Jun 8, 2006 7:24 am US/Eastern
Shape It Up! Balance Training
We All Could Use More Balance in Our Lives
Stephanie Oakes
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Would you like to stop on a dime on the tennis court to hit that winning shot? Or enjoy inline skating without so many falls? Or perhaps weave around opponents on the soccer field with greater ease?
We all would like to gain that extra edge to improve our game. Most of us know that cardiovascular conditioning, strength training and flexibility are the building blocks of any fitness program. But there's another often overlooked aspect of fitness conditioning:
balance training.
As the popularity of "sports specific training" grows, balance training is getting more attention. The good news is, everyone has the ability to improve his/her balance skills without having to go to the gym.
Everything we do requires balance: Balance is keeping your center of gravity within your base of support.
Balance training can help us in our regular daily activities, whether it's stepping out of a sports-utility vehicle, wearing high heels, navigating a flight of stairs with several packages in hand or getting out of the bathtub as you reach for a towel.
A variety of exercises that test balance in both stationary positions and while moving. Each of the exercises require us to use our eyes, feet and inner ear, the latter of which controls our equilibrium.
Add these exercises to your regular fitness program and you may be pleasantly surprised by the subtle changes you see.
One is "static" exercise, which refer to a held balance, such as standing on one leg. The other is "dynamic," which is a moving balance, similar to a gymnast on a balance beam.
Static Balance DrillsOne-legged stance: Stand on one leg, keep your standing leg straight with that knee slightly bent. Lift the other leg about six inches off the floor. Keep your hands by your side and close your eyes. See how long you can hold this pose.
The Tree: In this yoga pose, stand tall with your arms by your side and your weight evenly distributed on each foot. Slowly lift your left foot off the ground and place the sole of the foot along the inner thigh of your right leg. Place your hands together in front of your chest and slowly raise your arms overhead, palms together.
Dynamic Balance DrillsTight rope walking: Place a string or a piece of tape (about eight-feet long) in a straight line on the floor. Position yourself at one end of the tape. Hold a small tennis ball in one hand. Walk along the line while tossing a tennis ball from one hand to the other, without falling off the line.
One-legged hop scotch: Balancing on one leg, hop forward four times. Then hop backward four times. Switch legs and repeat the exercise.
Balance on a "wobble board" -- a flat disk about 15 inches in diameter with a point on the bottom. Walk on a balance beam while holding a full cup of water.
After several weeks of this training, you'll notice balance improvement.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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