How to Improve Someone’s Balance: A Comprehensive Guide

Balance is a fundamental aspect of human movement, crucial for maintaining stability and preventing falls. It involves the intricate coordination of sensory input, motor output, and cognitive processes. Understanding the balance system in the brain and body is essential for fitness professionals aiming to enhance their clients’ balance capabilities. This blog will explore the components of balance, including the center of mass (CoM) and base of support (BoS), and provide strategies to improve balance through targeted exercises.

Understanding the Balance System

The balance system comprises sensory inputs from the vestibular, visual, and proprioceptive systems, which work together to maintain the body’s CoM over its BoS. The CoM is the point where the body’s mass is evenly distributed, while the BoS is defined by the area beneath the body that includes all points of contact with the ground. Effective balance requires the ability to keep the CoM within the BoS, a task that becomes increasingly challenging in dynamic environments or when sensory inputs are altered (König et al., 2014; Alice et al., 2022; Kotas et al., 2019).

Manipulating the Base of Support

One effective method to improve balance is by manipulating the BoS. Increasing the size or number of points of contact with the ground can make exercises easier, while reducing the BoS can increase the challenge. For instance, performing exercises with a wider stance or using a larger surface area can enhance stability. Conversely, transitioning to a single-leg stance or using a smaller base, such as a balance beam, can significantly challenge balance and stability (Prosperini et al., 2012; Smith et al., 2012).

Research indicates that maintaining the CoM within the BoS is critical for preventing falls, particularly in older adults (König et al., 2014; Alice et al., 2022). By progressively reducing the BoS, clients can develop greater proprioceptive awareness and muscular control, which are essential for maintaining balance during daily activities.

Manipulating the Center of Mass

Another approach to enhancing balance involves manipulating the CoM. This can be achieved by altering the load distribution within the body. For example, performing unilateral exercises, such as holding a kettlebell on one side while balancing on the opposite leg, challenges the body’s ability to control the CoM within the BoS (Honeine et al., 2013; Hak et al., 2013). This strategy not only strengthens the stabilizing muscles but also improves the client’s awareness of their body position in space.

Removing the Visual System

The vestibular system, which provides information about head position and movement, is crucial for balance. By removing visual input, such as having clients close their eyes during balance exercises, you can challenge their reliance on this sensory system (König et al., 2014; Herssens et al., 2021). This method forces clients to engage their proprioceptive and vestibular systems more actively, enhancing their overall balance capabilities.

Research indicates that individuals often struggle more with balance tasks when their eyes are closed, as they rely heavily on visual cues for stability (König et al., 2014; Herssens et al., 2021). Incorporating exercises that limit visual input can help clients develop better proprioceptive skills and improve their overall balance.

Reducing Preferred Balance Strategies

Individuals often develop specific strategies for maintaining balance, such as swinging their arms or shifting their legs. By encouraging clients to adopt alternative strategies, such as hugging themselves or crossing their legs, you can introduce new challenges to their balance training (König et al., 2014; Smith et al., 2012; Chanpura & Parmar, 2022). This approach not only enhances their adaptability but also strengthens the muscles involved in maintaining balance.

Observations of balance strategies reveal that different individuals utilize various techniques to maintain stability. By varying these strategies, clients can develop a more comprehensive set of skills for managing their balance in diverse situations (König et al., 2014; Alice et al., 2022; Chanpura & Parmar, 2022).

Conclusion

Improving balance is a multifaceted process that requires an understanding of the underlying systems involved. By manipulating the BoS and CoM, removing sensory inputs, and challenging preferred balance strategies, fitness professionals can effectively enhance their clients’ balance capabilities. These strategies not only promote physical stability but also contribute to overall functional performance and fall prevention.

References:

1. König et al. “Identification of functional parameters for the classification of older female fallers and prediction of ‘first-time’ fallers” Journal of the Royal Society Interface (2014) doi:10.1098/rsif.2014.0353.
2. Alice et al. “Effect of obesity on balance” International Journal of Health Sciences (2022) doi:10.53730/ijhs.v6ns4.9126.
3. Kotas et al. “Evaluation of Agreement Between Static Posturography Methods Employing Tensometers and Inertial Sensors” IEEE Access (2019) doi:10.1109/access.2019.2952496.
4. Prosperini et al. “The Diagnostic Accuracy of Static Posturography in Predicting Accidental Falls in People With Multiple Sclerosis” Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair (2012) doi:10.1177/1545968312445638.
5. Smith et al. “Gender Differences in Postural Stability Among Children” Journal of Human Kinetics (2012) doi:10.2478/v10078-012-0041-5.
6. Honeine et al. “The Functional Role of the Triceps Surae Muscle during Human Locomotion” PLOS ONE (2013) doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0052943.
7. Hak et al. “Steps to Take to Enhance Gait Stability: The Effect of Stride Frequency, Stride Length, and Walking Speed on Local Dynamic Stability and Margins of Stability” PLOS ONE (2013) doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0082842.
8. Honeine et al. “By counteracting gravity, triceps surae sets both kinematics and kinetics of gait” Physiological Reports (2014) doi:10.1002/phy2.229.
9. Herssens et al. “An exploratory investigation on spatiotemporal parameters, margins of stability, and their interaction in bilateral vestibulopathy” Scientific Reports (2021) doi:10.1038/s41598-021-85870-7.
10. Chanpura and Parmar “Influence of gender and age on balance performance in healthy school-going children” International Journal of Health Sciences (2022) doi:10.53730/ijhs.v6ns2.8986.