, keeping your toes and knee pointed forward. Build up to 10 to 15 reps on each side. Keep your weight centered over your standing foot.
Adding Variety
Adding a balance board, balance ball (like a BOSU) or other “wobbly” surface to balance training can up the level of difficulty and engage more muscles, improving the overall result. But, there’s probably no need to add any of these until you can do a wide range of balance exercises on the floor or mat.
Wrapping Up
There you go, some talk about the importance of balance and how good balance can improve the quality of our lives and greatly reduce the chances of a debilitating fall. If you are not doing any balance training right now, maybe this will help you make some changes to your routine.
Poll of The Week
This weeks poll question is “Do you know somebody who has been injured as the result of a fall?”
If you are finding this podcast and discussion helpful please share it with someone who could benefit from it. And, please follow and leave a positive review of the podcast wherever it is that you listen to podcasts.
Let’s Connect
Strava: Join The Fitness Roadmap Club on Strava! https://www.strava.com/clubs/thefitnessroadmap Strava is a free to join social media fitness app. From running, walking, cycling and swimming to rowing, strength training, yoga, and pretty much any other activity, you can join the club and community of like minded “Roadmappers”!
ZWIFT: Another app I use is ZWIFT. It’s an indoor cycling and running app and if you have a membership you can follow me here. If you don’t have a ZWIFT account but you want to check it out you can use this code to get a free 30-day trial.
Concept 2: If you have a Concept 2 rowing machine and/or you just want to see what I’ve been doing on the indoor rower you can follow me here and see all the recent activities I have done.
Send Me a Message: If you have a comment or suggestion for the podcast or website head over to https://thefitnessroadmap.com/contact/ and leave me a message.