Grow Younger, Live Longer

Balance and Stability Exercises for a Lifelong Wellness

Balance exercises is an investment in a life-long wellness

In a nutshell

In this article, you will discover the benefits of integrating balance exercises into your daily routines for lifelong wellness.
You will learn five effective techniques and their modifications to develop balance and strengthen muscles responsible for stability.
You will explore tips for seamlessly incorporating these exercises into your everyday life.

A healthy and active lifestyle is incomplete without incorporating balance and stability training into your routine. Regularly practicing these exercises can improve your overall physical fitness, reduce your risk of injury, and support a longer, healthier life. In this article, you’ll discover what benefits balance exercises provide for your long-term health, the most common balance training exercises, and tips on how to seamlessly integrate these activities into your daily life.

Benefits of Balance and Stability Exercises

Let’s start by differentiating between balance and stability. While balance refers to the ability to maintain the body’s center of mass over its base of support, stability is closely related as it involves controlling the body’s position to stay steady and maintain equilibrium. In other words, stability is the capacity to remain balanced and resist disturbances or disruptions to the body’s position. Both balance and stability work together to ensure physical stability and safety.

Incorporating balance and stability exercises into your fitness routine offers numerous benefits that can enhance your overall well-being, ranging from reducing the risk of falls to improving cognitive function.

Reduce the risk of falls. Balance training can reduce your risk of falls in older age.¹
Improve functional performance. Regular balance and stability exercises can enhance your overall functional performance, making daily activities easier to perform.²
Increase muscle strength. Balance exercises often engage multiple muscle groups, helping to increase overall muscle strength and endurance.³
Improve posture and body alignment. Balance and stability training can promote better posture and body alignment, which may reduce the risk of musculoskeletal pain and discomfort.⁴
Enhance cognitive function. Some studies suggest that balance training also positively impacts cognitive function, particularly in older adults.⁵

Balance and stability exercises are often used interchangeably, but they target slightly different aspects of your physical abilities. Balance exercises are designed to improve your ability to maintain your body’s center of gravity over its base of support. These exercises often involve maintaining a position for a certain period or moving without losing balance.

On the other hand, stability exercises aim to control the body’s movements or maintain its position without unnecessary wobbling. Stability is often about core strength and the ability to control your body’s position, especially during movement.

While they target slightly different aspects, both balance and stability exercises complement each other, and both are crucial for physical functionality, injury prevention, and overall fitness.

Effective Balance Training Exercises

There are many exercises to choose from to improve your balance and stability. Some popular options include:

1. Single-leg stands

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, arms relaxed by your sides, and gaze focused straight ahead. Engage your core muscles to help maintain stability.
Shift your weight onto one foot, keeping the knee of the supporting leg slightly bent. Avoid locking the knee.
Lift the other foot off the ground, bending the knee and raising it to a comfortable height. You can also position the foot against the calf or the inner thigh of the supporting leg, depending on your flexibility.
Maintain your balance, keeping your core engaged and your gaze focused straight ahead. Breathe normally and try to stay as still as possible.
Hold the single-leg stand for a predetermined duration, such as 10-30 seconds, or as long as you can maintain good form.

You can increase the difficulty by closing your eyes or standing on an unstable or soft surface (like a pillow).

2. Heel-to-toe walking

Stand with your feet together, arms relaxed by your sides, and gaze focused straight ahead.
Step forward with one foot, placing the heel of that foot directly in front of the toes of the other foot. Your feet should be touching or almost touching, creating a narrow base of support.
Shift your weight onto the front foot, maintaining your balance and keeping your core engaged.
Bring the back foot forward and place its heel directly in front of the toes of the front foot. Continue walking in this heel-to-toe manner, maintaining balance and control.
Walk in a straight line for a predetermined distance or a specific number of steps. When you reach the end, carefully turn around and repeat the process.

To challenge yourself, try to close your eyes, walk backward or perform some cognitive tasks (like counting backward).

3. Balance beam exercises

Find a suitable beam. If you don’t have access to an actual balance beam, you can use a straight line on the floor, a curb, or even a piece of tape or rope laid out in a straight line. Start with a wider, stable surface, and as you become more comfortable, gradually progress to a narrower or more elevated surface.
Stand at one end of the beam or line. Position yourself with your feet together, arms relaxed by your sides, and your gaze focused straight ahead. Engage your core muscles to help maintain stability.
Step onto the beam or line. Place one foot onto the beam, keeping your weight centered over your foot. Your toes should be pointed straight ahead, with your heel making contact with the beam first.
Move forward slowly. Shift your weight onto the front foot, and lift your back foot off the ground. Bring your back foot forward, placing it directly in front of the other foot, with the heel touching the toes of the front foot. Keep your weight centered over your feet as you continue to walk along the beam.
Maintain balance and control. Keep your core engaged and your gaze focused straight ahead throughout the exercise. If you lose your balance, pause, regain your stability, and then continue.
Turn around and repeat. When you reach the end of the beam, carefully turn around and walk back to the starting point. Aim to complete multiple passes to build your balance and confidence.

To make it more difficult, walk backward, close your eyes, or use a narrower surface.

4. Standing on unstable surfaces

Choose an unstable surface. Examples of unstable surfaces include foam pads, wobble boards, BOSU balls, or even a folded towel or yoga mat. Start with a surface that provides a moderate level of instability and progress to more challenging surfaces as your balance improves.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart on the unstable surface, arms relaxed by your sides, and gaze focused straight ahead. Engage your core muscles to help maintain stability.
Shift your weight onto the surface, maintaining your balance as it adjusts to your weight. Keep your knees slightly bent and avoid locking them.
Breathe normally and maintain your balance on the unstable surface for a predetermined duration, such as 30 seconds to 1 minute, or as long as you can maintain good form.
As you become more comfortable, increase the duration or transition to a more challenging unstable surface.

To challenge yourself, perform single-leg stands, close your eyes, or add some upper-body movements (such as raising your arms overhead, extending them out to the sides, or performing shoulder circles).

5. Tai Chi, Yoga, and Pilates

These mind-body practices emphasize balance, strength, and flexibility, making them excellent additions to your stability training routine. We detail these practices in Empower Your Balance with Tai Chi, Yoga, and Pilates .

Remember, always perform balance exercises in a safe environment, free of obstacles. If you’re unsure of your balance, have a spotter nearby or use a railing, wall, or chair for support when needed.

Effective Stability Exercises

1. Planks

This is a simple, yet effective exercise for improving core stability.

1. To perform a plank, start by lying face down on the floor.
2. Lift your body off the ground by supporting your weight on your forearms and toes.
3. Keep your body in a straight line from your head to your feet. Engage your abdominal muscles and hold the position for as long as you can, aiming for at least 30 seconds to start with. Remember to breathe throughout.

2. Glute Bridges

Glute bridges help improve stability by strengthening the glutes, hamstrings, and core.

1. Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent. 22
2. Push through your heels to lift your hips off the ground while squeezing your glutes.
3. Hold this position for a few seconds before lowering your hips back down. Repeat for 10-15 reps.

3. Bird Dog

This exercise improves stability by challenging your balance and engaging your core.

1. Begin on all fours with your hands directly beneath your shoulders and your knees below your hips.
2. Simultaneously extend your right arm in front of you and your left leg behind you, keeping them aligned with your body.
3. Hold for a few seconds, then return to the starting position.
4. Repeat with your left arm and right leg. This is one rep. Aim for 10-15 reps.

4. Side Plank

The side plank is a great exercise for strengthening your obliques, which are crucial for core stability.

1. Begin by lying on your right side, with your feet stacked on top of each other.
2. Prop your body up on your right forearm, with your elbow under your shoulder.
3. Lift your hips off the ground, creating a straight line from head to feet.
4. Hold this position for as long as possible, then switch sides. Aim to hold the position for at least 20 seconds on each side to start.

Tips for incorporating balance and stability exercises into daily life

Incorporating balance exercises into daily life is essential for maintaining and improving your balance and stability over time. To seamlessly integrate these exercises into your routine, consider making them a daily habit. Try setting aside a specific time each day, such as during a break at work or after dinner, to practice balance exercises. Consistency is key to reaping the benefits of balance training.

Utilize everyday activities and household items to make balance exercises more accessible and enjoyable. For example, you can practice single-leg stands while brushing your teeth, washing dishes, or waiting in line. When watching TV, stand on one leg during commercial breaks or perform heel-to-toe walking across the living room. The possibilities are endless!

Encourage family and friends to join you in practicing balance exercises. Having a support system can make the process more enjoyable and motivating. Additionally, group participation can help hold you accountable and make balance training a more social and engaging experience.

Recap and final thoughts

Integrating balance and stability exercises into your daily routine can significantly improve your long-term wellness. By prioritizing this often-overlooked aspect of physical fitness, you’ll invest in a healthier, more active future. Remember to seek out resources and support to help you continue learning and improving your balance skills for a lifetime of wellness.

References

1
Sherrington C, Fairhall NJ, Wallbank GK, Tiedemann A, Michaleff ZA, Howard K, Clemson L, Hopewell S, Lamb SE. Exercise for preventing falls in older people living in the community. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019 Jan 31;1(1):CD012424. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012424.pub2. PMID: 30703272; PMCID: PMC6360922. PubMed Source
2
Sherrington C, Fairhall NJ, Wallbank GK, Tiedemann A, Michaleff ZA, Howard K, Clemson L, Hopewell S, Lamb SE. Exercise for preventing falls in older people living in the community. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019 Jan 31;1(1):CD012424. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012424.pub2. PMID: 30703272; PMCID: PMC6360922. PubMed Source
3
Avelar BP, Costa JN, Safons MP, Dutra MT, Bottaro M, Gobbi S, Tiedemann A, de David AC, Lima RM. Balance Exercises Circuit improves muscle strength, balance, and functional performance in older women. Age (Dordr). 2016 Feb;38(1):14. doi: 10.1007/s11357-016-9872-7. Epub 2016 Jan 22. PMID: 26802006; PMCID: PMC5005874. PubMed Source
4
Freyler K, Weltin E, Gollhofer A, Ritzmann R. Improved postural control in response to a 4-week balance training with partially unloaded bodyweight. Gait Posture. 2014 Jun;40(2):291-6. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2014.04.186. Epub 2014 Apr 18. PMID: 24836698. PubMed Source
5
Freyler K, Weltin E, Gollhofer A, Ritzmann R. Improved postural control in response to a 4-week balance training with partially unloaded bodyweight. Gait Posture. 2014 Jun;40(2):291-6. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2014.04.186. Epub 2014 Apr 18. PMID: 24836698. PubMed Source