How to Improve Your Balance
Improving your balance takes time and practise and it doesn't just
happen overnight. However, with consistent practise, you will be
able to improve your balance over time.
Static balance is important for everyday life. The ability to stand on one leg should be easily achieved by everyone. Without this ability your chance of falling is high. If you can't control your stationary body, you'll have no chance at high speed or load.
Test your balance system further by closing your eyes and maintaining your single leg balance. Once again, this should be easily achieved. If not, you are using your visual system to assist your poor vestibular balance mechanism.
Dynamic balance is even more important when you start to move whether that be walk, jog, jump or throw. The more demands and speed you place on your body the better your dynamic balance system needs to be able to cope.
Balance is reliant upon excellent deep core stability, hip and leg muscle control PLUS your vestibular and visual systems.
In most cases, your balance deficits can be quickly improved with specific balance or stability exercises.
Please ask your physiotherapist to test your static or dynamic balance is you are concerned about your balance. We can make a BIG difference VERY QUICKLY to help you avoid falls, injury or improve your sporting performance.
What Can Happen With Poor Balance?
Poor balance has many side effects beyond the obvious feeling of unsteadiness and higher incidence of falls.
Extremely poor static balance does increase your fall risk. Falls unfortunately have nasty consequences. These include fractures of hips, pelvis and backs. Often these fractures lead to surgery and the subsequent physical rehabilitation to resume as functional life as possible.
Less obvious is the deficit in dynamic balance. Impaired dynamic balance results in poor muscle and joint control. These result in instability related conditions. These dynamic instabilities can result in back pain, sciatica, hip pain, bursitis, knee or even foot and ankle pain. Your physiotherapist is an expert in the analysis and rectification of the gross and subtle dynamic instabilities. Please seek their advice if you have concerns.
Reduced sporting performance. In addition to a higher chance of injury your sporting performance is commonly reduced due to reduced dynamic stability. It makes sense that your muscle power, joint control and skill accuracy all deteriorates when muscles are not working off a stable platform. One way to think of it is to compare a crane's ability to effectively lift a heavy load who it is operating off a solid concrete base versus a wobbly mud base. I know which base I'd trust to get the job done quicker and more accurately with less chance of error!
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FAQs about Balance Exercises
Related Conditions Balance Can Effect
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