Balance training is an important and necessary component of any fitness plan.
With these balance exercises, you’ll be primed to get the most out of all your workouts!
Whether you are just beginning your fitness journey or you’ve been exercising for years, you can benefit from balance training.
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Why Is Balance Training So Crucial To Every Workout?
Incorporating balance exercises into your normal routine increases both your static and dynamic balance capabilities. That means that whether you are standing or moving, you’re better able to stabilize your body. This decreases your chance of sustaining injuries, both inside and outside of the gym. [tweet_quote] The better your balance is, the easier it will be to increase weight during walking lunges without injuring yourself. [/tweet_quote]
For example, the better your balance is, the easier it will be to increase weight during walking lunges without injuring yourself. Likewise, if you’re an avid hiker, having better balance will allow you to move more quickly and safely up and down the mountain.
Cultivating good balance requires challenging yourself in a systematic and progressive fashion. If you are new to balance training, focus on incorporating stabilizing balance exercises into your routine. Once you are able to complete the stabilizing exercises with ease, progress to the strength balance exercises and finally, to the plyometric balance exercises.
When you have progressed through the stabilizing, strength, and plyometric balance exercises, progress through them again using a different, more challenging surface. For example, once you have mastered the exercises while standing on the ground, try completing them on a balance beam or a BOSU ball. You can also add weight by holding onto dumbbells during the strength exercises.
Basic Balance Exercises
1. Single Leg Balance
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointing straight ahead. Place your hands on your hips. This is your starting position.
Keeping your toes pointed straight ahead, lift your left leg up in front of you until your quad is parallel to the ground and the inside of your knee forms a 90-degree angle. Hold this position for 2-3 seconds before returning your leg to the starting position. Repeat for 12-20 reps and then switch to the right leg. Complete 2 sets.
2. Single Leg Side Reach
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointing straight ahead. Place your hands on your hips. This is your starting position.
Keeping your left leg fully extended, lift it out to the side until your legs form a 45-degree angle. Hold this position for 2-3 seconds before returning your leg to the starting position. Repeat for 12-20 reps and then switch to the right leg. Complete 2 sets.
3. Single Leg Hip Rotation
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointing straight ahead. Place your hands on your hips. This is your starting position.
Keeping your toes pointed straight ahead, lift your left leg up in front of you until your quad is parallel to the ground and the inside of your knee forms a 90-degree angle. Keeping your leg in this position, rotate it backwards until your left quad is perpendicular to your right leg.
Hold this position for 2-3 seconds before returning your leg to the starting position. Repeat for 12-20 reps and then switch to the right leg. Complete 2 sets.
4. Single Leg Opposite Arm/Leg Raise
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointing straight ahead. Place your hands on your hips. This is your starting position.
Keeping your left leg fully extended, lift it out behind you as you simultaneously lift and extend your right arm towards the ceiling. Both the lifted arm and leg should appear to form a diagonal line.
Hold this position for 2-3 seconds before returning your arm and leg to the starting position. Repeat for 12-20 reps and then switch to the opposite arm and leg. Complete 2 sets.
Balance-Strength Exercises
5. Lunge to Balance
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointing straight ahead. Place your hands on your hips. Lunge forwards with your right leg until your left quad is parallel to the ground and the inside of your left knee forms a 90-degree angle. This is your starting position.
As you bring your right leg backwards to come out of the lunge, keep your toes pointing straight ahead and continue to bring your right leg up until your quad is parallel to the ground and the inside of your knee forms a 90-degree angle. Hold this position for 2-3 seconds before returning to the starting position. Repeat for 12-20 reps and then switch legs. Complete 2 sets.
6. Side Lunge to Balance
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointing straight ahead. Place your hands on your hips. Lunge to the side with your right leg until your left quad is parallel to the ground and the inside of your knee forms a 90-degree angle. This is your starting position.
As you bring your right leg out of the lunge, keep your toes pointing straight ahead and continue to bring your right leg up until your quad is parallel to the ground and the inside of your knee forms a 90-degree angle.
Hold this position for 2-3 seconds before returning to the starting position. Repeat for 12-20 reps and then switch legs. Complete 2 sets.
7. Step Up to Balance
Stand 1-2 feet in front of a box, bench, or chair with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointing straight ahead. Place your hands on your hips. Keeping your toes pointing straight ahead, lift your left leg up until your left foot is resting on the box, bench, or chair and the inside of your knee forms a 90-degree angle. This is your starting position.
Driving through the heel of your left foot, bring your right leg up until your right quad is parallel to the ground and the inside of your knee forms a 90-degree angle. Hold this position for 2-3 seconds before returning to the starting position. Repeat for 12-20 reps and then switch legs. Complete 2 sets.
8. Side Step Up to Balance
Stand to the left of a box, bench, or chair with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointing straight ahead. Place your hands on your hips. Keeping your toes pointing straight ahead, lift your left leg up until your left foot is resting on the box, bench, or chair and the inside of your knee forms a 90-degree angle. This is your starting position.
Driving through the heel of your left foot, bring your right leg up until your right quad is parallel to the ground and the inside of your knee forms a 90-degree angle. Hold this position for 2-3 seconds before returning to the starting position. Repeat for 12-20 reps and then switch legs. Complete 2 sets.
Balance-Plyometric Exercises
9. Single Leg Sagittal Plane Hop
Place a piece of masking tape on the floor. Stand a few inches before the tape on your left leg with your foot pointing straight ahead and your hands on your hips.
Hop over the line, landing softly on the ball of your left foot, before quickly hopping back to the starting position. Stabilize for 2-3 seconds. Repeat for 12-20 reps and then switch legs. Complete 2 sets.
10. Single Leg Frontal Plane Hop
Place a piece of masking tape on the floor. Stand a few inches to the left of the tape on your left leg with your foot pointing straight ahead and your hands on your hips.
Hop over the line, landing softly on the ball of your left foot, before quickly hopping back to the starting position. Stabilize for 2-3 seconds. Repeat for 12-20 reps and then switch legs. Complete 2 sets.
(Your Next Workout: 7 Stability Ball Exercises for a Full-Body Workout)
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