If you’ve ever rolled your ankle, you understand what a pain it can be! Not only the physical pain it causes but the practical inconvenience it brings to your daily life. Similarly, stumbling and losing your balance can lead to scrapes and bruises (including a bruised ego!) or even more severe injuries.
One effective way to prevent these mishaps is by integrating balance exercises into your regular fitness routine. There are several reasons why doing so will benefit you in the long run.
Ankle Strength
One way to protect your ankles from injury is by strengthening them, and balancing on one leg is a very effective way to do this. When your ankle wobbles while balancing; you're essentially putting it through a workout! This boosts its strength and stability.
Core Strength
Although it may seem like your leg is doing all the work when it comes to maintaining balance, a substantial part of the equation is your core strength. A strong core helps you maintain balance as well as recover from instances where you lose your balance, such as tripping on an uneven surface. Regularly practicing balance exercises is one way to build your core strength.
Body Awareness
When you are focused on balancing, you need to be in tune with your whole body. This is a useful skill to develop and will come in handy to prevent future falls. It also helps in regaining your balance if you do start to lose it.
Improved Posture
Proper alignment and posture are needed to maintain balance. So, as you continue to work on and improve your balance, you’ll notice that your posture can improve as well! Proper posture not only helps with balance but has a positive impact on your overall physical well-being.
By incorporating balance exercises into your fitness routine, you are creating a well-rounded approach to increasing your strength, agility, body awareness, and posture. All of this helps to ensure a more stable and injury-resistant future.
Getting started can be as simple as holding a wall, chair or table for support and standing on one leg for 10-15 seconds at a time. The sooner you start, the better, so why wait?
