How to Improve Your Balance

Balance is vital to the human body for many reasons. First, it aids in maintaining your center of gravity, which helps you remain upright and stable. Balance also allows you to take steps forward or backward, turn around, change directions quickly without losing your footing, jump up or down from a height safely, run on uneven surfaces like gravel or sand with little difficulty, and much more.

Improving your balance will help you feel more confident about yourself, but it can also benefit you by helping you perform your daily activities easier. There are plenty of ways to improve your balance, including improve your balance exercises at home that require minimal equipment.

Stand on One Foot

The first exercise you can do is to stand on one foot. This will help improve your balance and engage many of the smaller leg and foot muscles that need more movement during this type of activity than some other exercises.

Stand on a level surface such as a hard floor or even outside on grass, dirt, or gravel. Keep your weight evenly distributed throughout your entire body and look ahead while engaging in this activity for the best results possible. Make sure to repeat this exercise several times with each leg and switch feet every few repetitions for better workout results.

Walk on a Balance Board

You can also try walking on a balance board to improve your balance. To do this exercise, place the board on a level surface such as a hard floor or even outside on grass, dirt, or gravel. Then, slowly walk across the balance board by taking several steps forward and backward while keeping your feet on the board.

You can even try crossing your legs or stepping from side to side with this activity for different results and benefits.

Jump Rope With One Foot

To work on your balance, you may also want to try jumping rope while keeping one foot in front of the other. This is a great exercise that will engage many muscles, including those in your legs and feet, which will help improve their strength and movement capabilities. Breathe normally when performing this activity and repeat it several times on each leg for best results.

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Balancing is not easy for anyone to do since it involves standing or walking on a tightrope of sorts.

Standing on One Foot With a Twist

To continue with more balance exercises, you can stand on one foot while twisting your upper body in the opposite direction. This is a great exercise to do while standing on one foot but can be made even more challenging if there is some type of obstacle nearby that you must use to help maintain your balance. Again, keep both feet flat on the ground and work from side to side for best results.

Balance on a Seesaw

Another great exercise that improves balance is to balance on a seesaw. You can do this by facing one end of the seesaw while balancing on it with one foot. Once stable, lift your other leg and down slowly several times for best results before switching feet.

Make sure to switch back and forth each time equals sets are complete so that both legs have equal workout opportunities.

Balancing Act

Another great way to improve your balance is to do a balancing act. Try closing your eyes while standing on one leg and keeping your other foot in front of you for stability. As you get more comfortable with this activity, try opening and closing your eyes to see if it makes a difference in how stable or off-balance you feel.

This activity requires concentration, so breathe normally and stay focused on the task at hand until you have improved enough to get better results.

Walk Sideways

You can also walk sideways to help improve your balance. Start by facing forward and walking across the room in a sideways pattern. Then, turn around quickly and step back in the same manner while trying not to use anything for support along the way. Once you are more comfortable doing this, move on to walking backward for even better results.

Balance on a Chair

Another great exercise that will help improve your balance is to stand on one foot on a chair or other similar object if possible. Make sure that the chair is sturdy enough to hold your weight before attempting this activity, though.

You can do this trick with both feet on the ground at first but make them progressively higher up off the ground as it becomes easier.

Balance on a Log

You can also work on your balance by balancing on a log. Start by standing near the end of a log that is raised slightly off of the ground. Try to balance yourself with your eyes open for best results before you progress to trying it while keeping your eyes closed. Make sure to stand up straight and keep your arms out in front of you for balance if necessary.

Squat With an Exercise Ball

Another great way to improve balance is through squats with an exercise ball.

First, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart while holding an exercise ball between both hands. Then, slowly sit back into a squatting position, making sure not to let the ball touch the floor or let either foot leave its original spot. Once you are in the bottom position, slowly return to starting and repeat several times for best results.

Bend Over and Touch Your Toes

To help improve your balance while also stretching out muscles along the way, try bending over and touching your toes. Make sure to stretch as far down as you can manage while keeping your knees slightly bent if needed. You should feel all of your muscles stretch as well as feel a bit less tense overall.

Wrap Up

Balancing is not easy for anyone to do since it involves standing or walking on a tightrope of sorts. If you have problems with your balance, try these 11 exercises in the comfort of your own home and see if they improve things enough in a short period.