Balance Training: why it's important for everyone

What is with all the weird looking toys you see in the gyms, sporting goods stores, and fitness magazines today? We see funny looking things like a cut-in-half stability ball called a BOSU. There are the small circular "pillow discs" that are filled with air. Don’t forget about the other items like balance wedges, wobble boards, rocker boards, and indo boards. They look interesting enough, sometimes even fun, but what's the point of all these devices? These fitness tools are specially designed to help people improve their balance. You may think that the elderly are the only ones who should be concerned about balance, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Think back with me to when you were a kid. Remember: “how long can you hop on one foot?” or “who can walk on the edge of the sidewalk the longest without falling off?” We didn't call it exercise or balance training then, but that is exactly what we were doing. Activities like these helped us to develop our balance and stability and to survive our youthful clumsiness. Today, top athletes in the world recognize that balance training helps them to perform better in their sports and fitness experts know that good balance and a strong core go hand in hand. You don't have to be a world-class athlete to add a little balance training to your workouts. Plenty of simple exercises you can do at home (or at the gym) will improve your balance significantly. But if sticking a dismount or avoiding a tackle aren't on your list of daily priorities, why does balance training matter? Let’s look at the reasons why balance training is so important. Benefits of Balance Training Let me spring a big word on you here: proprioception. It's the body’s ability to interpret and use information about your position in space. Through a complex system of environmental feedback, cues from the bottom of your feet, the relation of your inner ear to gravity, and what you see, your body senses which muscles to activate or deactivate to maintain your desired position. It does this when you stand, get up from a chair, or walk on the sidewalk. It also uses all of these cues when you're riding a bike, skiing, strength training at the gym, and standing on your tiptoes to grab something from a high shelf. When the information received is too complex to translate, the system gets overwhelmed and you lose your balance. But with practice and experience (i.e. balance training) you can master what once seemed like impossible tasks—just like you did when you first removed the training wheels from your childhood bike or made it to the bottom of the bunny hill the first time without falling. By training to develop greater balance, you will recognize improvements in coordination, athletic skill, and posture. This in turn will result in fewer injuries and greater stability as you age, which can help prevent falls and keep you both strong and independent longer. These are the very benefits that have led many coaches, trainers, and athletes to incorporate balance training into their workouts. So how do you start? Quick Balance Test Here is a good test to evaluate your own balance. Stand up and imagine you're going to walk forward on a straight line, placing one foot directly in front of the other so that the heel of your front foot touches the toes of your back foot. Keep both feet flat on the floor. Hold that position and close your eyes. If you can maintain your balance for 30 seconds, you are doing pretty well. If you are wobbling just about as soon as you close your eyes—or before—your balance is poor. If you did not perform as well as you thought you should, it's OK. Let’s work on this together. (Adapted from Jason Anderson, Personal Trainer) Let's connect at gaiaadventures@shaw.ca Catherine D'Aoust, Kinesiologist, Personal Trainer, Adventures for Women http://www.gaiaadventures.com 604 329.1257

Strengthen your Core

Whenever you walk or run, your core muscles are active, keeping you upright, balancing your body as your weight shifts and absorbing the impact as your feet hit the ground. Your body's core forms the foundation of all your movement. If your core is weak, you are susceptible to poor posture and injury. There are many great exercises we can do to strengthen the core. I would like to focus on the abdominal crunch - it is the one exercise that I often see people perform incorrectly. Abdominal Crunch: Lie on your back and place your feet on the floor hip-width apart. Hold your arms out (easiest) or cross your arms on your chest (moderate) or place your hands behind your head or hold a plyoball (advanced). Keep your gaze fixed forward. Using your abdominal muscles—not your neck—lift your chest as far as you can off the floor, even if it is only an inch or two. Hold for 2-3 seconds if you can, then release. Repeat 8 times. Remember to breathe deeply throughout this exercise.

Want to try an advanced core exercise - follow this link and do Medicine Ball Crunches: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/exercises.asp?exercise=456 Happy training everyone! Let's connect at gaiaadventures@shaw.ca Catherine D'Aoust, Kinesiologist, Personal Training, Adventures for Women, Workshops http://www.gaiaadventures.com; 604 329.1257

Get the Most out of your strength training workouts

These tips will help you get started on the right foot! Check with your doctor before starting an exercise program. Get more about exercise safety tips for beginners. Always warm up for at least 5-10 minutes before strength training. Proper form is essential for safety and effectiveness. Start with light weights as you perfect your form and get accustomed to strength training. Gradually increase the amount of weight you lift over time, by no more than 10% each week. Always cool down at least 5-10 minutes at the end of your workout. Vary your exercise program to avoid boredom and plateaus. Changing your routine every 6-8 weeks is crucial to keeping your body/muscles surprised and constantly adapting. They'll have to work harder, you'll be challenged, and you'll burn more calories and build more lean muscle in the process. Learn how to change your exercise routine to avoid plateaus. Drink plenty of water before, during and after exercise to stay hydrated. Machines are best for beginners. They usually have detailed instructions and a picture on them, plus they show which muscles you are working. They are set up to put your body in proper form and isolate the right muscles. They are usually grouped together (upper body, chest, arms, legs, etc) in a weight room, so that you can easily move through them and target every major muscle group. Free weights are more advanced. After you’ve had a good foundation with machines (or body weight exercises) you can move into free weights. When using free weights, form becomes even more important because there is nothing to support you or make you do it properly. Lift in front of a mirror and use the proper benches for support. Always watch the alignment of the joints and their relationships: shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles should be aligned. Your back should remain flat and your abs should be contracted to help support the lower back. Have a trainer assist you and have someone there to spot you if you are lifting heavy weights. Use tools such as the Exercise Demos to help you achieve proper form. Don’t hold your breath, which can be dangerous (it increases blood pressure and can cause lightheadedness, for example). Exhale fully and forcefully on the exertion phase—usually the phase where you are lifting the weight. Inhale deeply on the easier phase—usually when returning to the starting position. Try to keep this rhythm throughout every set. In the beginning, it will take some concentration, but after a while, it will become habit. Happy training everyone! (source: Jen Mueller and Nicole Nichols, Fitness Experts)

Let's connect at gaiaadventures@shaw.ca Catherine D'Aoust of GAIA Adventures Kinesiologist, Personal Training, Better Aging http://www.gaiaadventures.com GAIA hikes Diez Vistas on July 21; join me and other cool minded women