These Workouts Will Help Improve and Maintain Your Sense of Balance

Yoga
Photo by Yannic Läderach on Unsplash

A good sense of balance is essential for maintaining strength and posture as we age. While many people think of balance as just something that allows us to perform impressive yoga poses, it actually plays a much bigger role in our daily lives. Even the simplest activities often require some degree of equal strength on both sides of the body. Balance enables us to have control over movements so that we’re less likely to experience falls and injuries. If you’re looking to improve your sense of balance, consider trying these activities.

Yoga

Yoga includes plenty of slow and controlled movements that help increase body awareness and strengthen muscles. Additionally, these practices have been shown to improve flexibility, which is also important for maintaining balance. We recommend poses like tree or mountain to get you started.

Heel-to-Toe Walking

Pretend you’re standing on a tightrope and begin to walk slowly in a straight line while placing the heel of one foot directly in front of the toe of the other foot. This technique helps improve balance by increasing strength and awareness of the position of the feet and ankles.

1-Leg Stands

Stand on one foot and hold the position for up to 30 seconds, then switch to the other foot. Try to hold each side for the same length of time to strengthen the leg muscles equally and improve overall balance.