Targeting the gluteals and abdominals in a training session is a popular goal for many fitness seekers, but what about training for balance? Do you regularly seek out strategies for improving balance in your exercise routines? Considering that balance training has been shown to reduce the risk of falls (especially in older adults) and improve dynamic balance in both athletes and non-athletes, incorporating this type of training could be a wise choice. In addition, many of the exercises used to train balance call upon the muscles of the hips and trunk to provide stability. This means you get the added benefit of strengthening the glutes and abs while you’re working to become more balance savvy. Plus, the various single-leg exercises that target the glutes in balance-training programs are beneficial for knee health because they promote proper alignment between the hip, knee and ankle.
To experience these benefits, add one set of the following exercises at the beginning of your workouts, twice a week for at least six weeks (in other words, perform these balance exercises 12 times over the course of six weeks). To check your progress, take the single-leg balance test* (for both legs) during the first week. Retake the test again after the sixth week of training to see if there is a difference in your score.
*Single-leg Balance Test:
Grab a stopwatch and stand with your feet directly underneath the hips.
Cross your arms over the chest.
Lift one leg off the floor, making sure your legs do not touch each other.
Start the timer the instant your foot leaves the floor. Stop the timer when your foot touches back down, or if your body starts flailing to regain balance. The test should be performed with minimal bodily movement.
Record your score for each leg. The longer the time spent standing on one leg, the better your balance.
There are no norms for comparison, only your own score. The goal is to increase the time you are able to stand on one leg from pretest to post-test.
Note: It is up to you whether or not you wear shoes during this test. It makes sense that if you train in shoes, you should also test your balance wearing shoes. Clearly, this is not a scientific assessment, but making the pre- and post-tests factors the same, and the training variables the same as during testing (e.g., wearing shoes versus going barefoot), will give you a more realistic result.
1. Split Lunge
Adopt a split-stance position with one leg in front of the other and your
… Continue reading here.
Fitnovatives Blog — Courtesy “American Council On Exercise” (ACEfitness.org)
Download the HASfit Interactive Trainer App Now! Android http://goo.gl/q1rpi0 — iPhone http://goo.gl/6N3gfS HASfit’s 15 minute senior workout is a low impac…
ZOOT Recovery 2.0 CRx Women’s Compression Socks Black/Pink Glow, 4 – Men’s
When your legs have nothing left in them, but tomorrow isn’t your “day off,” you need every available advantage to heal up tonight and keep going tomorrow. The ZOOT Recovery 2. 0 CRx Women’s Compression Socks are engineered for both activity as well as recovery. Compression socks are becoming an obvious addition to any endurance athlete’s dresser drawer. After all, compression fabrics stabilize muscles in order to reduce damage during exercise. However, that’s only one part of the compression story. These socks are made from ZOOT’s innovative CRx compression fabric. Graduated in its design, the CRx fabric is made to compress the most at your foot and ease up as it gets closer to your calf. This forces blood flow from the bottom of your legs back to your heart. Essentially, this puts pressure on the muscles, arteries, and veins that are farthest away from the heart, ultimately forcing the body to circulate blood through narrower circulatory channels. So, almost like kinking a hose, it creates arterial pressure, and like when you finally release the kink, blood circulates faster to the heart. This accelerates recovery, by providing more oxygenated blood cells to the oxygen-deprived muscle groupings. The Zoot Recovery 2. 0 CRx Women’s Compression Socks are available in the colors Black/graphite and Black/pink glow and in the sizes Two, Three, and Four. Please note that sizing is based upon calf circumference, so we recommend that you refer to the sizing chart. It’s also important to note that these socks features an mmHg of 18-30, placing at a medical-grade of compression. As such, it’s not recommended that you wear these socks for extended periods of time.
List Price:
Price: 64.95
All Living ThingsA Hamster Starter Kit
Obtain all the essentials needed for your new hamster with the All Living Things Hamster Starter Kit. The kit comes complete with all the things you need to set up your furry friend’s habitat. Only at PetSmart. Features: A stylish, chew resistant cage design with a peak roof Includes: 1 – Bag of bedding (5 L), 1 – Bag of hamster food (2 lb), 2 – Treaded plastic ramps, 2 – Solid surface plastic shelves, 1 – Exercise wheel, 1 – Drip resistant water bottle w/ spring hanger (8 oz), 1 – Food dish (3 oz) and 1 – Hanging wood chew Environment: Hamster starter kit
Price: $ 45.99
Sold by PetSmart
Training Double Exercise Wheel
Molded plastic discs. Rod with comfortable grips. Strengthens arms, shoulders and back, trims and tones waistline.
List Price: $ 19.00
Price: $ 19.00
Yoga: The Alternate Routeto A Stress-free Street
If you are searching for a proven means to attain a healthy body in a healthy mind, then this time-tested system is for you. It is intensively researched and molded into a combined system by the Indian gurus down the ages. Be it spiritual, mental or physical, this technique can be practiced by anybody at […]
The Renowned Conditioning Styles Of The The Latest Mari Winsor’s Pilates Method Workout
With Mari Winsor’s Pilates Method becoming 1 of the greatest maturing types of exercise methods it has picked up oodles of attention on television, Radio and even from movie stars like Daisy Fuentes. In view of the fact that Mari Winsor’s Pilates Method was initiated by Joseph Pilates, a German National, there have been a […]
A Trainer’s Must-have Equipment List
Whether you’re a newly certified trainer or a seasoned trainer who is considering going solo, you’ll need a few pieces of fitness equipment to get started on your training journey. Although there are hundreds of body-weight exercises you can do with your clients, you’ll want some tools to keep them excited and challenged. You can […]
Three Basic Factors To Sexy Abs!
<img style="float:right;margin:5px 0px 5px 10px;" alt="English: Pulldown exercise, which strengthens the arms and back Français : Formation de résistance par un vieillard, Hollywood Ð ÑÑÑкий: ÐневмаÑиÑеÑки ÑегÑлиÑÑÐµÐ¼Ð°Ñ ÑÑга на ÑÑенажÑÑе Ð´Ð»Ñ Ð¿Ð¾Ð¶Ð¸Ð»ÑÑ , ÐолливÑд" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dc/UPSTREAM_FITNESS-7.jpg/350px-UPSTREAM_FITNESS-7.jpg”> There are three basic factors that will help you lose your belly: strength training (which increases resting metabolic rate), cardiovascular exercise (which […]
