Weight Shifting for Better Balance

                                                                        Want better balance? Try this…


     I’m often asked what are some simple things to help improve someone’s balance. I often hesitate to respond quickly because the answer it usually, it depends. The answer is often population specific as well as task specific. Meaning that improving someone’s balance goes deeper than just having them try generic things such as thinking everyone will benefit from just standing on one leg. With that said, how am I going to actually write a blog on how YOU or your loved one can potentially improve your/their balance by reading this post?

     Balance is controlled by three major systems in the body. The systems include vision, vestibular system, and the proprioceptive system. All three can potentially be great targets to attack when trying to help someone improve their balance. Like all systems in biology, they tend to not perform as well as we age. Our vision becomes less sharp and often affected by low light situations as we age. Likewise, our vestibular system and proprioceptive system as well tends to not perform as acutely as we did when we were younger. Along those lines, as we age we often STOP doing activities because of many reasons. And, one of the primary reasons that these systems don’t work quite as good is because we stopped challenging them! We all know the use it or lose it phenomenon and our biology PRUNES what is doesn’t use. Neuroplasticity works at any age thankfully and you can improve your balance at any age as well. You just have to challenge it and challenge it at the right level consistently. I will write more articles on others ways to improve balance including topics such as getting stronger, improving power, enhancing mobility, and working on timing/coordination because all of things are crucial in keeping our two legged selves from meeting the earth and damaging precious bones and egos!

    This routine I’m about to explain can be done by anyone. It’s one of the basics I like to start with and it may seem even to easy for some of you. If that is you, then continue to work on it but perhaps challenge yourself by S L O W I N G the movement down even more and coordinating it with your breath to that you can make it into a type of moving meditation which can be of great benefit to all of us.


Weight shifting routine (Side to Side)

 1.    Stand up
 2.    Feet can start in shoulder width position. If you feel unsteady, please either have a spotter or do this in the    corner of a room (kitchen counter corner may work ideally) so that you have protection from a wall/counter to help keep you safe.
 3.    Slide bend in your knees, hands by your sides or on your hips, shoulders relaxed, and eyes on the horizon. 
 4.    Focus on the PRESSURE through the bottom of your feet.
 5.    Notice if you have more weight in the left foot or the right foot and remember, you are just observing not   judging.
 6.    Notice if you have more weight on your toes, heels, or if it is spread evenly.
 7.    Take time with the above before proceeding…don’t rush it!
 8.    I want you to know imagine that your whole pelvis, trunk, shoulders, and head is ONE unit…think of a large pot of water and you don’t want to spill any of the water.
 9.    Shift your weight to the right foot and FEEL the weight transfer to the right while you keep your “pot of water” from spilling. It’s common for us to want to dip the shoulders or pelvis down…don’t do that!
 10.    Shift your weight to the left and again, focus your attention on the weight transferring to the left while everything above your hips stays absolutely level. Repeat several times until it feels natural. This might take some of you a lot of practice as it may feel very awkward.


                                                                Weight shifting routine (forward/backward).
 1.    Stand up
 2.    Feet can start in shoulder width position. If you feel unsteady, please either have a spotter or do this in the corner of a room (kitchen counter corner may work ideally) so that you have protection from a wall/counter to help keep you safe.
 3.    Slide bend in your knees, hands by your sides or on your hips, shoulders relaxed, and eyes on the horizon. 
 4.    Focus on the PRESSURE through the bottom of your feet.
 5.    Notice if you have more weight in the left foot or the right foot and remember, you are just observing not judging.
 6.    Notice if you have more weight on your toes, heels, or if it is spread evenly.
 7.    Take time with the above before proceeding…don’t rush it!
 8.    Shift your weight forward towards your toes by bending through the ankle joint. Don’t lift your heel but you will notice the pressure in your heel becomes less.
 9.    As you are shifting forward, your pelvis, trunk, and head should stay as level as possible. It’s common to bend at the waist or hips…don’t do that! 
 10.    Shift your weight backward through the arch and back toward the heels. Keep your toes on the ground but you should feel the weight go from toes to the heels. Now, many of us don’t have the resources to catch ourselves so be careful and consider either a spotter or a wall behind you to catch yourself if you get into trouble.
 11.    Repeat the above for a few minutes until it feels natural.



                                                                                           Summary

     You’ve learned a very valuable and elementary step in improving balance. This is one I often start with depending on the population and have used this in many different settings from personal training to physical therapy clinics. This weight shifting uses ANKLE strategy which is a crucial first step in our two legged creatures ability to stand and adapt to our environment. Without this ankle strategy, we are easily more prone to having our balance disrupted and relying on hip strategy, arm strategy, and stepping strategies to keep us upright. Of course, those other strategies are very important as well but I’d argue starting with ankle strategy is so important to begin with and akin to learning your numbers before learning how to multiply and divide in school. Please reach out if you have any questions and share the info with others who could benefit! Stay safe and remember to practice with a partner or in a area of your home where you are protected and want trip, slip, or fall on anything hard and you can use your hands to grab or reach if needed.