{"id":105560,"date":"2019-07-23T15:31:42","date_gmt":"2019-07-23T20:31:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/?p=105560"},"modified":"2021-05-31T08:47:20","modified_gmt":"2021-05-31T13:47:20","slug":"balance-exercises","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/health-fitness\/fitness\/balance-exercises\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Balance Exercises You Can Do on a 2×4"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Balance<\/a><\/p>\n

We take our balance for granted.<\/p>\n

Balance is what allows us to go from sitting to standing and to walk and run without falling flat on our faces. Even when you\u2019re sitting \u201cstill,\u201d your body is imperceptibly balancing itself. Below the level of consciousness, our bodies and minds work together to keep our center of gravity aligned with our base of support as we go about our daily lives.<\/p>\n

We tend not to notice our sense of balance, because the surfaces we ordinarily traverse are typically quite stable. We walk on flat, even floors and sit on wide, sturdy chairs.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s whenever we encounter complexities in our environment — like an icy sidewalk or a narrow ledge — that we start to become acutely aware of our sense of balance. In situations like these, keeping our center of gravity aligned with our base of support becomes a little trickier. Since our body and mind don\u2019t encounter environments like that very often, our internal \u201cgyroscope\u201d doesn\u2019t work very well, and we either flail our arms and legs wildly or we fall down. At best we look like a spaz; at worst we injure ourselves.<\/p>\n

Instead of resigning yourself to losing your balance when the environment throws a center of gravity curveball at you, practice this physical skill.<\/p>\n

Not only will practicing your balance help you navigate complex surfaces more efficiently, it can strengthen joint stability and carry over to sports if you play one. More importantly, it can help stave off the disequilibrium that often comes with old age, and can rear its head even on regular surfaces. One out of three people over the age of 65 fall each year. And when old people fall, they often break things like hips, which can induce a slide towards debilitation and death.<\/p>\n

Better to keep up your agility through preventative practice.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, balance practice doesn\u2019t necessitate running out and buying a slack line or a gymnastic balance beam.<\/p>\n

Just stop by Home Depot on the way home from work and buy a 2×4 for $5.<\/p>\n

Consider the 2×4<\/h3>\n

A few years ago, Kate and I worked with a MovNat<\/a> coach here in Tulsa named Aaron Baulch. One of the first things he had us do was buy a 2×4 to work on our balance. A 2×4 is the perfect piece of equipment for balance practice for the following reasons:<\/p>\n