Sean McCawley
Land-dwelling organisms with two or four sets of feet possess innate abilities to recover from loss of balance.
A cat will walk along a fence, slip, and manage to recover its balance and continue to briskly prance along a fence line 8 feet up from the ground. Dogs will run after a thrown ball, jump off the ground and intercept it, landing effortlessly on their four legs.
Humans have only two feet touching the ground. We share similar traits with quadruped animals through our use of balance within our movement.
Flash back to how Michael Jordan would fly through the air after he levitated off the ground from the free throw line and slam-dunked basketballs. He would land gracefully on both feet. Sometimes he would lose his balance and fall. However, he always recovered from the fall and avoided injury.
Our normal everyday activities require us to walk in straight lines, turn 360 degrees and refocus our vision, and reactively step in various planes of motion so we can remain standing if an accident knocking us off balance were to occur.
If we look at our friends the cats, dogs, and Michael Jordan, we can get a grasp how balance effects our movement. We aren’t NBA champion basketball players, Australian shepherds, or jaguars darting through jungle treetops. However, as the general population functioning in today’s society, balance plays a critically important role in maintaining our safety, having productive days, and prolonging our lives.
Loss of balance is a disruption in our ability to manage our imbalances. Outside of the low percent of randomly slipping on a grape in the grocery store, loss of balance can be strongly contributed to decreased fitness levels. Foundational strength in the lower extremities, core, and upper extremities play a critical role in our ability toward correcting presentations of imbalance.
Additionally, if we look at the felines walking the tightrope-like fence line as they stalk squawking blue birds, you can see the cat’s mastery of how it uses its tail as a counter balance along with its precise movement to maintain a straight line of travel. Humans also use counterbalances in their movement to maintain a straight line of travel to maintain optimal balance.
Along with strength training and injury prevention we perform with our personal training clients in Napa, emphasizing balance is a key component to refining overall fitness. Here are a few examples of balance exercises we include in our exercise prescriptions:
1. Standing Isometric Single Leg Knee Lift: Stand with both feet underneath the hips. Lift one leg, flexing at the hip. Maintain that position for 10-30 seconds. When performing these exercises, always err on the side of caution by standing next to a wall to use your hand to support you if you were to lose balance. To increase the challenge of this exercise, raise your arms out in front of you or hold them over head. This movement improves our ability to correct front to back and side-to-side balance. Additionally, standing on one leg emphasizes extra focus on the ankles, muscles surrounding the knee and hip joints, and forces the eyes to focus on various points of balance. Maintain this position for 10-30 seconds and repeat for 1-3 sets.
2. Heel-to-toe walk: Revisiting the movement of our feline counterparts walking along the fence lines, walking in a straight line by narrowing our feet’s path of travel poses a challenge. This movement is not only important for side-to-side balance, but also helps us move forward and backward when there is scenario imposing a threat of losing balance. To perform this exercise, find a line that you can walk along. A tile grout line or the edge of an area rug will suffice. Take one step forward ensuring the heel touches the lead foot’s toes. Alternate striding one foot in front of the other. Repeat this protocol for a total of 10-30 feet distance. Repeat traveling this distance for 1-3 sets. After mastering this technique, we should all be able to pass the DUI test in a sober state.
3. Isometric Single Leg Wall Sit: Lower extremity strength is important for balance. Ensuring muscles have an attuned neuromuscular system and muscular endurance assists the mitigation of potential loss of balance scenarios. To perform, place your back against a wall. Slide down the wall to where your knees are bent at a 15-30-degree angle and lift one foot off the ground. Your weight should be situated on one leg, opposite foot lifted off the ground. Maintain this position for 10-30 seconds and repeat for 1-3 sets. To increase the challenge of this exercise, raise your arms out in front of you or hold them over head.
Safely managing balance is similar to the graceful movement of cats, dogs, and athletes. We don’t need to strive to be just like these elite displays of athleticism. However, we to need to maintain our health so we can enjoy our world to the fullest. Staying uninjured and avoiding detriments to loss balance will help us live a happy, healthy, and strong life.
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Sean McCawley, the founder and owner of Napa Tenacious Fitness in Napa, CA, welcomes questions and comments. Reach him at 707-287-2727, napatenacious@gmail.com or visit the website napatenaciousfitness.com.
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