Culturally, we talk a lot about
balance in the metaphorical sense.
How do we balance our careers and our families? Our needs and those of others? Our budgets?
Let’s talk about balance in the
literal sense. The statistics are
pretty grim on mortality following hip fractures, many of which are caused by
falls. For many of us, the
difference between living independently into our old age and living in a
nursing home will come down to whether or not we can maintain enough balance
and strength to use the bathroom by ourselves. In a more immediate way, good balance can keep us from
turning our ankles, torquing our knees, and throwing out our backs.
It isn’t hard to work on
balance. I suggest brushing teeth
while standing on one leg. Waiting
in line is also a great place to practice. If you don’t embarrass easily, you can pretend the lines on
the sidewalk are tightropes or you can return your books to the library on the
top of your head. Those are just
regular life examples.
In workouts, we can improve
balance by doing exercises on stability balls or BOSU balls (those things that
look like half a stability ball, or maybe a turtle). We can do single leg squats and deadlifts. We can play one-legged catch. And, of course, we can work on our core
musculature.
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