Better Balance

I always ask people to start to practice balance by standing at their kitchen counter and holding on to the sink edge. The front of your feet can fit into the toe space under the cabinet doors. This is a safe spot to start strengthening your feet. Rise up on your toes ten times, keeping your body against the counter so you can start to determine what “being on your vertical axis” feels like. Now you are ready to start standing on one leg for 10 to 15 seconds. Bend one leg slightly and lean it into the cabinets, raising the other leg slightly behind you. Don’t let your hips twist. Keep them against the counter. Switch legs and repeat ten times on each leg. Try closing your eyes while holding on to see if you can sense your center axis. When standing on one foot, the center of your body should be over the balancing foot’s arch, so line your nose, sternum, belly button, and pubic bone up over the arch. Then think of the other part of your axis that is perpendicular to that forward axis. Your ankle, back of knee, hip, shoulder and ear should be aligned. Finding these center axes are key to easy balance. Now all you need to do is strengthen your core to be able to hold it all together without the aid of the kitchen counter.