News — coordination

Balance is more important than we think.  We always assume that the importance of balance is only on the elderly, or something to worry about when we get older.  Well, yes, it is.  But, it's even more important to work on balance when we're younger, and then continue to "improve" on our balance as we get older.  Balance is like diet.  It' a way of life, and the more we are in tune with it, and the healthier our balance system, the healthier we are overall. 

Here are a few exercises that you can do to improve you balance.  Please be careful, as these exercises can be risky!

1)  When you are walking on the sidewalk, try walking with one foot up on the sidewalk and the other foot down on the grass or sand (so that you are straddling the sidewalk's edge and one foot is on one type of surface and the other foot is walking on a different surface).  Then, switch feet.

2)  Try going up and down the stairs without  holding on to the handrails. Then, go up the stairs, skipping steps as you go up.

3) Stand on some pillows, a Bosu ball, or balance board.  Swing your left leg back and forth.  Then, do the same for the other leg.  Then, try to  lift your right leg with your left am and visa versa.  For an extra challenge, try this with your eyes closed. 

4)  Try to hold the monkey pose while you are on an unstable surface, such as a balance board or on a mattress.  For an extra challenge, try the monkey pose with your eyes closed.  Also, grab your opposite leg and pull it up behind you like a monkey's tail. 

5) Instead of always walking or running on the pavement, try switching to walking/running on other surfaces such as sand, soil, pebbles, and grass.  Your muscles will have to work more and your balance and coordination will improve.

If you want to start incorporating balance exercises into your daily routine, here are a few other exercises that you can do. 

1) Try getting up from your chair without using your arms or hands to assist you.  Do this 10 times.  You can also try to alternate your stance-having your feet close together and then far apart. 

2) Stand on one leg and do leg lifts in all directions (front, back, left, and right).  Then, repeat with your other leg.  This exercise works four groups of hip muscles. 

3) Place cones or other objects in a straight line and weave in and out of them as you move forwards.  Try doing this going backwards.  If you were a soccer player or still are, you will know this drill. 

Remember, if you don't use it, you lose it. 

A balance board is a board that is a lever and either rocks from one side to the other (think North and South), East and West, or in a circular motion.  It's used for recreational purposes, training, therapy, help in balance and coordination, core strength, brain development, or a wide variety of other purposes. 

In sports, balance boards can help with core strength, focus, and stability.  Skiers, snowboarders, dancers, ice-skaters, martial arts performers, skateboarders, and baseball players are just a few of the people who use balance boards to help them.  Balance boards are great with yoga, too.

Besides sports-related activities, balance boards can help children, too.  Balance boards are used in sensory integration, gross and fine motor development, brain development, core strength, balance, balance, and expand neural network connections. 

Balance boards have been around for decades and come in a variety of shapes and sizes.  Now depending on the balance board type, a person (or other animal) would stand on the balance board.  However, there are types that can be used for sitting and lying down as well. There are also aquatic balance boards.  Some balance boards are extremely dangerous and should not be attempted by your great grandma, whereas others can be used by toddlers and the elderly. 

When choosing a balance board, test them out and find one that fits your needs.  If you can't test one out, I recommend a balance board on rockers, as it can be used almost anywhere and practically anyone can use it.  In other words, you can share it with your family and friends.

If you choose a balance board with rockers, try it out on different surfaces for a variation of instability.  For example, if you use it on the sand, the board will not rock as much, which will be easier for you and your friends.  If you want a little more challenge, use the board on a hard surface such as hardwood floors or cement.  This creates much more instability. 

 Here's a little guy testing out a rocker board.  The board was on a hard cement surface, thus making the balance board very unstable.  It was a teensy bit challenging for puppy.

Sports are great for kids.  They not only teach them about teamwork and good sportsmanship, but they are good for getting the heart rate going and keeping kids fit and healthy.  The most important thing to remember when choosing a sport for your child is finding something that your child is interested in.  It's also wise to choose a sport which is safe, fun, and age appropriate.  For example, soccer and yoga can be started at a very early age. They both help with fine and gross motor skills.  However, archery would probably be best for older kids, as arm strength and good eye-hand coordination is essential.  A good coach or trainer is a must.  Make sure the coach knows about safety and first aid. The coach should also be respectful to the children. 

Here are some other sports that kids enjoy doing:

tumbling, gymnastics, karate or other type of martial arts, swimming, diving,  dance, bicycling, jump roping, tennis, sailing, rowing, skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, basketball, baseball, softball, golf, lacrosse, horseback riding, volleyball, cheerleading, bowling, cross country running, track and field and more.

Even though sports have so many great benefits, remember that some are more dangerous than others when it comes to accidents and injuries.  For example, soccer and football can cause a lot of injuries and head traumas.  Yet, swimming and yoga are very gentle on the body and equally beneficial (if not more).  When choosing a sport, remember that children's bodies are continually growing and that safety is imperative. 

Make sure that your child is wearing the correct gear.  Also, they should also stay in shape and stay flexible (remember to stretch).  Your child should get a check-up or physical exam before starting a sport to make sure he or she is ready developmentally and physically for the activity.  And remember to wear sunscreen, stay cool, and hydrated.  Heat-related injuries happen more than we know it.

Don't worry if your child isn't ready to start a sport in Kindergarten.  There are so many great activities to do, which will help your child in their growth and development outside of a team sport.  Running around and playing at a park, climbing trees in a forest, or digging and running in the sand at the beach is equally important for kids.  Just as long as they are moving. 

Growing up, my brother, sister, and I would spend hours and hours outside creating obstacle courses.  We'd take some usual household materials, such as broomsticks, mops, chairs, stools, ladders, and ropes and put together our obstacles.  Brooms or mops across chairs made excellent high jumps (or we would also have to crawl under the jump as another obstacle).  Ladders were for climbing or jumping, and ropes were great for tug-o-war if there was a tie at the end. The obstacles that a child can create are endless. 

Obstacle courses are a great way to get kids active with a fun purpose.  Even for adults, obstacle courses can be fun or a great way to get in a training, especially if you don't have the space or time to get in a long workout.  Obstacle courses can include push-ups, sit-ups, hopping on one foot, skipping, jumping, crawling, climbing, and just about anything.  They can also be done indoors or outdoors.

Remember the days when we pretended to be spies looking for a secret passageway? Well, obstacle courses are a great way to relive those memories and maybe prepare yourself for a real boobie trap!  Talk about the coordination, balance, and focus that are required with an obstacle course. Oh, and that's not all.  The fact that you are refining your gross motor skills and fine motor skills is a bonus-all without realizing it.  Just talking about this makes me want to rearrange my furniture into an obstacle course right now!