BALANCE YOUR CORE AND HELP BALANCE YOUR LIFE

Posted by Julie Malady on 9/3/2012

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.