Good balance helps prevent falls and injuries in the older population and people with compromised balance. Others who are particularly interested in improving their balance include athletes, dancers and martial arts practitioners. Good balance enhances performance. Improving your balance requires a combination of good hearing and vision, coordination, good posture and muscle strength. Once medical reasons are ruled out for lack of balance, there are exercises and practices that can improve it.
Medical Conditions
Your doctor can determine if you have a medical condition that causes balance problems. Your doctor might require specific remedies based on your medical condition. Inner ear problems, such as fluid in your ear or an ear infection, can affect your equilibrium. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society recommends that people with multiple sclerosis, a disease that affects the central nervous system, see a physical therapist for evaluation and to receive instruction on compensatory techniques and exercises, such as vestibular rehabilitation, which involves intentionally losing your balance to learn to adapt quickly.
Balance Exercises
Balance exercises performed regularly can improve your balance by providing regular practice. The heel-to-toe exercise requires you to walk slowing by placing the heel of one foot against the toe of the other while holding your hands out to the sides for balance. You can perform the one-leg stand throughout your day, such as while waiting in line or talking on the phone. You can also perform the one-leg stand as a regular exercise by standing on one leg for a few seconds, switching legs and repeating the exercise a few times.
Spatial Orientation
Your ability to sense where and how your body occupies space, also known as "your internal sense of spatial orientation," plays an important role in your balance, according to The AGS Foundation for Health in Aging. Improve your spatial orientation by performing the following exercise: Position yourself on all fours with your hands and knees 12 inches apart. While keeping your head straight, lift each arm, one at a time, and hold the position for five to 10 seconds. Lift your legs one at a time by straightening the left behind you and keeping it close to the floor. Lift the opposite leg and arm at the same time, hold the position for 10 seconds, and repeat with the other arm and leg.
Your Eyes
Your eyes help communicate information to your brain about the environment in which your body moves. Improve your ability to use that information by practicing the following exercise: Sit in a straight-backed chair and choose a chair with arm rests if you need support to get up from the chair. Focus your eyes on an object 10 to 20 feet away. Keep your eyes on the target as you slowly stand up and sit down. Repeat the stand-sit movement with your eyes closed. Repeat the exercise five times, alternating with eyes open and closed.
Strength and Coordination
Stretching exercises performed with light hand weights a few times a week can strengthen your muscles and improve your range of motion and flexibility, all of which contribute to your balance. Tai Chi, one of the Chinese martial arts, improves your balance and coordination by requiring you to perfect the performance of a series of poses. Tai Chi movement is slow and coordinated and requires smoothly transitioning through a series of poses.
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