Balance – the ‘stand on one foot’ kind

Balance – literally – the stand on one foot kind and a quick snack idea

We hear so much about balancing work and family and pleasure, but not so much about the balance that keeps us upright. The fact is, balance is extremely important in keeping us healthy. Starting at about age 40, our sense of balance starts to decrease, which makes us susceptible to falls. Imagine this – you trip on an uneven sidewalk. If you have reasonably good balance, you might catch yourself and land upright on your other leg. You might feel self-conscious about tripping and look around, wondering if anyone saw you looking clumsy, but that’s about the extent of the damage. If, however, you’re a bit off and end up on the ground, you’ve probably scraped your knees, torn your clothes and perhaps fractured your outstretched wrist or your hip. Little kids who take the same kind of misstep are usually fine both because their balance is better, and even if they fall, their bones are less likely to break. They’re used to hopping, skipping and jumping and, for the most part, ending up on their own two feet. Most of us adults have stopped skipping or jumping on trampolines somewhere along the way.

So, what can we do to improve balance and body symmetry and prevent falls? Those of you who do mat Pilates, yoga or
TaiChi are way ahead of the game. Many of those routines are done while standing on one leg. The first time you do these, you might feel like someone slipped some alcohol in your water bottle, but with time, you likely will be able to develop the ability to stand on one foot while doing some movement. The instructor usually doesn’t ask you to do this – but if you tried to do the same practice with your eyes closed, it would be much more difficult.

Here are some moves that will challenge your ability to remain steady. Try them on a hard floor or thin mat. A thick mat or carpet will make them even more challenging. The first time, be sure to have a chair, table or wall nearby to catch yourself if needed. You might notice that it is much easier to balance on one leg than it is on the other. We are each slightly asymmetric, and we exaggerate the difference every day by favoring the stronger side. These one-sided exercises will help ‘even us out’, so to speak, which should help avoid back and joint pains.

With your arms straight out to the sides, stand on your right foot.
Lift your left knee up so your foot is about 6-12 inches off the ground.
Once you feel steady, slowly turn your head to the right. Then turn your head to the left. Turn from side to side slowly 10 times.
Repeat this routine while standing on your left foot.

If this movement is a problem, practice it for a week or so before proceeding.

If it seems easy, try it with your hands down at your sides instead of outstretched for balance.
Still easy? Try bending forward at the waist, so that you are looking at the floor and stretch your leg out behind you. You can do it with arms stretched out to both sides at first, then bring them in to increase the difficulty. Repeat with the other leg.

Now, try the same thing with your eyes closed, starting with the first exercise, standing upright. MUCH more difficult, isn’t it? With your eyes closed, you lose your point of focus. Similarly, if you’re daydreaming while you’re walking, and not focused on something ahead of you, you would be more likely to fall.

The benefit of these very simple exercises is that you can do them while taking a 1 minute siesta at home or at work. They should improve your balance and your body symmetry. It’s amazing once you evaluate it, how poor your balance can be without your having noticed it.

If these routines are not challenging. then move on to sitting on a body ball and try to lift one leg at a time. Or doing exercises using a Bosu ball (Balance Other Side Up, i.e., a ball with one flat side). With this, you could try standing with two feet on the flat side (rounded part on the ground) or one leg stands on either side. There are many more ways to include balance improvement in your cardio and toning exercises. We will get to them in future entries.

I hope to share my favorite recipes with you in each blog entry. For today, I’d like to leave you with a healthy and refreshing snack idea. When you have bananas that are perfectly ripe (not overly ripe), slice them and put them in a container in your freezer. If you need a cold pick-me-up, grab a few slices. They separate easily and taste even sweeter than before you froze them. Be careful, however, not to let them defrost before you eat them, as they become mushy. They may brown a bit in the freezer, but are still delicious. They are also perfect to throw into smoothies with low fat plain yogurt and other frozen fruit – or my most favorite – natural peanut butter and chocolate soy milk! The last one is definitely a crowd pleaser!

Let me know how you like them. We’re looking forward to hearing from you about more topics you’d like us to explore with you.

Enjoy the beautiful weather!

Marsha