058 Balance Boot Camp: The Ability We Don't Think About Until We Lose It

Stand up.

Lift one foot slightly off the floor.

Nothing particularly exciting seems to be happening.

But underneath that simple movement, your brain, eyes, inner ears, nerves, muscles, joints, and sensory systems are carrying on an extraordinarily complicated conversation.

Now close your eyes.

Suddenly the conversation gets more interesting.

Balance is one of those abilities we rarely appreciate when it is working well.

We walk across a room.

Step into the shower.

Put on pants.

Climb stairs.

Step over a branch.

Walk down a hill.

Turn quickly when someone calls our name.

We don't normally think, "Excellent balance performance!"

We simply do it.

Until one day we wonder:

Is my balance as good as it used to be?

Balance Isn't One Thing

We sometimes talk about balance as though there were a single "balance organ" somewhere in the body.

There isn't.

Balance emerges from several systems working together.

Three sources of information are particularly important:

• vision — information from our eyes about the environment and our position within it,
• the vestibular system — structures in the inner ear that help detect head movement and orientation,
• proprioception and other body sensations — information from muscles, joints, skin, and other tissues about position and movement.

The brain receives all of this information, compares it, and sends instructions to the muscles.

And it does so continuously.

Your Eyes Are Part of Your Balance System

Vision provides powerful information about where we are relative to the world around us.

That's why standing on one leg often becomes much more difficult when we close our eyes.

The muscles didn't suddenly become weaker.

We simply removed one of the major information sources the brain was using.

The remaining systems now have to do more of the work.

This is also one reason low light, unfamiliar environments, and poor visibility can make walking more difficult for some people.

Your Inner Ear Knows Which Way You're Moving

Deep inside each ear is the vestibular system.

Its structures detect movement of the head, including rotation and changes in linear acceleration.

The vestibular system helps the brain determine whether we're moving, turning, tilting, accelerating, or changing position.

It also works closely with the eyes to help keep vision stable while the head moves.

You normally don't notice any of this.

Which is exactly the point.

A good balance system quietly does its job in the background.

Then There Is Proprioception

In our Natural Movement Boot Camp, we introduced proprioception—our ability to sense the position and movement of our body.

You don't need to stare at your knee to know whether it is bent.

You don't need to watch your arm to know whether it is raised.

Sensory information from throughout the body continually tells the nervous system what is happening.

This becomes especially important when the ground isn't perfectly flat.

One foot lands slightly sideways.

An ankle changes position.

The brain receives that information.

Muscles respond.

Balance is corrected.

Usually before we consciously realize anything happened.

Balance Is Really a Series of Corrections

Standing still doesn't mean the body is perfectly motionless.

We sway slightly.

Our center of mass shifts.

Muscles make tiny corrections.

The nervous system continually adjusts.

Good balance isn't necessarily the absence of movement.

It is the ability to recognize movement and respond appropriately.

Walking Is Controlled Falling

Walking provides a wonderful example.

To take a step, we move our body forward and temporarily reduce our base of support.

One leg swings through while the other supports us.

Then the forward foot catches the body and the process repeats.

Over and over.

We become so skilled at this as children that we forget how remarkable it is.

Watch a toddler learning to walk and you'll see just how much practice it originally required.

We Practice Balance Throughout Life—Or Do We?

Children constantly challenge their balance.

They run.

Jump.

Spin.

Climb.

Stand on things.

Walk along edges.

Hop on one foot.

Fall down.

Get back up.

Adults often become much more efficient.

We sit in chairs.

Walk across flat floors.

Drive.

Use elevators.

Avoid obstacles.

And sometimes go days without deliberately challenging our balance at all.

Efficiency is convenient.

But the body also benefits from practice.

A Personal Balance Check

Several months ago, I had a simple thought:

Is my balance as good as it used to be?

The thought made me a little nervous.

Over the years I had done plenty of activities that challenged balance, including dance. But I realized I hadn't necessarily been deliberately practicing some of those skills recently.

So before getting into the hot tub, I started doing a few of the warmups we had used before dance class.

I would stand on one leg and move the other leg into a front toe point several times, returning to the starting position.

Then I would move into a low side point—position #2—and return.

Then position #3 and back.

And continue through a few familiar movements.

Nothing elaborate.

No lengthy balance workout.

Just a few minutes.

Something Interesting Happened

Within the next few days, the movements seemed noticeably easier and my balance felt better.

That doesn't mean everyone will improve dramatically in several days. Balance ability, health, age, previous training, strength, medications, vision, inner-ear function, and many other factors can affect how quickly someone responds.

And I had another advantage:

I had practiced these movements for years.

My nervous system wasn't necessarily learning everything from scratch. I was returning to movement patterns it had encountered many times before.

But the experience reminded me of something important.

Practicing balance doesn't have to take a lot of time.

Use It or Give It Less Reason to Stay Good

The phrase "use it or lose it" is probably too absolute.

Human physiology is more complicated than that.

But the basic idea is useful.

The body adapts to the demands placed upon it.

If we regularly ask muscles to produce force, they have a reason to maintain strength.

If we regularly challenge cardiovascular capacity, the cardiovascular system adapts.

If we regularly practice coordinated movements, the nervous system becomes familiar with them.

Balance works the same general way.

We can give the system opportunities to practice.

Standing on One Leg Is Surprisingly Powerful

One-legged standing looks almost ridiculously simple.

But think about what changes when one foot leaves the floor.

Your base of support becomes much smaller.

The ankle must stabilize.

The hip must control the pelvis.

The trunk makes corrections.

The brain processes sensory information.

The eyes help establish orientation.

All of that happens because you picked up one foot.

You can understand why single-leg activities appear in many balance-training programs.

Movement Makes Balance More Interesting

Standing still on one leg is useful.

But everyday balance rarely happens while we're perfectly motionless.

We reach.

Turn.

Step.

Bend.

Look around.

Move an arm.

Move a leg.

Changing the position of another body part shifts our center of mass and gives the balance system a new problem to solve.

That's what makes those old dance warmups interesting.

The supporting leg remains relatively stable while the other leg moves in different directions.

Every change requires another adjustment.

Dance Is Balance Training in Disguise

Dance asks a lot from the balance system.

Weight shifts from foot to foot.

The body turns.

Feet move through specific positions.

The head and eyes change direction.

Movement must remain coordinated with rhythm.

Sometimes one leg supports the body while the other moves independently.

And the whole thing is supposed to look effortless.

Whether we're dancing, playing sports, hiking, doing martial arts, practicing yoga, or simply navigating rough terrain, many activities train balance without being labeled "balance exercises."

Strength and Balance Are Partners

Detecting that we're losing balance is only part of the solution.

The body also needs enough strength to correct the problem.

Muscles around the ankles, legs, hips, and trunk must generate force quickly enough to keep us upright.

If the body recognizes a loss of balance but doesn't have sufficient strength to respond, knowing that we're falling isn't particularly helpful.

This is one reason strength training and balance training complement each other so well.

Reaction Time Matters Too

Imagine catching your toe on a root.

The event wasn't planned.

The nervous system must detect the disruption and respond quickly.

Perhaps the other foot moves forward.

The arms change position.

The trunk adjusts.

A rapid recovery step may prevent a fall.

Balance isn't just about how long we can stand on one leg.

It is also about how effectively we respond when something unexpected happens.

This Is Why Uneven Ground Is So Interesting

Our previous Boot Camp explored natural movement and uneven terrain.

Now we can see why those environments provide such rich balance practice.

The trail isn't trying to knock us over.

But it isn't helping us very much either.

Every slope, root, rock, and change in footing asks for a slightly different response.

Flat surfaces are predictable.

Natural terrain provides variety.

For someone capable of safely navigating it, that variety can be useful practice.

Balance Becomes Increasingly Important With Age

Balance matters throughout life, but its importance becomes particularly obvious as we get older.

Falls are a major health concern for older adults and can result in fractures, head injuries, loss of confidence, reduced activity, and loss of independence.

Several things that contribute to balance can also change with age, including muscle strength, vision, sensory function, reaction speed, and vestibular function.

That makes maintaining these abilities worth thinking about before a serious problem develops.

Fear of Falling Can Create a Difficult Cycle

After a fall—or even a frightening near-fall—someone may understandably become cautious.

They move less.

They avoid challenging environments.

They stop doing activities that make them feel uncertain.

But reduced activity can contribute to loss of strength and physical capacity, potentially making movement even more difficult.

Safety is essential.

But when appropriate, carefully rebuilding strength, confidence, and balance can also be important.

You Don't Need a Balance Workout Every Day

This may be one of the most practical lessons.

Balance practice can often fit into ordinary life.

Depending on your ability and safety, you might:

• stand on one leg briefly near a sturdy support,
• practice controlled weight shifts,
• walk over varied but safe surfaces,
• step sideways,
• practice heel-to-toe walking,
• step over small obstacles,
• dance,
• practice tai chi or yoga,
• walk trails appropriate to your ability,
• or incorporate a few familiar balance movements into your normal routine.

A few minutes done regularly may be far more useful than an ambitious program that never becomes part of your life.

Make It Convenient

My balance practice had an advantage that had nothing to do with physiology.

I attached it to something I was already doing.

I was going to the hot tub anyway.

So doing a few minutes of balance movements beforehand didn't require scheduling another workout.

This can be a useful strategy for many healthy habits.

Attach a small activity to something already built into your day.

Before your morning shower.

While waiting for coffee.

Before a walk.

After brushing your teeth.

Before getting into the hot tub.

The easier something is to repeat, the more likely we are to actually practice it.

But Don't Turn Balance Practice Into a Fall Risk

This point is extremely important.

A balance exercise should challenge your balance without unnecessarily putting you in danger.

If you're uncertain, practice near a sturdy countertop, railing, or other secure support.

Avoid slippery surfaces and clutter.

Don't close your eyes simply because that makes an exercise harder.

Harder isn't automatically better.

Someone with significant balance problems, dizziness, recurrent falls, neurological disease, vision problems, weakness, or other medical concerns may benefit from professional evaluation and appropriately designed exercises.

The goal is to improve balance—not test how close you can get to falling.

Balance Can Be Fun

Balance training doesn't have to look clinical.

Dance.

Walk through the woods.

Play a sport.

Try tai chi.

Work in the garden.

Step across a stream.

Navigate a trail.

Play with children.

Move.

Many enjoyable activities naturally ask the body to balance.

Don't Wait Until Balance Gets Your Attention

We routinely think about cardiovascular fitness.

We think about muscle.

We think about weight.

We think about flexibility.

Balance often stays in the background.

But balance helps determine whether we can safely use all those other abilities.

Strong legs are much more useful when we can confidently stand on them.

Cardiovascular fitness is much more useful when we can safely walk somewhere.

Mobility is much more useful when we trust ourselves to move.

Balance quietly supports an enormous part of an active life.

Zehr.ws Takeaway

Balance isn't something we should begin thinking about only after we start losing it.

It is a skill created by the cooperation of our eyes, inner ears, sensory systems, brain, nerves, muscles, and joints.

And like many physical abilities, it benefits from being used.

The good news is that practice doesn't necessarily require a long workout.

Sometimes a few deliberate minutes are enough to remind the body:

We still do this.

Stand.

Step.

Reach.

Dance.

Walk on different surfaces.

Use your legs.

Challenge yourself appropriately.

Because balance isn't simply about preventing a fall.

Balance is part of the freedom to keep moving through life.

This article is for general educational purposes and is not medical advice. New or worsening balance problems, unexplained dizziness, fainting, weakness, numbness, repeated falls, or sudden changes in coordination can have medical causes and should be evaluated by an appropriate healthcare professional. Balance exercises should always be performed in an environment appropriate to the individual's abilities and fall risk.