Improve Your Balance With These 5 Exercises

This week I am sharing 5 awesome exercises for improving balance. All of these exercises accomplish much more than simply improving balance.

#1) Split Squats + Medial Band Resistance

This exercise improves balance, and strengthens the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings, and the muscles in the foot and lower leg. The band, which is applying resistance medially, is great for teaching people how to prevent their knee and foot from falling in.

Coaching Tips:

Attach a band around a secure surface, and loop the band around your ankle. There should be resistance in the band for 100% of the exercise.

Get into a split squat position. Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position. Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise.

On the front foot, form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your foot, and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your foot should remain in contact with the floor for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the floor. Be on the forefoot of your back foot.

Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).⁣ ⁣

Now perform a split squat and lower yourself down to a range where you are able to maintain proper form. ⁣With the band resistance, you will notice you will really have to be mindful of your foot, knee, and glutes. ⁣

When you are performing the split squats, pretend you are “pulling” your body down with your legs. Don’t just mindlessly drop down. ⁣ ⁣

Make sure you do not relax or lose tension when you are in the bottom position. Many people make this mistake. ⁣ ⁣

Press your body away from the floor and back to the starting position. ⁣

Do not allow your knees to fall inside or outside of your feet.⁣

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or hip to drop on one side.

For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine).

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

#2) Forefoot Loaded Carries

This exercise strengthens the muscles in the foot and lower leg, and improves balance.

Coaching Tips:

Hold a pair of dumbbells, kettlebells, or other weighted objects.

Adopt your walking/runnning foot width, and lift your heels off the floor so you are on your forefeet. For the duration of the exercise, remain on your forefeet.

While remaining on your forefeet, walk a set distance. Be very mindful that you are pressing evenly through your forefeet/all of your toes, and that your feet are not collapsing in or falling out.

Do not allow your knees to fall inside or outside of your feet.⁣

Keep your arms rigid and pretend you are crushing something in your armpits. This will keep the weights from swinging. This is especially important as you add more weight.

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or hip to drop on one side.

For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine).

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

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#3) Single Leg Deadlift/Squat Hybrid Pick-Ups

This exercise strengthens the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings, the muscles in the foot and lower leg, improves balance, and lumbo-pelvic stability.

Coaching Tips:

Place a weight on one side of your body. Stand on one foot, and have a slight bend in your knee. Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.

On the planted side, form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your foot, and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your foot should remain in contact with the floor for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the floor.

Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).⁣ ⁣

Now perform a deadlift/squat hybrid (hinge your hips and bend your knee), and lower yourself down and grab the weight. ⁣

⁣When you are performing the deadlift/squat, pretend you are “pulling” your body down with your leg. Don’t just mindlessly drop down. ⁣ ⁣

Make sure you do not relax or lose tension when you are in the bottom position. Many people make this mistake. ⁣

Press your body away from the floor and back to the starting position. ⁣

Do not allow your knee to fall inside or outside of your foot.⁣

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.

For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine).

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

#4) Anti-Rotational Swings From Single Leg Isometric RDL

This exercise strengthens the posterior chain muscles isometrically, the muscles in the foot and lower leg, improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and balance.

Coaching Tips:

Attach a weight plate (or other object) to a band, and hold the band in both hands.

On the planted side, form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your foot, and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your foot should remain in contact with the floor for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the floor.

Get into a single leg RDL position. Initiate the movement with your hips and push them backwards. Imagine a rope is pulling your hips backwards or that you are trying to press your hips back against a wall.

Keep your non-working leg straight (or knee locked at a 90 degree angle), roughly parallel to the floor, and close to the midline of your body.

Make sure that your torso and hips are square to the floor. Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise. ⁣

Now slowly swing the weight from side to side. The further away from the midline of your body the weight travels, the more challenging the exercise will be.

Aside from your arms, the rest of your body should remain in a fixed position.

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate. Your torso and hips should remain square to the floor.

Do not allow your knee to fall inside or outside of your foot.

For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine).

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

#5) Single Leg Partial Squat + Single Leg Band Resisted Hip Abductions

This exercise strengthens the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings, the muscles in the foot and lower leg, and improves balance.

Coaching Tips:

Stand on a slightly elevated surface as this will allow you to keep your moving leg fully extended, or close to it.

Place a band around your ankles. There should be resistance in the band for 100% of the exercise.

Get into a partial squat stance. Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position. Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise.

On the planted side, form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your foot, and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your foot should remain in contact with the surface for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the surface.

While keeping your leg fully extended, use your glutes and move your leg away from the midline of your body, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form.

Aside from this moving leg, the rest of your body should remain in a fixed position for the duration of the exercise.

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or hip to drop on one side.