How can i improve my balance?

[nickjw2137]

Hey guys, i have had really bad balance my whole life and it makes it hard to do stuff like snowboard and skateboard. I still do them and am decent at them because of how much i have done them but if i had good balance i would be so much better. I also wasnt good balance for just everyday stuff too. I have tried to improve my balance by using a balance board and i have gotten a lot better at the balance board but i still have really bad balance. Is there any way that i can significantly improve my balance?

['Roos]

For me the biggest component of balance has always been core strength. Get an epic core and your balance will follow. THAT SAID, specific activities that I have found to increase balance for me are:

Tai Chi

Seriously, the best thing I've ever done for my balance - core, bellydancing, dancing straight up, standing on one leg - has been Tai Chi. I do dance and I was markedly better balancing after doing 10 weeks of tai chi than I had ever been in my life.

Other things you can do:

Stand on one leg - seriously. When you get good at standing on one leg, try raising and lowering yourself on one leg - foot up and down.

Spinning around on one leg - wear socks on a hard surface and practice quarter turns on one foot, staying balanced. when you're good at quarter turns, try half turns, etc

Stopping yourself and staying on balance - walk, stop on one foot. Bam.

If you need other more advanced suggestions hit me up - dancers have like, a billion drills to increase balance. It all comes down to core strength, experience, and muscle control.

[kazzsjourney]

I found body balance classes (which are a mix of tai chai, yoga, pilates and balance work) really helped. Also if you have access to a bosu working with that helped me heaps (i have terrible balance due to one ankle being broken and the other one having a lot of ligament damage in the past). Its a slow process tho...I have been working at it for several years now...the difference is amazing tho

[krj]

My physical therapist used to time me while I was standing on one foot with my eyes closed and I would try and increase my time.

[Raincloak]

The more you practice any balance-requiring activity, the better you will get. Ultimately if you want to get good at something specific, like snowboarding, you just have to do it a lot so your brain can develop the right pathways. That said, practicing at home with a balance board, walking on curbs, stability ball work, etc. probably wouldn't hurt. And it's fun. Play with a hacky sack too, you can carry those anywhere.

If your balance problems are really serious, you may want to get your eyes and ears checked. If something is wrong with your inner ear, or with your eyes, that's going to mess up your balance.

Also, have you ever gotten a significant head injury? That may explain your balance problems. (I really hope that, since you are hanging around a Nerd website, I don't need to explain the use of a helmet to you...)

[Ghost]

+1 to single leg balance. I like to stand on one leg and lean forward like superman, with the other leg out backwards.

If that's easy, close your eyes

[RandomWanderer]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4698[/ATTACH] ( Bosu Ball!)

This might be for when your a little advanced down the road after the standing on one foot, but doing squats( my trainer had me do squads and throwing/catching medicine balls) on this and other activities will build core strength and balance.

I ALSO agree on the internal wushu arts(chinese martial arts) being amazing for this as well.. I do not do Tai Chi but I do PaKuaChang, which is one of the major internals along with Tai Chi.

+1 to single leg balance. I like to stand on one leg and lean forward like superman, with the other leg out backwards.

If that's easy, close your eyes

that's a stance we do in yoga from a warrior 1 position you lift off the foot so you are basically parallel to the floor with arms and leg stretched out, balancing on the one leg. superman 4tw!

[Waldo]

that's a stance we do in yoga from a warrior 1 position you lift off the foot so you are basically parallel to the floor with arms and leg stretched out, balancing on the one leg. superman 4tw!

Isn't that Warrior 3?

Yoga is great for balance, really any martial art.

Though skateboarding/snowboarding balance is quite specific. At least on skateboards (I've never snowboarded) you have to learn how to shift your weight to counter movement and stay in a strong yet resilient position, regular balance practice is not going to work this at all.

[RandomWanderer]

Isn't that Warrior 3?

Yoga is great for balance, really any martial art.

Though skateboarding/snowboarding balance is quite specific. At least on skateboards (I've never snowboarded) you have to learn how to shift your weight to counter movement and stay in a strong yet resilient position, regular balance practice is not going to work this at all.

yep warrior 3! I'm still new enough to Yoga(done it maybe 20 times or so at my gym Monday nights) to barely know the names beyond warrior 1 2, down dog and child's pose. ooh yeah and tree pose,love that one! growing your branches really helps you learn balance as well!

[SirEarl]

learning how to balance on a board is totally different than balancing on your feet most of the time.

I find it's best to just do whatever it is you want to get better at.

[Anivair]

the core strength bit is right, but also .... just practice. Find a 2x4 and practice walking on it (both empty handed and under load). Stand on it and squat. Do things that test your balance and get a feel for it. It will grow like any other muscle.

[Bob the Bardbarian]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned slackline training yet...

[StormieSkyez]

I also need to improve my balance, I've read walking on lines or on curbs helps a lot.

[IslandGirl_Becks]

I also need to improve my balance, I've read walking on lines or on curbs helps a lot.

 

and hopping on parking lot curbs

 

I paddleboard in the summer. It's crazy challenging and great, from core to strength and muscle endurance. I've been working on walking around the board and seeing how long I can stand on one foot. It has made a huge difference with my snowboarding. I've also taken up longboarding. Yoga and olympic lifts help with everything!