Balance is an element of fitness that combines with strength, cardio, and flexibility to create a complete picture of overall health. Whether you are holding a yoga pose, looking to improve your agility, or increase strength, balance training improves performance in every aspect of life.





Increased strength





Any form of exercise challenges the muscles and the nervous to increase communication to these areas. With balance therapy, the nervous system communicates with muscles to increase in strength and take on more tasks, ultimately increasing muscle strength. As your nervous system becomes more efficient, it is more skilled at recruiting more muscular power to increase strength and maximize capabilities in everyday functions. Many of the muscles used retraining your vestibular system are unique to your typical training programs, and will really provide you with a challenge.





Joint stability





Joint stability is the ability to control and maintain the joint movement or position. This is achieved when related muscle groups and tissues surrounding the joints coordinate with the neuromuscular system to achieve smooth, controlled movements. Increased stability reduces the amount of stress to knees, ankles, hips, and shoulders whether you are recovering from an injury or looking to avoid further damage.





Greater coordination





Coordination refers to your body’s ability to use different parts of the body together smoothly and efficiently. Balance therapy increases your body’s control over movement by nurturing a healthy mind and body connection. Many athletes suffering from a vestibular deficiency aren’t even aware of it. Sometimes the brain is physically incapable of communicating to the arms, legs or body to move in a particular direction at a particular time, and advanced balance retraining can repair this challenge.





Improved agility





Often related to reaction time, agility refers to your body’s ability to change positions immediately to catch or brace yourself before a fall occurs. Improving agility increases your body’s ability to make quick movements and change direction suddenly. This helps those at risk to fall gracefully to avoid injury or prevent falls all together. Balance therapy could be the difference between a couple hundredths of a second that may be the difference between making strides towards an elite level.





Body awareness





Also known as proprioception, body awareness gives your nervous system a sense of how your body and limbs are oriented in space. With increased awareness, your body moves more seamlessly. Mobility, speed, and equilibrium are optimized greatly with balance training.





Each of these 5 benefits combine to create increased self-awareness, improved balance and overall decreased risk of falls. Taking steps to improve balance enhances overall health and plays an important role in performing activities at a high level.





What to do next





Contact us at Southwest Sport & Spine to experience our Fyzical Balance Program and learn to fight the fall! 575-521-4188.

