"What's the Best Exercise for Balance, Paul?"
Prospective member... "What's the best exercise I can do to improve my balance, Paul? My balance has completely gone to pot. I just don't feel steady on my feet, especially on uneven ground, and I hate going downstairs or down a hill. What exercises do you think I should do to get my balance back?"
Me... "Goblet Squats and Lunges."
Perhaps the most effective but underrated exercises for balance are the humble Goblet Squat and Lunges. But, the catch is that we must train them through their entire range of motion (ROM) and develop neuromuscular control of the movement through the entire ROM.
I think (my unscientific observation and opinion) that the biggest issue with people's balance is simply a deficit of strength at some point in the ROM, usually at the bottom of the movement.
I see this nearly every day. Because of knee pain or other discomfort and unsteadiness, people will only do work in the ROM in which they feel comfortable, and they avoid the deeper ranges.
The result is a doom loop - Our knees hurt and we feel unsteady when we do deep lunges, so we don't do full lunges, which then weakens our muscles, which impairs our balance, which makes us feel even more unsteady, so we avoid doing them at all.
You get the idea.
I believe any of us could significantly improve our balance by persistently and methodically developing strength and control through the full ROM of these two fundamental exercises.
There are loads of ways to modify either of them that will allow someone to improve their strength and balance safely. That's our special sauce at MidStrong. We have specific expertise and vast experience in helping all our members modify just about any exercise or workout so they can safely get the most out of the effort they invest.
We do this in person at our local Healthspan Lab (bricks and mortar boutique personal training center) or remotely through our innovative online training platform, which we use to train members nationwide.
Please share this with friends or relations who need help with their balance or strength.
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