Proprioception is a word that is associated with balance, however many people don’t know exactly what it means let alone why it is discussed with balance. This article explains what proprioception is and how it helps us to stay balanced. Close your eyes and touch your index finger to your nose. What sense did you […]
What is proprioception and why is it important for balance? Read More »
With the excitement of the Winter Olympics upon us (and after the single best Winter Olympic medal day in Australian History!), you can see that for many of the events balance is a critical component. Great balance requires a mixture of different skills that we will delve into in further detail below. First and foremost,
6 easy steps to build the balance of a Winter Olympian Read More »
What is balance? Balance is your body’s ability to recover and right yourself. Balance might have a different meaning to each individual. For some, it simply means not to fall. For others, it takes on even weight distribution, postural control, and stability. No matter what balance may mean to you, the mechanism of balance in
Balancing the Body’s Balance Mechanisms Read More »
At Active Seniors, we assess our members balance with eyes open and, where safe to do so, with eyes closed. For many people, there is a big difference between the two, with eyes closed proving to be much more challenging than anticipated. As a result, one of the most common questions we get asked is
Why is it so hard to balance with my eyes closed? Read More »
At Active Seniors, we assess our members balance with eyes open and, where safe to do so, with eyes closed. For many people, there is a big difference between the two, with eyes closed proving to be much more challenging than anticipated. As a result, one of the most common questions we get asked is
Why is it so hard to balance with my eyes closed? Read More »
Have you ever been told to slow down, or maybe speed up your movements when exercising? Do you know why? Our body adapts differently to the same movement, depending on the speed at which you move! This makes it really important to move at the right speed, in order to get the desired benefits, whether
The Speed you Move at Matters! Read More »
Most people are familiar with common balance exercises such as standing heel to toe, or standing on one leg. These exercises are examples of what are called static balance exercises, and while static exercises should be part of a successful balance training program, so too should dynamic exercises. Static exercises refer to exercises where we
Is your balance training the best it could be? Read More »
While most people are aware of the importance of the glute and core muscles, very little focus is given to a very important yet overlooked area of the body …. the big toes. While they may be small in comparison to some of the other joints, the big toes have a vital role to play
Say hello to your big toe Read More »
Balance exercises can be challenging. While this is a good thing because they need to challenge your body to produce change, it is common for people to feel as though they are not improving. There are a few quick tricks that you can try to improve your balance exercises. Be Barefoot The first trick may
Simple ways to improve your balance training Read More »
While it is logical to think that your feet have a role in balance, it’s amazing that something as simple as toe strength could reduce your risk of falling significantly. Research indicates that people who are likely to fall have around 20% less toe strength and that for each 1% (of body weight) increase, your risk of
Try this simple test to see if your toe strength could increase your risk of falling Read More »