Daily balance exercise thread

[Corne]

So, i made an important discovery tonight. at last. my balance isn't just bad in my dance shoes. i am wearing very low heel shoes and i can't dance-balance in them either, exactly same balance problem. weak legs - nothing to do with the (high heel) shoes, as i thought.
so, who is going to support me or work with me in developing dance balance ?
I started tonight with balancing on one foot - can stand a few short seconds on the ball of my foot. can stand a bit longer on just one leg.
practiced just reaching back with alternating legs - all in my very low heel shoes.

any other balancers/exercizers / exercises welcome.

[ThisIsNotMe]

I would love to join in - my balance (in general, not just dance balance) is dismal (and that's putting it lightly).
I'm going do (uhh, once i get home, it might look a bit weird at work) toe raises on both legs, hold them at the top for as long as possible, then lower. I'm hoping that this will also help to strengthen feet and ankles, which I think are another big part of balance. Once I can do that for long enough, I'll move on to doing the same thing one-legged.

[MacMoto]

1. Stand on one foot and bend the knee - then straighten up.

2. Stand on one foot and draw a semi-cirle with the toe of the free foot (front-side-back).

3. Combine 1 and 2.

Get a wobble board and try the following:

4. Stand on the wobble board both feet together and keep the board still for 1 minute.

5. Stand on the wobble board both feet together and rock the board slowly forward and back. Don't let the edges of the board touch the floor.

6. Try exercises 4 and 5 above on one leg only.

7. Try exercises 1 - 3 on the wobble board!

[dldbm]

I'll join you! I'm going to start with Bosu (and with the exercises others are suggesting here). I'll let you know how it goes. :)

[ThisIsNotMe]

I'll join you! I'm going to start with Bosu (and with the exercises others are suggesting here). I'll let you know how it goes. :)
(added bold)

What's this?

[dldbm]

That was silly of me! Bosu is Bosu Balance Trainer. It is a piece of exercise equipment. If you picture a round heavy base and on top of it is a dome, kind of like 1/2 a large exercise ball. When you do exercises on it, such as forward lunges for example, you have to really engage your abdominals and all of your core to remain stable. In this way, it helps you with your balance. If you goggle Bosu you might see a picture, which would be easier to understand than my description.:) I have it now, but haven't tried it yet. I'll let everyone know how it goes.

[jerseydancer]

All the above recommendations are great! I did follow many of those exersizes to improve my balance. The last step that helped me a lot was trying to master all of them with your eyes closed. For example, once you have mastered balancing on one foot, try it with your eyes closed.

[Chiron]

Here are some exercise I did when I went through PT for a really bad sprained ankle. I think the reps and times are right but it has been a few years. They go up in increasing difficulty.

1. Stand on one foot and hold (~30 seconds)
2. Stand on one foot, bend knee then straighten the leg (~10-20 reps)
3. Stand on one foot, raise onto the ball of the foot then lower (~10-20 reps)
4. Stand on one foot, raise onto the ball of the foot and hold for 10-20 seconds then lower
5. Stand on one foot on top of a phone book, repeat 1-4
6. Close your eyes and repeat 1-4
7. Close your eyes and stand on a phone book, repeat 1-4

When I started I was doing 1-3, then added 4. As I got stronger I went to 5, then I went to 6, then I went to 7. If you want exercises past this I'd suggest getting a wobble board. Once you can balance on that get a friend, or a small trampoline, and toss a weighted ball back and forth.

[Joy In Motion]

Wobble boards, BOSUs (see www.bosu.com (http://www.bosu.com) to see a picture), and stability balls are all excellent for working all your stabilizer muscles and therefore your balance and kinesthetic awareness. What's great about these is that you can do shoulder, chest and back exercises while standing on the BOSU or wobble board and work several things at once.

You might also want to try a ballet class or a yoga class where a lot of standing and kneeling postures are used. These activities work balance as well as overall strength and might be a good change of pace, although obviously you have to find a way to fit it into your schedule. Or you can take just a class or two to find some balance exercises and then do them at home. Ballet, yoga, and other activities also tend to be more integrative, meaning they utilitze many different muscle groups and also help practice coordination and balance, versus just doing heel raises and balancing on one leg.

You might want to check out the New York City Ballet Workout (http://www.amazon.com/NYC-Ballet-Workout-Stretches-Exercises/dp/0688152023/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208545019&sr=1-1). The book has exercises for different muscle groups that incorporate core strengthening, balance and coordination, leg extensions, etc. Great for doing exercises that work strength and balance but using dance-like movements. I think they have a second volume out now too, and I have heard they also have a video in case you prefer that.

[Corne]

Once you can balance on that get a friend......and toss a weighted ball back and forth.

A bunch of fun. i did that yesterday with my personal trainer at the gym. it really challenges your balance. will definitely do that again.

Thanks for the other exercises as well. Just did a few of them, mind you i only managed step 1 - 2.

[pr]

A balance board is great! :D
"The balance board is an excellent rehabilitating tool for working on strength and balance in the ankles."
I have one myself and that's what's printed on the box... :)

[Stillharbor]

I tried balancing on one foot--o.k.-no problem there. However, when it came to the balance on one foot and bent-straighten the knee... FORGET IT!! Sorry, got scared there. PLEASE be careful doing this exercise! My studio has a weekly tone and stretch class and a different teacher taught us this exercise. "Ok," I thought no problem. Boy was I wrong. As I straightened up I could feel something straining/ripping in my knee. Let's just say, I didn't do that again and was in pain for a month+. Although as I type this I'm thinking maybe if I did this exercise with only a slightly bent knee instead of trying to go all the way down, maybe that would work... :headwall:

Honestly, though, I'm thankful for anyone that contributed exercise tips. Sometimes I feel like such an idiot. I've been dancing for a year now and still have balance issues not only on new material but on basic moves as well. Does this EVER get better?? :-(

[Zhena]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSoJg4EJYCQ

Watch this for foot and ankle strength and a little bit for balance (though the balance part is WAY easier with a little help from friends) ... this video has a long introduction - the dance really starts at about 1:30 ...

And for the men:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53rP5gH1YVM&feature=related

[QPO]

I believe as we get older we don't use the balance like we did as kids, but it remains important as we age to maintain good balance. I wont wear low shoes to dance as I hear comments all the time saying that they cant move back up to heels once they go down to flats. I climb stairs using the balls of my feet and holding it before moving to the next one will help.

[mamboqueen]

Here is another good one I got from a trainer.

Stand tall with your arms straight up over your head. Slowly drop your arms forward and lift one of your legs behind you. Your outward stretched leg, spine, head (faced down) and arms should all be aligned. Try to elongate the outstretched arms and legs as much as possible. Do about 10 on each side. When this gets easy to do, put a ball in your hands and do it.

I have tried doing tree pose with my eyes closed and I never last very long!

[pinkstuff]

Turns out that I can just about balance on the right foot, forget the left foot!!!! :nope:
Thanks for all the exercises.

[Chiron]

I tried balancing on one foot--o.k.-no problem there. However, when it came to the balance on one foot and bent-straighten the knee... FORGET IT!! Sorry, got scared there. PLEASE be careful doing this exercise!

Sorry about that. The bend of the knee is like lowering in waltz (bended but not going ultra low), not like you would if you were doing a squat (thigh parallel to the ground).

[mamboqueen]

Just came across this and may have to buy it for my kids (cough, cough) for Christmas:

http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/hoiNtus4JvIcPtP8LQPyud4Kyy393oep

Anyone have any feedback?

[_malakawa_]

when it comes to balance the most important think is your center. every time when you are dancing you need to keep your center tight and strong (those are stomach muscles).

if you keep them, you can balance on one leg. ;)

this exercise that you recommend are good for "make " a stronger muscles, but for a balance try to keep your stomach muscle.

it will be hard for the first time, but wherever you do (exercise, wash the dishes, sitting, working ......) keep your stomach muscle tight.

[samina]

have found my balance and center to be radically improved not by stomach "tight" so much as core muscles pulled in as deep and narrow as they will go. "tight" can also be pushed outward, which has a different effect...

[latingal]

one thing I was try to remember when I practice balance, it isn't just about using the correct muscular isolation and strength, but it's about alignment of the body also.

(and one of the purposes of activating the core is to keep the alignment of the leg, hip and spine)

[_malakawa_]

have found my balance and center to be radically improved not by stomach "tight" so much as core muscles pulled in as deep and narrow as they will go. "tight" can also be pushed outward, which has a different effect...

sorry, my english is not so good. i'll try to explane.

you need to pull your center in (so your stomach muscles in), your butt in, sholders down and elbows forward, and head up.

when you do that, your spine will stretch and it will be straight.

for balance is also good to keep upper body slightly forward.