Balance Beam
A lot of people don't include balance exercises in their repertoire. It's very important to have good balance as we get older to lessen the chance of accidental falls. Balance begins in the core and includes strong hips, ankles, and gluteal muscles. Balance exercises also help cognitive skills, postural alignment, coordinated movement, athletic skills and more . There are fewer injuries from athletics if you practice your balance through better stability. Balance training challenges the ability to stabilize outside of your base of support and challenges the nervous system to activate the correct muscles in the correct sequence. Through a complex system of feedback from cues of your feet, the relation of your inner ear to gravity and what you see, you are able to maintain your balance till the system becomes overloaded and you lose your balance. Those little shakes and movements to stay balanced are your muscles activating and learning what to do to stay balanced. Balance is dynamic and constantly in flux, so your muscles are constantly being activated and relaxed to maintain balance. Balance practice is good for the whole body. Your brain also is having little firings to maintain the balance. That's all good for you. With balance training you become better balanced at balance. There is also the positive feeling you get from improvement due to practice. Gives you a reason to practice.
Simple. Practice, Practice, Practice !!!
If you don't use it, you lose it.
Make balance practice a habit.
Prepare now for your older age!
Beam List
Forwards & Backwards
Sideways
Curtsey
360 both ways
Jumpers
Jump & turn
Jump on
1 leg balance & move
One leg bend forward
One leg knee bend
Heel raisers
Ball of foot walk
Incline, decline, bounce beam
Cross step, no turn, front, behind
Leg twist
Cross step turn 180
Longways around step
Arms cross body
Knee raise walk
Rear leg extension
Crouch walk
Goose step
Cross step no turn, front & behind
Throw balance off & recover
Bear walk
Inch worm
With meels
With clubs, feet 3 way
Look Behind
Eyes Closed
Dancing
Statues
Forwards and Backwards
Sideways
1 Leg Balance & Move
One Leg Forward & Bend
Incline, Decline, Bounce
Cross Step 180, no turn, Front & Behind
Goose Step
Cross Step No Turn, Front, Behind
Indian Club Swinging
5 Minute Balance Beam Workout
As time goes along you will get better at balance. For more of a challenge start balancing on a narrower beam. Here the beam is half the width at 1 1/2".
At first just practice standing on the beam. Then walk.
Adding extra body movement to further challenge the balance.