Month: July 2018
Have you ever been in a yoga class before and seen someone who is a heavy lifter but was coerced into taking the class? Time and time again, people who only focus on strength training have a difficult time with balance—just think of them in their dancer’s pose!
But not to pick on weightlifters, the truth is, anyone who doesn’t intentionally focus on balance-related exercises is probably going to have a hard time with balance. Like with any area of strength or physical discipline, balance takes practice.
Why Balance?
You might be wondering why balance is something you need to worry about if you don’t care about mastering that dancer’s pose. In an article from Gaiam, the author talks about balance as a “use it or lose it” skill, especially as we age.
Our ability to continue to do the things we love like taking a hike with our dog, playing with the kids, and participating in recreational sports teams depends on our balance. Not to mention our ability to walk up and down the stairs or even get out of bed!
Whether you know you need to work on your balance or this is a new thought for you, this article will explore three ways on how to improve your balance so you can keep thriving in every way you move.
How to Improve Your Balance
One-Sided Workouts
Making sure you practice movements that keep you balancing on one leg is a great way to maintain and improve your balance.
As mentioned, sometimes weightlifters can get into the habit of movements that keep them on both feet. Think of how squat-thrusts, squats, and kettlebell swings all keep people with their weight evenly over both feet.
The Sworkit app has plenty of one-sided movements you can do at home or incorporate in with your routine at the gym. You don’t have to sacrifice heavyweight to work balance either. Try walking lunges with a plate or kettlebell overhead to throw your balance for a loop.
Yoga and Pilates
Yoga and Pilates both have a lot of one-sided movements and postures that test your balance.
Now, you don’t have to go to a yoga class though to get the balance benefits. The Sworkit app has both Pilates and yoga features so you can do a customizable yoga flow or Pilates workout, depending on how much time you have and even certain positions you want to focus on.
If you’re curious about what Pilates is, you can read back to one of our previous blog posts that highlight Pilates and some of the other benefits besides balance.
Train with a BOSU Ball
A BOSU ball is an amazing tool that can take ordinary exercises—like push-ups—and turn them into incredibly difficult balance exercises—like push-ups while gripping a turned over BOSU ball.
If you aren’t familiar with the BOSU, it’s like half of a yoga ball with a flat, hard platform on one side. In fact, there are a plethora of exercises you can do with a BOSU ball.
So whether you have the ball side down or the platform side down, balance challenges are ahead when working out with the BOSU ball.
Worth Your Time
If you aren’t spending much time working on your balance, we promise you it is worth it!
Whether that means doing a ten-minute yoga flow on your Sworkit app or grabbing the BOSU ball for some squats next time you are at the gym, take time to work on your balance. Your agility, strength of stabilizing muscles, and balance will all improve now.
But your mobility and the ability to live the life you want to live will be what you are most thankful for in years to come.