Once I started working with older people at my seated exercise classes, I discovered that one of their biggest concerns is losing their balance. In fact, many of them have a near constant fear of falling.
Maintaining ankle and knee stability as we age is crucial for preserving our balance, but it’s also something we should all be thinking about.
That's because balance is directly connected to posture. We need both good balance and good posture to help stabilize the body, to center the weight over our feet and reduce the risk of falls.
So the more we can all do to support strong ankles and knees, while improving our balance, the better. Unfortunately, our increasingly sedentary lifestyles mean we don’t have as many natural opportunities to challenge and develop our balance and joint stability, but certain exercises can help.
I came across one great example from online fitness coach Patrick DiBello, who demonstrated it to his 97.7K Instagram followers in this video.
All you need is a pair of light dumbbells, something like 1-3kg is ideal. DiBello recommends doing each exercise for 20 seconds on each side or 5-10 reps on each side. He also advises doing these exercises barefoot so that the muscles in your feet work harder.
Shop light dumbbells
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Progress your balance training with these two moves
I recommend these two exercises to further challenge and improve your balance.
Single-leg Romanian deadlift
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart holding a dumbbell in your right hand.
- Lift your left leg behind you so your foot is just off the floor—pause as you get your balance.
- Hinge forward from your hips to lower your torso and the dumbbell down your right leg as you lift your left leg behind you. Stop when the dumbbell reaches your mid-shin.
- Pause at the bottom, staying balanced with your shoulders and hips square to the floor, then push your hips forward to return to the start with control, squeezing your glutes as you lower your left leg back to the floor.
- Begin with 8-10 reps each side.
Standing dumbbell march
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart holding a light dumbbell in each hand in front of your chest.
- Slowly lift your left leg, bending your left knee, until your knee is at hip height.
- Pause, then lower your leg to the floor with control.
- Repeat on the other side and continue, alternating sides with each rep, for 8-10 reps each side.
