Training your balance in various ways will pay solid dividends to you regardless of your fitness level or age.
There are many ways to improve your balance and I always try to identify opportunities to get a little practice in wherever I may roam.
As kids, we used to run around testing our balance over anything and everything without any thought to how beneficial it was to our well being.
Too many adults have allowed themselves to disconnect themselves from this life skill and sadly experience a reduction in their physical confidence and motor patterns inviting injury, fear and stress to their daily lives.
Including some type of balance component into your training will enhance and plug up any “leaks” or disconnect in your worthy fitness program.
I will take advantage of any opportunity to practice honing my balance skills whether I am out for a hike or relegated to the artificial confines of the gym.
I have shared some balance exercise variations with you before and detail why they are so powerfully beneficial in a post linked at the end of the article.
Here’s an advanced total body balance exercise I practice that will also hit the core pretty good too:
I’m using an Ultimate Sandbag developed by strength coach Josh Henkin as an offset load to increase the challenge of this balance exercise and also will promote building and maintaining a strong core
Switch the Ultimate Sandbag (or weight of choice) to the other arm and walk the same distance so as to hit both sides equally.
Master doing your balance exercises without external load first and then earn your way to adding weight for additional challenge.
Remember there are progressions and regressions for almost every exercise or movement pattern – It’s up to you to safely match them to your fitness level or seek out an experienced trainer who can assign them for you.
Having a lot of strength, power and endurance is great and a real life enhancer and I applaud anyone for having or acquiring these qualities.
But why not practice and shore up your balance to really complement those fitness qualities to make you more capable and give yourself a more complete physical upgrade?
You will be pleasantly surprised how good your balance will get just by briefly practicing a little bit per day or multiple times during the week.
Related: Neglect Balance At Your Peril
Related: Work Those Hips Or Sink Your Life Ship
Related: So You Wanna Be Financially Fit?
I’m Mark Mellohusky (Mellow-Husky)
An eternal student of physical culture of average genetics and average upbringing who has figured out how to have an above average quality of life while living mentally and physical powerful regardless of age.
I have learned from many people over the years with greater skill and knowledge than myself and enjoy sharing the best methods to keep myself happy in body, mind and spirit.
I share a lot of concepts and I don’t pretend to be everything to everybody, so take what makes sense to you and apply it to your life to position you for success and reach your goals.
There’s a sparkle in my eyes and iron in my thighs.
Seven Stars Fitness