Balance

What is Balance?

Balance is the ability to stay upright or in control of body movement. It  is essential in everyday life to safely complete any type of movement or motor task that involves displacement of body segments or the entire body. This is a skill which is not just useful for people in sports but for everyday life activities (e.g., walking, standing, reaching from items high up or far away from you, etc).

Which sport or activity is balance essential for?

Although people don’t think too much about their balance, having a good balance is useful to do simple activities such as  bending down to pick stuff up, standing up or leaning over reach for objects. Balance plays a huge component when it comes to many different types of sports (e.g Gymnastics, Rugby, Volleyball etc.) Imagine you’re running for the ball and going for a tackle. You lose your footing. You lose the point. You’re on the balance beam. Final round. The decider. You lose your balance. You lose the point. You get it. Balance, often underestimated, is extremely important! 

Why is balance important?

Given the importance of balance in our daily lives and sporting activities. Balance exercises can aid in the prevention of falls, which are common in the elderly and stroke patients. Improved balance will naturally improve your body’s ability to control itself during difficult tasks and significantly improve your performance in your specific sport.

How can you improve your balance?

• Balancing on one leg, or on an unstable surface for a more challenging exercise
• Single-legged Romanian Deadlifts , or on an unstable surface
• Single-legged balance with reactive drills i.e. BlazePods