4 Reasons to Work on Your Balance… Not That You Need Reasons.

Balancing is a fundamental aspect of any movement we perform. It is one more of those things that you don’t realize its importance until you don’t have it. You need balance in every day movements like standing up from sitting, or to lean forward and reach for something, and certainly to dance!

You work stabilizing muscles to balance, and it also challenges stability in our joints and our vestibular system. Here are 6 more reasons to work on balance:

  1. You start to lose balance with aging: your brain, your muscles, and your inner ear are all coordinating together to balance. If you don’t practice balance, the integration between these systems can decline over time, making it harder for you to stay upright with good posture. Practicing balance activities keeps everything working much more smoothly and prevents much of this age-related loss.
  2. You can help prevent falls: with better balance comes the ability to more quickly react to unexpected slips. Knowing that you are adept to react to sliding or uneven terrain can help with the confidence needed to leave the house in winter!
  3. Make your body do something different! As adults, we live in the forward/backward plane of movement, and don’t regularly do movements side-to-side or rotations. Over years, this can make our joints and muscles stiffer or tighter when we do have to get out of our usual positions. Balance exercises make our bodies react, engaging different muscles and working our joints in new ways.
  4. Balance can help you recover faster from injury: not only have balance drills and exercises been shown to help prevent injuries, research shows that balance exercises in rehab can help you recover faster from injuries in the leg and foot.

You Now Have a Standing Desk for Work. What Now?

Do you have a standing desk ? Here are some considerations for your work day.

We’ve now all heard that sitting is the new smoking, and you found that sitting for hours on end during work made your back and neck sore. You now have a standing desk, but how long should you be standing? What height is best? What about how you’re standing? So many questions!

Some of these questions are covered in the short video above, but it would be important to gradually build up your standing tolerance at the desk. Start with about 15-20 minutes, then sit for a time, and alternate positions through the day. Eventually try to stand for 40-50% of your work day.

It can also be helpful to have a small step in front, and have the option to put one foot up for some of your standing time. Obviously, you would want to switch feet at times while standing.

A standing desk can be a great option to break up periods of sitting, and still be productive in your day!