This week's health goal: Practice balancing for 2 minutes every day!
One very important part of determining how well we move and how coordinated we are is our vestibular system. It tells us where our head is in space. Are we laying down or standing? Are we rotating to the right or bending over?
Another important aspect of balance is proprioception. Proprioception is able to sense movement within a joint and knowing joint position. Is our our foot pointed or flexed? Are our arms straight up or slightly in a "Y" shape.
If we don't continuously train these systems, we begin to lose the ability to sense how we are moving and where our body parts are in space. Luckily, by leading an active lifestyle, you are continuously training these two systems. Simply by walking, we are inputting some information into these two systems and keeping them from deteriorating.
However, it doesn't hurt to up the training a bit! Our vestibular and proprioceptive systems are important for preventing injury and avoiding falls. The more we train, the less likely we are to get hurt. All it takes is a few minutes a day! Read below to find some excellent training exercises for both systems!
Exercises
Begin
standing
with feet together and near a wall or something to grab onto if you begin
losing balance. With your eyes open, slowly lift your right foot off the ground
and bring it to your knee or as high as it can get. Hold this pose for 20
seconds. Do the same with the left. Repeat on each side 5 times. Once you feel comfortable, lift your leg up and then slowly turn your head to the right and
left while continuing to hold the position. Finally, try to hold the pose again
while keeping your arms perfectly at your sides, then at 90 degrees, and
finally with your arms raised above your head. As you begin to balance easier
in this position, work your way from 20 seconds to 30 seconds. After
mastering the exercise above, try going up on your toes. Keep both feet on the
ground at first. For the truly masterful, you can begin doing the exercises on
your toes with only one foot at a time!
This
exercise will require a tennis ball. Face a flat wall holding a tennis ball,
standing about 3-6 feet away. Start by throwing the ball at the wall with the
left hand and catching with the right hand. Then throw the ball at the wall
with the right hand and catch with the left hand. You can also practice throwing with the right and catching with the right, and vice versa. If you get really good, try throwing two balls at once!
If we don't continuously train these systems, we begin to lose the ability to sense how we are moving and where our body parts are in space. Luckily, by leading an active lifestyle, you are continuously training these two systems. Simply by walking, we are inputting some information into these two systems and keeping them from deteriorating.
However, it doesn't hurt to up the training a bit! Our vestibular and proprioceptive systems are important for preventing injury and avoiding falls. The more we train, the less likely we are to get hurt. All it takes is a few minutes a day! Read below to find some excellent training exercises for both systems!
Exercises
1) One Legged Stand Variations
Begin
standing
with feet together and near a wall or something to grab onto if you begin
losing balance. With your eyes open, slowly lift your right foot off the ground
and bring it to your knee or as high as it can get. Hold this pose for 20
seconds. Do the same with the left. Repeat on each side 5 times. Once you feel comfortable, lift your leg up and then slowly turn your head to the right and
left while continuing to hold the position. Finally, try to hold the pose again
while keeping your arms perfectly at your sides, then at 90 degrees, and
finally with your arms raised above your head. As you begin to balance easier
in this position, work your way from 20 seconds to 30 seconds. After
mastering the exercise above, try going up on your toes. Keep both feet on the
ground at first. For the truly masterful, you can begin doing the exercises on
your toes with only one foot at a time!
2) Heel to Toe Walk
Place
your right foot down and then place your left heel right up against the front
of your right foot. Continue in this manner, and walk in a line for at least 12 steps and then turn around
and come back.
3) Tape Walk
Using
tape,
mark spots on the carpet in a circle about a step width apart. Now walk in a
circle trying to step only on the spots you marked. Then switch and go the
other way. If this seems too easy, go around your house and collect your
cushions and pillows, try to get at least 8. Set them up in a circle spaced
about a foot or two apart. Now walk in a circle only on the pillows. Switch and
go the other way. You can also place the pillows in a line or a zigzag pattern
and follow that!
4) Tennis Ball Toss
This
exercise will require a tennis ball. Face a flat wall holding a tennis ball,
standing about 3-6 feet away. Start by throwing the ball at the wall with the
left hand and catching with the right hand. Then throw the ball at the wall
with the right hand and catch with the left hand. You can also practice throwing with the right and catching with the right, and vice versa. If you get really good, try throwing two balls at once!
yours in health,
dr samantha boldt
