Core Exercises To Improve Balance and Stability

Balance and stability is highly important because without proper balance there are chances of suffering from fall and get injured that may even be fatal at times. There are some core exercises to improve balance and stability. Let us read below to know about the exercises.

Core Exercises to Improve Balance and Stability.

Balance is so important and is an essential component of our health as well as physical performance as it is required for several activities that we perform in day-to-day life, such as climbing stairs, running, or carrying loads. It is very much essential for older people to have balance and stability that would in turn reduce the risk of falls as well as unwanted injuries. Now again, for attaining proper balance and stability, stability of the core muscles is very much important. In order to improve your balance and exercise, you can practice some of the core exercises that would not only improve the balance and stability, but also improve you athletic performance, health and overall fitness of the body.

Planks.

Plank is known to be one of the best core exercises. This exercise works on your abdominals, glute muscles and lower back.

You need to lie on your stomach, placing forearms on the ground, and elbows directly under the shoulders. Make sure you place your feet at a hip-width distance and your toes tucked. Now, slowly lift the body off the floor, while contracting the ab and glute muscles and getting your lower back as flat as you can. Keep it ensured that your head, hips, shoulders, knees and ankles are all in one straight line. Hold this plank at least for 20 to 30 seconds. You can slowly increase the plank hold to 60 seconds.

Planks With Elbows On A Stability Ball.

This is an interesting version of planks where you make use of a stability ball to rest your elbows while doing the plank hold. Simply place the elbows on a stability ball and walk out your feet until you come in a position of plank. Here, you are to engage your abdominal muscles, glutes, and the quadriceps so as to maintain a stable pose of plank.

Alternate Leg Lowering.

Alternate leg lowering is a core exercise to improve balance and stability. This exercise helps in correcting any imbalance between the right and left sides, and it also involves the hip muscles. This exercise can also help you in case your hamstrings feel extremely tight.

To do this exercise, begin by lying on your back on the ground with your arms kept at both the sides and legs raised up towards the ceiling. Use your core muscles and press the lower back into the floor. Breathe out and take 2-3 seconds to lower the left leg towards the ground, while keeping the lower back on the floor and your left leg absolutely rigid.

NOTE. You can hold a belt, or a resistance band around your foot of the leg that is stable. Begin with 5 repetitions on each leg and then as you increase your core strength, gradually progress to 3 sets of 20 repetitions on each leg.

Single-Leg Cross-Body Punches.

This is another core exercise to improve balance and stability. For this, you need to hold two dumbbells at chest height with both your hands and then move into a single- leg, quarter-squat position. With absolute control, alternate “punching” the dumbbells across the body, while making sure to maintain the stability in the standing leg.

Banded Triplanar Toe Taps

You can also do banded triplanar toe taps, an effective core exercise to improve balance and stability. For doing this exercise, place a Versa-Loop band right above your knees and come into a single-leg, quarter-squat position. Balance on the standing leg and tap the other leg forward, to the side and

Dead Bug

To do this core exercise to improve balance and stability, begin by lying on your back, with knees bent at 90 degrees and both the arms reaching towards the ceiling. It looks like a bug that is dead and lying on its back.

Keeping the lower back tightly pressed into the ground, breathe out and lower the right leg slowly towards the ground while reaching overhead with the left arm. Breathe out completely and then get back to the starting position and then repeat the same on the alternate side. Start with 5 repetitions on each side and then gradually increase it to 10 repetitions on each side.

Some Other Forms Of Core Exercises To Improve Balance And Stability.

Apart from all the above mentioned exercises, there are other core exercises, which strengthen the core and helps in improving balance and stability. Tai Chi is one of the most effective core strengthening exercise which is actually a Chinese martial arts’ form and includes deep breathing, slow movements and postures. There are also some yoga postures which can be practiced for an improved level of balance and stability.

Conclusion.

Above we talked about some of the core exercises to improve balance and stability. If you are one of those who usually suffer from balance issue, or if you are worried of losing balance and stability because of your old age, then do perform these core exercises and see if you get any benefit out of it. Make sure that in case you suffer from any health condition or if you are an elderly person, do consult with your doctor about your exercise restriction and also hire a personal fitness trainer to guide you in the most appropriate way.

Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:February 21, 2019

Recent Posts

Related Posts