Improve Your Balance While Watching TV
Today’s Topic Highlights:
You can begin cultivating better balance right now, right in your living room, in just a few short minutes.
The average American watches close to 3 hours of television a day, and commercial breaks last about 3-5 minutes on average. You can take advantage of those short windows of opportunity by working on simple balance exercises that require very little space and zero equipment.
Balance is usually lost laterally in what is known in fitness as the ‘frontal plane of motion’. Improving frontal plane stability is key to reducing fall risk.
The four exercises outlined are: (1) assisted single leg balance, (2) split stance balance, (3) airplane tilting, and (4) tandem walking (AKA the “tightrope”).
These balance exercises also enhance proprioception - the body’s ability to sense its own movements and position relative to the surrounding environment. Keeping this “sixth sense” sharp is a critical part of graceful aging.
Imagine reducing your fall risk, refining your spatial judgements, improving your lateral stability, and increasing your confidence in overall balance - all while watching your favorite TV show. If this sounds too good to be true, then you’re in for a motivating surprise. You can begin cultivating better balance right now, right in your living room, in just a few short minutes.
The average American watches close to 3 hours of television a day. People obviously enjoy watching shows, sports, and documentaries. But do you actually enjoy watching the commercials peppered in between? Probably not. They are mostly a necessary annoyance. You can make better use of that time than just sitting and waiting for them to pass on mute.
Commercial breaks last about 3-5 minutes on average. This is more than enough time to practice balance exercises that, with consistency and repetition, can improve your long term quality of life. The only space needed to practice balance exercises is a 365° wingspan of your own body. Zero equipment is required.
Below are four balance exercises that can be performed anywhere, anytime. Practiced as a group, they will have a functional carryover into your everyday life. Balance is usually lost laterally in what is known in fitness as the ‘frontal plane of motion’. Improving frontal plane stability is key to reducing fall risk. These balance exercises also enhance proprioception - the body’s ability to sense its own movements and position relative to the surrounding environment. Keeping this “sixth sense” sharp is a critical part of graceful aging.