“My balance isn’t very good. I’d like to improve that”.
That’s something we hear from our members quite often. This is quite understandable–after all, we have a strong association between the idea of poor balance and falling. I think the trick of it is that when we think of ‘good’ balance*, we think of this:
And, from one perspective, this definitely represents a type of balance.
There is, however, another way to think of balance. Another type of balance, if you will. And, I’d like to suggest that this other type of balance is far more practically useful for most folks.
Definition of terms
Static balance
In a static balance, we’re holding one position. Either on one leg or perhaps with our feet in-line with each other, like we’re talking on a tightrope.
Notable features of static balance include:
- Stillness (i.e., little-to-no movement or change in position)
- Eyes are typically fixed on a single point
- Relatively stable ‘inputs’ from the environment
Dynamic balance
What if we were to think of ‘balance’ as a more dynamic quality or ability? There are a few notable implications here. First of all, as an ability, balance (be it static or dynamic) is trainable. That means with practice and training, it can improve.
Consider the following examples:
Or this one:
Secondly, consider for a moment what’s going on in the videos above:
- This is the opposite of ‘stillness’. Lots of movement and changes in position.
- Eyes are looking all over the place.
- The environment is providing all sorts of inputs.
Allow me to elaborate…
All of this movement is good: your body is responding to multiple rapid changes in position…all in an attempt to re-find a centered and ‘balanced’ position.
Pro-tip: if you’re looking to perform a feat of static balance, find a single point in space–on the floor or a wall–and keep your gaze fixed upon it. This makes (static) balance so much easier. In dynamic situations, however, your eyes end up looking at the ground, at your surroundings, at the people nearby…prompting your system (read: your brain→your body) to make multiple rapid adjustments in course as you attempt to re-find a centered and ‘balanced’ position.
Each minute positional change within your body represents a new ‘input’ that your system has to contend with and respond to… And then there’s the matter of the potentially uneven ground or the sudden change in level (e.g., taking an unexpected or uneven step off a curb) or the people and objects around you. All of these represent ‘inputs’ for your nervous system to contend with as you attempt to re-find a centered and ‘balanced’ position.
This is all a very long way of saying that while your single-leg deadlift may not look like a beautiful magazine photo as you hinge and then smoothly return to standing every time. Instead, there may be some wobble in there. What I’d like to suggest here is that you embrace the wobble*. It may be that it’s helping to improve your balance more than you know.
*Credit goes to Michael Mullin of Integrative Rehab Training in Portland, ME for inspiring this post with his recent thoughts on balance.