Our March Attainable Healthy Challenge - Balance
There are many great exercises to help us improve our balance but the goal here is “attainable”, so we’ll share the top 3 exercises that we’re going to incorporate into our daily routine for the month of March and we hope that you’ll join us too! The goal for performing any type of balance exercises is to improve our stability and coordination throughout our body. As we know, it’s important to try and incorporate exercises that improve our balance as we get older. If you wonder who should do balance exercises, the experts say, everyone!
Having good balance will help prevent injuries, which is always a good thing and the following exercises can be done at home using your own body weight. We shared a short video on our InstaGram story last Sunday, where Mimi Jackie and Gigi Susie were doing one of our balance exercises together. Why not consider having a friend join you for these simple exercises?
Single Leg Balance
This is a simple exercise (the one we shared in our stories last Sunday). You should do this while holding lightly onto a chair, railing or by placing one hand on the wall for assistance, if you’re just starting out.
Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Step 2: Extend your arms out to the sides and slowly lift your right knee up off the floor.
Step 3: Straighten your leg out in front of you, hold that position for 30 seconds, and relax.
Repeat this same exercise for both legs at least three times.
Tree Pose
The next exercise after the single-leg balance is the tree pose. This is an excellent and simple exercise for improving our balance. It’s also a popular yoga move! Stand near a chair while you do this one and hold onto it LIGHTLY for a little support. As you gain balance your goal is to not need the chair.
Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding one hand to your chest and the other on a chair. If you feel comfortable you can always rest both hands on your chest.
Step 2: Next, raise your right leg straight up, turning your foot inward as you do so. Gently rest the sole of your right foot against the side of your left thigh.
Step 3: Hold this position for at least 30 seconds, or longer if you can.
Do the same thing on the other leg and repeat the exercise three times.
Hip and Back Strengthener
The benefit of this exercise will help strengthen your hip abductor, your back and also improve your balance.
Step 1: Stand straight and hold onto the back of a sturdy chair.
Step 2: Without bending at the waist or knee, place your other hand on your side.
Step 3: Raise your leg straight out to the side. Your toes should point forward.
Step 4: Lower your leg slowly and repeat 15 times.
Step 5: Change sides and repeat with the other leg.
You should do this exercise twice on each leg and when the exercise is no longer a challenge, you can try adding an ankle weight.
Thanks for reading our post and for following along with us during the month of March as we work towards this attainable healthy challenge! As always, feel free to share this with your loved ones.
We've got this!
Gigi Ladies
*Disclaimer: If you have osteoporosis or low bone density, you may need to either avoid or adjust the exercises accordingly. If you’re unsure, you should check with your healthcare provider.
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