How can you train your balance?

The balance can be trained just like the strength, the endurance or the speed. A good example of this is small children who develop from an unsteady gait pattern to a safe one through repeated attempts. Therefore this transfer is obvious and athletes of all ages should be able to improve their balance and train it.

Patients can also improve their balance through targeted training. It only becomes problematic if the balance is neglected and our balance is regressing. There are many reasons why the balance should be trained.

Older people can improve their gait and are more confident on their feet during everyday movements. This ensures independence and mobility even at an advanced age and thus also a certain attitude towards life. Balance exercises should be performed mainly in a standing position, as balance cannot be trained as well in a sitting or lying position.

Good balance training is best done in the late morning or late afternoon, as this is usually when the body is most active. Usually you should take about half an hour for your balance training and find enough rest and space. In order to improve your balance, you need to bring your body into a situation where balance is required.

For example, when we do the one-legged stand, the head, based on the sensory perception, receives the information that the stand has become more unsteady and then tries to initiate balancing movements in the ankle or arms. Another step is to close the eyes, so that the body again lacks important information for maintaining balance. In order not to fall down, the brain changes its tactics and increases the impressions of the other sensory organs.

The actual training effect of balance training is the flexible adaptation of the brain to new circumstances. Information is evaluated more effectively to compensate for missing information. You should start with easy exercises and then increase the training over time.

It is also advisable to use a soft surface at the beginning so that not much can happen in case of a fall. In general, you can do balance exercises anytime and anywhere, but they are best done standing up or while walking. Small devices can also be used for balance training.

The first exercise is to shift the weight in all directions while standing upright without a lunge. The upper body is upright and the gaze is directed forward. The feet are close together and the arms are placed at the sides of the upper body.
Now the center of gravity is first shifted to the front. The center of gravity should only be shifted so far that you do not lose your balance and you should feel the changing pressure load under the soles of your feet.
Another exercise is the so called tightrope walker stand, where the starting position is a little bit different than when moving sideways. The feet stand one behind the other on an imaginary line and the arms are stretched out sideways to maintain balance.
Now you start to turn your head alternately towards the ceiling and the floor. Further variations are to close and open the eyes again, move the arms up and down or turn the head to the right and left.
The one-legged stand is another classic balance exercise that can be combined with various variations. If you stand on your right leg, you can bend your left leg and put your hands on your hips.
You can also extend your arms or cross them in front of your chest. You can stand on the ball of your foot or the heel, do the exercise alone or with a partner and keep your eyes open or closed.
Jumping steps are a dynamic equilibrium exercise in which you do not stand on one spot and train your balance, but move through space. You start on one leg and then jump, after which you land on the other leg.
Then you make another jump and land on the starting leg again.In this exercise you can use your arms to control your balance or you can consciously restrict your mobility with variations. In addition, the exercise can be performed with open or closed eyes to vary the degree of difficulty. In addition, you can change the jumping distance, you can start with small jumps and increase the distances slowly but steadily.