Practicing balance exercises with The Run Experience, click here for their website.
What is balance? It’s something you don’t even think about until you start to lose it. Your body has an internal mechanism that enables you to stand, walk, run, etc without falling over. Just like everything else in your body (bone density, muscle, brains? yep brains too!) if you don’t use it, you lose it. If you lead a sedentary life, your balance will atrophy faster than if you were active. With age balance also becomes an issue, just like the loss of muscle. There are many other reasons for balance atrophy but the solution is the same. Practice, practice, practice.
Most people, even elderly, can regain a lot of it back and particularly for older people it can mean a much more fulfilling and active life. To test yourself for balance issues start by standing on one foot (hold on to something if you need to). If that’s easy, look to the left, then to the right. Progress by attempting to touch your standing foot with the opposite hand and then get back up while still standing on one foot. If you can’t do that without wobbling, you need to work on your balance. The ultimate test of great balance is if you can do all that with your eyes closed. Why do you need to have balance? For one, so you don’t fall! But also, without proper balance you shouldn’t lift weights or engage in any aerobic activity at the risk of injury, muscle imbalance and poor skeletal posture (this could become permanent or very hard to correct).
Balance is literally the foundation of physical fitness. It’s your step one before you do anything else.
So what happens if you’ve suddenly become aware of your balance problems? For some, it seems to happen out of the blue. Don’t fret. It’s not over. But it will require a consistent and daily effort. You will gain it back if you don’t give up.
Let me tell you a little about my experience with balance problems. I’ve been a runner for as long as I can remember but after the birth of my second child something happened to my body that was very off. I didn’t know what was happening or why but I knew something was definitely not right. For one, I had to give up running because it was causing a horrible dizzying effect on me. One fateful day when I had a terrible fall that left me with a permanent scar on my left knee, I knew I had to do something. Of course I went to the doctor who decided that based on the symptoms I had some sort of incurable inner ear disease and prescribed drugs. He then told me these drugs make you sleepy, oh and you can’t drink coffee because it exacerbates fluid retention in the ear. Lovely! I was desperate so I started taking them. I didn’t feel any better. Actually I started to feel worse. So, I decided to forget this sh… err… stuff! I needed to figure this out on my own.
Devastated and not even knowing where to start I was researching balance solutions non stop until I found that I just need to practice a few simple exercises many times a day for however long it was necessary. I actually don’t remember how long it took but I didn’t run for a couple of years out of fear of falling and breaking a bone. I had two children to take care of and I just couldn’t take the risk. Eventually as I ventured outside and started running slowly I realized that my balance improved.
So, I continued running and never stopped incorporating a few balance exercises on my cross training days. I still do them just not as often. The biggest challenge for me was running downhill. That requires a good amount of control especially as you run fast. Up until very recently I still struggled with this and always held back a little. But with my most recent marathon training I dedicated a lot of time to downhill running and I am quite happy to report that I have finally gotten to that point where I can run downhill like the wind and feel in total control.
Now, the lessons that I’ve learned from my experience with balance is not to take it for granted. I also learned not to give up on myself. You owe it to yourself to make the most out of life. Do your research. Work on yourself constantly.
Start by being balanced!