Last nights session was focused on the importance of balance, this is something many of us take for granted because we move within our comfort zone, not seeking the challenge line of our balance. We tend to take our balance for granted when we are young, as we get older, losing our balance and falling is one of our greatest fears.
Its easy to have confidence in your balance while we are standing still. The problem comes when for whatever reason our structure is disturbed. It could be a trip while walking or running, something makes you change direction suddenly, a slip while carrying something heavy – or of course, if we are pushed or attacked.
The above situations cant always be helped (certainly getting older) – but as with muscle strength and mobility, we can exercise and work on our balance to maintain it as we age, what we need to do is train our body to respond effectively and regain our balance and posture as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Our ability to relax and how we move and breathe is critical to our recovery of balance.
Along with the fear of falling and loosing our balance comes additional tension, from the worry, and physically holding ourselves more stiffly almost as if we are trying to hold ourselves up with tension. This tension leads to lack of mobility and movement in our joints, this stiffness and restricted movement, alongside the feeling of anxiety can be counter productive, leaving us less co-ordinated, more likely to trip and fall, and less able to recover from a stumble or fall. If we work on unwinding this tension, free up the joints and maintain good mobility and work on breath and balance, we will feel more stable, move more freely and be able to recover our balance more effectively when we do stumble. If we fall with less restriction and tension, the risk of injury is not gone, but it is significantly reduced.
The exercises we covered in class were simple but effective, something that anyone can do, regardless of mobility, age or range of movement. We began by standing comfortably and just leaning forwards and backwards, reaching the point just before we loose balance and then breathing and relaxing, returning to centre rather than stumbling. Standing on one leg followed this to challenge our balance side to side…certainly more challenging. The exercises in class were fun but at the same time you could feel why they are effective and helpful in daily life and maintaining good balance.
The focus here is obviously on maintaining good balance as we age, but these exercises also give a good idea of where our physical restrictions are. Regardless of age, many of us have lost the ability to balance because we make the same movements in our daily life and often don’t challenge outside of this. Sometimes this can be the cause of a persons muscle tension in problem areas, we are maintaining balance and correcting posture with muscle tension rather than relaxing and using natural balance. Working on our balance and mobility will help us all to reduce muscle tension and restrictions, gaining more free and natural movement in life.
If you have build up restrictions and need help unwinding them while you work on your balance and posture, booking in for some type of bodywork can be very beneficial. Thai yoga massage is an amazing treatment which can be adapted for anyone, it can be strong or light, dynamic or gentle, relaxing or energising. The focus is always to improve joint mobility, reduce restrictions, encourage good flow and balance in the body. If we feel less restricted we will be able to more easily maintain good balance and movement.
The Barefoot therapist 