BALANCE TRAINING: ARE WE UNBALANCED IN OUR APPROACH?? By Michol Dalcourt

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1 BALANCE TRAINING: ARE WE UNBALANCED IN OUR APPROACH?? By Michol Dalcourt Balance training has evolved into a very important area of focus for our fitness industry. It has even become its own section in exercise programs, where you may take someone through a series of balance exercises. The question is are we enhancing the effectiveness of our bodies to have balance? Many would describe balance as the ability to remain still over a base of support that is small. Simply ask a person to describe an individual who exhibits good balance and they might give you an example of someone standing on one leg who is motionless. There are several things to consider when training balance: 1. Body Position 2. Footwear 3. Training Balance in Motion 4. Surface 5. The 3 friends of balance 6. Integration of the body 7. Balance vs. Strength vs. Power Training 8. Righting vs. Equilibrium Reflexes 1- Body position: We must ask ourselves what position relative to gravity do our bodies need to be successful in. If the answer is upright and standing, then that is the position we need to train them in. It is of limited carryover to have a golfer train in a kneeling, prone, or supine position. To maximize balance training, someone who needs balance when standing MUST TRAIN STANDING. The body position which needs the most balance is the standing position. 2- Footwear: Most who train balance do so with thick and rigid footwear on their feet. If standing balance training is to happen, it must include bare foot training. Most fitness facilities have studio areas that are away from equipment and other people who are training. If this cannot be accomplish (because of hygiene or liability reasons), then choose footwear with minimal support. This may sound contra-indicated, however, we must begin to appreciate how vital the role of the foot is in maintaining our center of gravity over our base of support. The foot is made up of 28 muscles which cross 25 joints in an area of the body which has some of the highest concentrations of proprioceptors that we have. It is absolutely vital that these muscles and joints interact with one another (through movement of the foot) so that we simulate the nervous system and enhance balance. Let me stress this point by saying the extent to which we move and articulate each of these muscles and joints is the extent to which we have balance!! Figure #1 shows us an excellent drill which trains the feet and balance.

Figure #1 - Balance Hold 1 Leg - Overhead Posterior Reach (for maximal proprioceptive stimulus, perform bare foot) Ensure that the motion occurs at the ankle, knee, and hip complex as opposed to the

For this, we MUST MOVE. Balance training must be view, train, assess, and studied in MOTION rather than in stillness. Try the exercise listed in Figure #2.

Considering what surface to stand on is often a difficult choice. What do we chose? When do we choose them? Here are some basic guidelines to follow so that we maximize balance training.

2 Figure #1 - Balance Hold 1 Leg - Overhead Posterior Reach (for maximal proprioceptive stimulus, perform bare foot) Ensure that the motion occurs at the ankle, knee, and hip complex as opposed to the lower back. 3- Training Balance in Motion: Balance is often seen as being static and still. This limited view does not maximize balance. To train balance, we must put our bodies out of balance. For this, we MUST MOVE. Balance training must be view, train, assess, and studied in MOTION rather than in stillness. Try the exercise listed in Figure #2. Figure #2 - Lunge - Frontal w/ Anterior Reach This exercise involves a frontal plane lunge with an anterior bilateral arm reach (as far forward as can be controlled) at waist height 4- Surface: Considering what surface to stand on is often a difficult choice. What do we chose? When do we choose them? Here are some basic guidelines to follow so that we maximize balance training. First, always start balance training on solid ground. Solid ground enhances ground reaction force consider trying to push against something that is moving (ie. walking on a mattress). It becomes very difficult for our bodies to put tension through muscles when the ground is giving way. To stimulate the flexor hallicus longus (for example), it must push against something that does not move to put tension through it (try jump in the air from a ground that gives way). To maximize balance, we must FIRST train on solid ground before choosing other surfaces. 5- The 3 Friends of Balance

3 In order to maintain balance, our bodies rely on 3 pathways (3 friends). The first is oculomotor (our eyes), secondly, we have our vestibular system (our inner ear), and finally we have our proprioception (nervous system). The trick is that we need at least 2 friends at our party in order to maintain balance. Try this test: Stand on one leg notice how much more the body relies on movement to stimulate the proprioceptive system. Close your eyes your body will always respond by up-regulating the other two pathways (you will notice a lot more movement at the ankle complex). Keep your eyes closed and shake your head you will notice that it is impossible to maintain your balance. By taking away 2 friends and only leaving one at the party (we removed the eyes and ears, leaving only the proprioceptors), we are unable to maintain proper balance. This becomes increasingly useful when progressing a periodized program. Closing your eyes OR shaking your head (not both at the same time) is an excellent way to increase the challenge of balance training for more advanced athletes. 6- Integration of the Body When training for balance, we MUST train in integration, this means exercise movements that involve the entire body. Current research in biomechanics and the nervous system clearly tell us that we are built in an integrated fashion. Try the following exercise (Figure #3) to maximize balance. Figure #3 Balance Hold 1 Leg - Overhead Lateral Reach This exercise involves an overhead reach to one side with the knee bent to approx. 20. Only move to the point of control never further. 7- Balance Training vs. Strength vs. Power In conventional approaches, we always segmented balance training from any other forms (i.e. core, strength, power, etc.). Since we are beginning to realize that balance should be trained in motion, we are starting to train for strength and power simultaneously WITH balance (Figure #4).

4 Figure #4 Lunge - Forward w/ Bicep Curl This an excellent way to integrate balance and strength training 8- Righting vs. Equilibrium Our bodies possess different reflex profiles that protect against falls and move us safely. The two major reflex profiles are Righting and Equilibrium profiles. Righting reflexes are dominant when we move across a fixed surface like the ground. Runners, weightlifters, football / baseball / basketball players, etc. (anyone who moves on the ground) will need to train their righting reflexes primarily. This can be accomplished through methods that involve having your foot / feet on the ground while moving in all three planes. Multiplanar lunges are a simple example of great balance drills for the righting reflex. Equilibrium reflex profiles, on the other hand, tend to dominate when the surface is moving underneath us. Hockey, skateboarding, surfing, rollerblading etc. will require more of an equilibrium response through our neuromuscular system. Training on stability balls, and wobble boards will be where your training focus shifts after you have establish adequate ground based functional balance. The general rule is that balance should be incorporated with core, strength, and power training in an integrated fashion. This will maximize proprioceptive input and step up our nervous system, developing higher levels of neuromuscular control (balance). Finally, the most important thing is to have fun with balance. Gamesmanship, movement, and purpose driven actions will take the conscious mind out of the complex task of maintaining balance. This will enhance motor performance and increase efficiency. Remember the less you think about balance, the more you can co-ordinate balance. Have Fun!! For more information and a complete list of references, please contact Michol Dalcourt at micholdalcourt@shaw.ca or visit the exercise library at

5 Michol Dalcourt is an expert on human movement and functional physical training. As a international lecturer and educator, Michol has authored numerous articles on human performance and how to maximize it. He is an instructor at the NAIT College School of Health Sciences. Michol has received his education from the University of Alberta in the area of exercise science. The following exam is based upon Michol Dalcourt s article Balance Training: Are We Unbalanced in our Approach?. These ongoing exams are offered to AFLCA certified leaders in each edition of the Fitness Informer or can be downloaded from the web site at as an opportunity to gain Continuing Education Credits. Submission deadline: November 30, Please be aware that answers may involve application of the information from the article and not simply recall. Worth: One AFLCA Credit. CEC Multiple Choice Exam Circle your answer. Mail this exam and your log book (which will be returned) to the AFLCA. Good luck and be sure to include your name and return address. Name: Address: 1. Which of the following in NOT something to consider when training for balance? a) Body Position b) Stillness of the body c) Footwear d) Integration of the body 2. With respect to balance, in what body position should we train a golfer? a) Kneeling to maximize the effectiveness of the core b) Supine so that core strength can be isolated c) Prone to effectively utilize the core and enhance balance d) Standing so that balance carryover to golf can be maximized 3. The foot is made up of how many muscles and how many joints? a) b) 50 5 c) d) Why is training while bare foot so critical to balance? a) We get maximum stimulus to the proprioceptors b) We can articulate all the joints and stimulate all the muscles to be used in balance

6 c) Motion at every segment in the foot stimulates the nervous system d) All of the above 5. To train balance, we must put our bodies out of balance? a) True b) False 6. In terms of choosing an appropriate surface to train on, what continuum do we follow? (first progression next progression final progression) a) solid ground airex pad bosu ball b) airex pad solid ground bosu ball c) bosu ball solid ground airex pad d) bosu ball airex pad solid ground 7. Who are the 3 friends of balance? a) feet, hip, core b) oculomotor, vestibular, proprioception c) strength, stability, power d) the core is the only true friend to balance 8. When training balance, we must? a) isolate strength b) integrate the body s function c) isolate the core d) train on wobble boards 9. Balance training should be incorporated into Strength and Power programs? a) True b) False 10. When looking at Righting vs. Equilibrium reflex profiles, which athlete would benefit most from a Righting reflex and which athlete would benefit most from a Equilibrium reflex? a) runner, baseball player b) hockey player, skateboarder c) hockey player, runner d) football player, hockey player

Understanding Functional Training Part one of a two-part series

Understanding Functional Training Part one of a two-part series By Douglas Brooks, MS Generally, functional training is tied to balance training and sport-, activity-, or occupation-specific practice.