Balance Exercises You Need to Add to Your Workout Program

Balance Exercises

You Need to Add to Your Workout Program

Searching for ways to improve your balance and spice up your exercise routine? I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite balance exercises with photos and detailed explanations. These balance variations are helpful in building balance, stability, and strength. Keep reading to learn more!

Marching on the Spot

A great beginner balance exercise is marching on the spot. With this movement, it is important to be mindful of how your body is moving and keep your movement slow and controlled for the best results. Also, remember to keep your hips square as this will help reduce unnecessary twisting and improve your stability. At first, I recommend trying this movement without weight but as you become more proficient you can start doing Overhead Marches where you hold a weight over your head and march on the spot. When you add weight to this exercise be sure to tighten your core to avoid putting unnecessary strain on your back.

Backwards Lunge with Knee Drive

Backwards lunges can already be challenging for balance and stability but if you need an extra degree of complexity, I recommend adding a knee drive. For this movement, we can hold dumbbells at our side and step backwards into a lower lunge. When we lift ourselves out of the movement and return to the centre, we bring the back leg forward and stand upright with our knee being held at 90 degrees. Ideally, this movement would be done without the back leg coming in contact with the floor between the lunge and knee drive section of this movement. However, if needed for stability you can do the lunge movement, bring the leg back to the centre and briefly touch the floor then lift your knee into a knee drive and return the leg to the centre.

Step Up with Knee Drive

Step-ups are a great functional movement and adding a knee drive increases the complexity making it a great balance exercise. For this movement, you’re going to perform a normal step up using a bench or step but instead of putting your back foot on the bench, you are going to lift it in front of you and hold it at a 90-degree angle for a few seconds then step down.

Single Leg RDLs

Single Leg Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs) are a challenging but rewarding exercise that is great for improving balance and stability. This movement is very similar to the conventional RDLs except, as you hinge your hips at the beginning of the movement you lift one leg off the ground and extend it behind you. At the end of the range, you should be in a ‘T’ shape. If you are doing this exercise with weight the weight should be in the opposite hand to the leg that is in contact with the ground. When first attempting this movement, completing a partial range is a great way to introduce the pattern of movement and gradually challenge your balance. As you progress and become more proficient then you can work towards completing the full movement and adding weight.

Single Leg Squat- Chair Assist

Another challenging but rewarding balance exercise is the Single Leg Squat. This exercise is performed the same as a conventional squat but with only one leg. When first starting this exercise, you should position a stable chair or bench behind you. Start by standing upright on one foot with the other leg slightly extended in front of you. Push your hips back as you bend your knee and lower yourself towards the chair. Once you lightly touch the chair, slowly bring your hips forward and straighten your knee until you return to an upright position. If you are having trouble with this movement, you can find a taller chair or bench to perform a shorter repetition of the movement. You could also regress this exercise by doing a single leg squat until you reach the chair then sit down on the chair and stand up with both legs.

Lateral Toe Taps- Bosu Ball

Lastly, Lateral Toe Taps are a great way to increase balance and stability. Start this exercise by standing with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart. Shift your weight to one side by slightly bending your knee, hinging your hip, and ensuring your ankle, knee, and hip are all in line. Hover the other foot above the ground then extend the leg that’s hovering to the side and gently tap the ground with your toes. To make this exercise more challenging, you can stand on a Bosu Ball to increase the balance and stability required to perform this exercise.

These balance exercises are the perfect addition to a workout program as they challenge your muscles and stability. They also add diversity to your training program. Comment below on your favorite balance exercises outlined in this post!