Do you remember as a kid trying to
walk a straight line? How about hopping up and down on one foot? There were lots of games revolving around
balance, and it was lots of fun.
But, skip to the present. As an adult, do you
find that you rarely do anything that exercises your balance. Does it take very little to actually lose
your balance?
Is your posture less than it should
be? Are you having back problems? Have
you almost fallen due to your balance wavering?
Good balance begins with a strong
core – that part of the body containing the muscles that surround your
trunk. Balance is coordinated within three different
systems-
(l) The vestibular or auditory system
in the inner ear
(2) The proprioceptive system using
sensory nerves in the muscles and joints to signal the central nervous system,
and posture, and
(3) The visual system from the eye to the brain.
Various methods to increase balance make
use of balance boards and stability
boards.
Strengthening the core has been problematic
with many adults, since they refuse to do exercises that require them to lie
down on the floor. Many do not like the
discomfort that accompanies many of the core workouts given, or the workout
does not target the specific muscles intended. The Spine Gym®, however, is a total core routine. It offers a revolutionary vertical exercise
that is easy to use and isolates the muscles you want to exercise. All this in
a functional position increases compliance and use for a stronger core.
And of course visual clues aid the
brain to determine where you are in space and time. Try standing on one leg
with your eyes closed and you will find out quickly how much you rely on eye
site for balance. However, you can teach your brain to use other senses to
overcome the use of vision for balance.