Balance is the ability to maintain a correct, upright position whether you are standing still or moving. While this may sound simple, a variety of internal influences, such as a medical condition or the effects of aging, can interfere with your sense of balance, causing problems that range from feeling slightly unsteady to being unable to stand. No matter what your age, poor balance can lead to falls and the potential of serious injury. Take steps to improve your sense of balance and protect you and your overall health.
Step 1
Make an appointment with your doctor for a physical examination and follow her instructions for improving your sense of balance. Your doctor will look mainly for calcium deposits in your inner ear that cause benign paroxysmal positional vertigo or the presence of an inner ear infection that causes labyrinthitis. In addition, balance problems can also result from a head injury or heart problems.
Step 2
Exercise to strengthen muscles that hold your body upright. In addition to lower-body strengthening exercises you should incorporate into a strength-training workout at least two days a week, the National Institutes of Health and National Institute on Aging recommends exercises you can perform daily, such as leg raises, knee curls and toe stands.
Step 3
Make good posture a habit. Good posture balances your center of gravity, while slouching creates an imbalance by causing your center of gravity to move forward. Constantly thinking about your posture when both sitting and standing, and correcting your stance when necessary will, over time, teach your body to stand straight and tall as a matter of habit.
Tips and Warnings
- Examples of balance exercises you can perform daily include 10 to 15 repetitions of standing on one foot and then the other for up to 10 seconds each time. Another good balance exercise is the heel-to-toe walk in which you position your feet in a heel-to-toe fashion, focus on an object in front of you and take a series of 20 heel-to-toe steps toward the object. A third helpful exercise is the 40-step balance walk. Raise your arms level with your shoulders and start walking forward, lifting your back leg and pausing for one second as you take each step.
