Balance & Mobility
Mobility is the ability to move a joint through a useful range of motion with control. Balance is the ability to control your body within that movement.
If your ankles are stiff, it may be more difficult to make the small adjustments needed on an uneven surface. If your hips do not move freely, stepping sideways or recovering from a stumble may become harder. Limited movement through the trunk can also make turning and reaching less comfortable.
Mobility gives your body more movement options. Balance helps you use those options safely.
First Rate Your Sense of Balance
To begin with, you want to measure how well you can balance, so that you can monitor your progress as you do the exercises. Your sense of balance is a skill that can be improved with regular practice. To get the best results do balance training at least three times a week and assess your improvement once a month. Here are three simple tests you can perform on your own.
Both feet balance test
Stand with your feet together and your ankles touching. Cross your arms and close your eyes, and then stand in this position for as long as you can. If you can hold this position for more than 60 seconds then you have a good sense of balance. If not, try to work up to 60 seconds.
One foot balance test
Stand on one foot and bend the knee of your other leg backwards. Make sure that your legs aren’t touching each other. If you are unsure of your ability to balance stand near a wall or in a doorway, so you can support yourself if needed. Close your eyes and hold this position for as long as you can.
If you are under sixty you should be able to hold this pose for at least 30 seconds with your eyes open and 20 seconds with your eyes closed. If you are over 60 aim to hold the pose for 20 seconds with your eyes open and 10 seconds with your eyes closed.
Ball of the foot balance test
Stand on one foot with your hands on your hips. Place your non-supporting foot against the inside of the knee of your supporting leg. Raise your heel off the ground and hold the pose for as long as you can. Aim for 25 seconds on each leg. If you’re in your golden years aim for 15 seconds.
7 Balance Exercises
You’ve done the balance tests and assessed your sense of balance you are ready for the balance exercises. Here are seven exercises you can do at home to improve balance, stability, and awareness of your body.
1. One-legged Warm-up
Stand with your heels together and your arms by your sides. Make sure your hips are facing forward and that your knees are slightly bent. Don’t look at your feet.
Keeping your arms straight lift them to the sides to shoulder height. At the same time, raise one knee until it’s just below hip height, and your foot is about level with the knee of the other leg. If standing on one leg is too difficult, hold onto the wall or a chair for support.
Close your eyes and pay attention to the movement of the muscles in your legs. Notice how your ankle shifts from side to side to maintain balance.
After about a minute, lower your foot and arms back to the starting position, and repeat with the opposite leg.
2. One leg cross-body punches
Hold two light dumbbells at chest height. If you don’t have dumbbells use milk jugs, tin cans, water bottles, bags of rice, books, ankle weights, or your fists.
Put your weight onto your left foot, and bend your left knee a little. Lift your right foot a few inches off the ground behind you. If you’re a beginner keep your right toe on the ground for support. Keeping a stable footing, punch the weights across your body, one at a time. Then switch sides.
3. Bean bag on your head
Up until the 1950s women in high class society were taught poise, grace, and balance by walking with a book on their heads. Sometimes they used a glass of water. This was done in finishing schools or as training for beauty pageants.
Place a bean bag, book, or a similar item on your head. Then, without holding onto the item walk in a straight line or a circle while maintaining good posture. To increase the difficulty you might try walking faster, walking sideways or backward. Another variation you can do is sitting down and standing up.
I grew up in South Africa and was always impressed by the heavy loads African women would carry on their heads. This practice was commonplace in Europe until around 1820 and is still very common in many parts of the world.
Put a bag of rice in a tea towel and knot it closed. Start with about 500g and slowly increase the weight. Set a timer for ten minutes, place the bag on your head, and then wander around the house, sit at your desk, or read a book.
4. Single Leg Ball Toss
Stand on one leg and then either throw a ball up in the air and catch it, or throw it against a wall and catch it. Most people use a tennis ball but any ball will do. If you don’t have any balls at hand use a bean bag, or crumple up a piece of paper.
The nicest way to do this exercise is with a partner. Ask them to throw the ball to you at slightly different speeds and angles. This will increase the level of difficulty.
5. Ball Twist
Stand on one leg and raise the knee of your other leg. Hold a ball close to your body at waist height. You can use a tennis ball, soccer ball, weighted ball, or dumbbells. Twist your body to bring the ball all the way to your left, then twist to bring it all the way to your right.
5. The Chair Pose
The Chair Pose, also known as the Awkward Posture, is safe for beginners but can be challenging to get just right.
Stand straight with your heels almost touching, and your toes pointing slightly outwards. Point your arms out in front of you, and then slowly lean backwards as if you are about to sit down on a chair. The key to this pose is to keep your spine as straight and as upright as possible. The natural inclination is to stick the butt out, arch the spine, and lean forward, but this is incorrect.
An easier variation is to lean backwards, placing your hips against a wall. Stay in this position for several breaths to several minutes. When you are done, slowly walk your feet toward the wall to come up and out of the pose.
7. The Frog Stand
The frog stand is a beginners gymnastic position that focus on building strength and balance.
The first thing you need to do is get a pillow and put it in front of you. This is important because the pillow will protect your head if you fall forwards. Get into a ‘frog’ position with your arms straight, and your hands on the ground in front of your feet.
Move your knees so that they're resting against your elbows for support. Slowly lean forward placing your weight onto your hands, so that your feet are raised off the ground. Don’t worry if at first, you can’t lift your feet completely off the floor. The frog stand takes a bit of practice.
When you start out you might only be able to hold the frog position for a few seconds or so. With practice you’ll eventually get to a minute.
3 Best Mobility Exercises
Now that you’ve done the balance exercises, here are three great mobility exercises for you.
1. World's Greatest Stretch
The World’s Greatest Stretch is a dynamic, whole-body mobility exercise that combines a deep lunge with upper-body rotation. It helps mobilize the hips, groin, hip flexors, ankles, upper back and shoulders, making it a useful movement before walking, aerobic exercise or strength training.
Despite its ambitious name, you do not need exceptional flexibility to perform it. Move only as far as feels comfortable and use the gentler variation if necessary.
How to Do It
Begin in a high plank with your hands directly beneath your shoulders and your body forming a long line from head to heels.
Step your right foot forward and place it outside your right hand. Keep the entire foot, including the heel, in contact with the floor.
Keep your left leg extended for a stronger version, or gently lower your left knee onto a padded mat. Allow your hips to settle into the lunge without forcing them downward.
Keep your left hand planted. Lift your right hand and slowly lower your right elbow or forearm towards the floor inside your right foot.
Pause for approximately two seconds at a comfortable depth.
Press your left hand into the floor and rotate your chest towards your right knee. Extend your right arm towards the ceiling. Follow your hand with your eyes only if this feels comfortable for your neck.
Pause briefly, then lower your right hand back to the floor. This completes one repetition.
Perform 6 to 8 slow, controlled repetitions. Return to the plank position and repeat the movement with your left foot forward.
2. 90/90 Hip Switch
The 90/90 Hip Switch is a controlled seated exercise that moves the hips through internal and external rotation. It can help improve the rotational mobility used when walking, turning, changing direction and moving between standing and sitting positions.
The aim is not to force the knees to the floor. Move slowly and explore the range your hips can comfortably control.
How to Do It
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Sit on the floor with your spine tall, knees bent and feet flat. Position your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart.
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Place your hands on the floor behind you for support. For a greater balance and core challenge, extend your arms in front of you.
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Keeping your heels in approximately the same position, slowly lower both knees towards your right side. Allow your feet to pivot naturally as the movement comes from your hips.
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At the end of the movement, both knees should be comfortably bent, ideally forming two approximate 90-degree angles. Do not force either knee towards the floor.
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Pause briefly, then use your hip muscles to bring both knees back to the centre.
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Slowly lower your knees towards the left side before returning to the centre. Moving to both sides completes one repetition.
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Perform 6 slow, controlled repetitions.
3. Windshield Wipers
Windshield Wipers are a gentle floor-based mobility exercise for the hips, pelvis and lower trunk. In this figure-four variation, crossing one ankle over the opposite thigh changes the angle of the movement and encourages greater rotation through the hips.
As your legs move slowly from side to side, they resemble the wipers moving across a windscreen.
How to Do It
Lie on your back with your legs extended. Position your arms slightly away from your body, with your palms facing down for support.
Bend your left knee and place your left foot flat on the floor.
Cross your right ankle over your left thigh, just above the knee, forming a figure-four position. Allow your right knee to relax out to the side.
Keeping both shoulders comfortably grounded, slowly lower your connected legs towards the left. Stop when you reach a comfortable stretch or before your shoulder begins to lift. Pause for approximately two seconds.
Bring your legs back through the centre and slowly lower them towards the right.
The range may feel different on this side. Pause briefly without forcing the movement.
Return to the centre. Moving in both directions completes one repetition.
Perform 6 to 8 slow repetitions. Reverse the leg position by crossing your left ankle over your right thigh, then repeat.
