Simple Home Balance Workout

Simple Home Balance Workout

Balance is very important.

It is so important that I create a 4 hour course that I teach fitness professionals.

Well today, I have a quick home balance workout that one can do.

If you are young and fit, this maybe way to easy but it will help your parents out. Especially if they have any fears for falling or have had a friend fall and injury themselves.

Today the article is from Dr. Dan Ritchie. 

Enjoy!

Rick Kaselj, MS

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Hey I am Dr Dan Ritchie from Functional Aging Institute and we are going to give you a quick simple home balance workout.

It doesn’t take any equipment whatsoever other than yourself. You can do this at home from your own living room, bedroom, you can take it to the gym, out to the park, where ever you want.

CLICK HERE to watch the video on YouTube

#1 – Lower Body Side-to-Side Squats

We are going to start with lower body side to side squats and we are going to pretend like we are stepping over something.

Lower_Body_Side_to_Side_Squats

Lower Body Side-to-Side Squats

Take a step sideways like stepping over a curb. Then step over in the back in that direction getting into a squat. You are going to shift all your weight to the right, all your weight to the left. It’s really important that you get good at stepping over things sideways.

#2 – Front and Back Step Over Squats

Front_and_Back_Step_Over_SquatsFront and Back Step Over Squats

Now we are going to do this forward and backward. Step over something forward bring both legs together and then take it into a squat. Then backwards bring both legs together and squat down. Always think about getting that trail leg over the object.

That’s typically where people trip or get caught. When you step forward, take a giant step forward. Make sure that trail leg gets up and over.

#3 – Floor Touch Lunges

Now get in the lunge position getting in a nice lunge. Reach down and try to touch the floor.  Come all the way up over the head. Shifting our center of gravity from above our head to all the way down to the floor. Do about five of these. Bring that other foot forward trying to get down to the floor.

Floor_Touch_Lunges

Floor Touch Lunges

If this is the first time you have ever done it you might now get down the ground. That is okay. Get down as far as you can and reach up as high as you can. If you have some shoulder issues and you can’t really get an arm over your head then just reach up the healthy arm as high as you can.

#4 – Marching with Different Variations

The last one that we are going to do is a marching movement. We will be marching in several different ways.

First traditional marching fairly simple marching in place. If you want to make it more challenging put your hands on top of your head or all the way up straight over the head. Either way that’s going to raise the center of gravity making it a little bit harder for balance control.

Marching

Marching  

Next is wide marching almost like straddling a horse nice and wide. You really want to think about getting those legs nice and wide like you are trying to straddle something. Go back to regular marching. Now to march on tip toes trying not to let those heels touchdown.

The last one which is the most difficult is marching your heels.  You will notice you will move around a little bit with this which is normal because you have to move from forward to back as your center of gravity shifts. This helps you train what happens when you start to fall back on heels and lose balance backwards.

You might want to go little bit cautious with marching on your heels.

If you are looking for a program to help improve your balance and stay young, then check out the Never Grow Old Fitness Program:

The-Never-Grow-Old-Program

Dr. Dan Ritchie

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