Balance: Keep it Up

Everybody falls. Toddlers, by definition, fall a lot. The older we get, the less we want to fall — the consequences (and our trepidation) increase exponentially.

Staying upright is all about balance, and in fact balance helps us in many ways beyond fall avoidance. Balance supports performance, endurance, rhythm, conversations, relationships, democracy, climate, happiness, and the list goes on. Regarding corporeal balance, we have an exquisite system in our inner ear involving canals, sloshing liquid, tumbling crystals, and minute hairs that mind the liquid and crystals. This system works in concert with visual input (try balancing with closed eyes), tactile input (for example, our feet on the ground), and proprioceptive input (where are body parts are in relation to one another).

As we age, our reflexes slow, our vision deteriorates, and our parts become brittle. If we’re lucky, this is counterbalanced by our increasing wisdom as to the importance of maintaining balance. And this is how we do it: (1) fitness/wellness programs such as tai chi, yoga, pilates, and ballet; (2) balance-focused exercises such as standing on our toes, one-legged stands, weight shifting left-to-right and front-to-back, lunges and squats, and exercises on a stability ball or balance board; (3) any form of movement such as walking and sports; and (4) getting good sleep. (Note: As with any exercise, take necessary precautions and seek medical advice to avoid overdoing it or causing yourself to fall in the quest for balance.)

There are loads of ancillary benefits when you do some combination of the above, to your strength, your performance, your social life, even your attitude. We all fall, but with self-care and a good routine we can fall less, and when we do we’ll get up and recover quicker.

Photo credit: Yan Krukau