Don’t take balance for granted! Try these 5 exercises to improve balance and stability

It may not often cross your mind, but you may require proper balance to perform just about everything, including walking, standing, moving, leaning and more. In fact, there are two main benefits to including balance training into your routine. First of all, it will aid in lowering the chance of injuries while engaging in other exercises or workouts. Secondly, it will improve your core muscles, lower back, and legs while improving balance and stability. What’s more? Exercises for balance can be as strenuous as some extremely difficult yoga poses.

Robin Behl, fitness enthusiast and The Tribe India co-founder, shares a few exercises that can help you improve your balance and stability by improving your body’s strength.

Benefits of balance training

Balance and stability training calls for a lot of core activation and focus. They will not only aid in your balance maintenance and improvement, but they will also give you more self-assurance. In fact, balance exercises are crucial for older adults since they can lower their risk of injury and help them avoid falls. But don’t think that these movements are only for elderly people; balance is a daily part of all we do.

You may move more easily and steadily by improving your balance, which also improves your coordination and strength. Additionally, this will improve stability, mobility, and flexibility, making it simpler to carry out daily tasks.

5 exercises for improving balance and stability:

1. Standing on a single leg on a bosu ball

Your hip flexors and quadriceps will be put to the test by this. By engaging your glutes on fire, your core muscles, and the muscles surrounding your ankles, it also increases stability.

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Here’s how to perform:

• Set the BOSU ball down on the floor.
• Use your right foot to step on the centre ball.
• Your left knee should be raised a little bit.
• After maintaining equilibrium for the predetermined period of time, switch feet.

2. Single leg skipping

If many of you are already practicing two-legged jumping rope exercises, switching to one-legged moves shouldn’t be difficult. The best workout for enhancing balance and shedding pounds is skipping.

Here’s how to perform:

• Perform a single-leg hop over the rope while bending your right knee and lifting your right foot behind you.
• To lessen the force on your left knee, try to land on the ball of your left foot.
  Hop with the same number on each leg.
• For each jump, double spin the rope as your power increases.
• Add side-to-side hops and single-leg jumps over the rope going forward and backward to change directions.
• Alternately, leap forward with your right foot toward the room’s front right corner, then diagonally to the back left corner.

3. Standing on a pillow on a single leg

Standing on a pillow on a single leg is an exercise used to help improve the balance ability of the legs (knee, ankle, and hips).

Here’s how to perform:

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• With your toes pointed forward, stand close to a pillow and a chair.
• If you need support or balance, place one finger on a chair’s backrest.
• Keep the chin tucked, the blades set, and the core set.
• Exhale, put one foot on the pillow, then raise the other leg off the ground.
• Hold on while keeping the balance.
• Inhale deeply. Leg lowered to the ground. Repeat.

4. Plank with flying plane arms

Your spine, rhomboids, and abdominal muscles will become stronger as a result, and as they do so, they will automatically develop a strong posture.

Here’s how to perform:

• Start in a high plank position with your hands directly beneath your shoulders and your arms extended.
• Lift one arm straight out in front of you while keeping your hips steady and your core active.
• Fan out this arm to the side while continuing to hold it up.
• Lower your hand to the floor after bringing it back to the front.
• On the other side, repeat this pattern. For 12 rounds, alternate the sides continuously.

5. Jump squat to single leg landing

Jump squat to single leg landing is an exercise that uses your lower body muscles as well as your core: abdominal region, glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. This will also develop balance and agility.

Here’s how to perform:

• To begin, stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
• Lift one leg and lower your body into a semi squat position in preparation to jump.
• At the bottom of the semi squat extend the hip, knee and ankle of the stance leg to jump as high as possible.
• Upon landing, you want to absorb the ground contact forces by flexing at the ankle, knee, and hip, which will essentially bring you back into the semi squat position preparing you for the next jump.
• The goal is to land as softly as possible to minimize the sound made from your foot contacting the ground. Perform at least 8-12 jumps for two to three sets on each leg.