Hey Team, 

This week we are looking at balance and a few ways to reduce your risk for falling or improve your coordination for sport performance.    

So… what contributes to balance overall?

          Quick Look Video:  3 Balance Exercises for Beginners 

Balance is a coordination of systems the brain synthesizes to assist in determining current position.  The brain can use these sensory inputs to evaluate current standing posture, head position, acceleration, or change of direction. 

Overall… the brain controls your ability to maintain balance in three ways:

1.     Your ability to sense your current balance or stability

2.     Your ability to synthesize information from multiple inputs

3.     Your ability to make adjustments and respond to the input received. 

What are the main sensory systems contributing to balance?

• Balance System #1: Vision. Have you ever felt unsteady in a dark room or when walking to your car in a dark parking lot? If so, the reason you feel that way is because your vision is a very important part of your balance. When your eyes are open, your vision is constantly sending information to your brain related to where you are in relation to your environment. Your brain processes this visual input very rapidly, which helps you make necessary changes to your balance. 

• Balance System #2: Sensation. Your second balance system involves a few types of sensation. The most basic kind of sensation is through the skin along the bottoms of your feet. As you shift your weight, your skin can feel the pressure shifting, and this tells your brain where your body weight is located in relation to your “base of support”. If your weight shifts too close to the edge of your feet, where you might go past the base of support and fall, your body can then respond by shifting the weight back towards the center. Your body also has different receptors in your joints and muscles which we call “proprioceptors”. This gives your brain more information about your overall body position in space. 

• Balance System #3: Inner Ear. Your third balance system is also referred to as your “vestibular system”. Have you ever been told that you have fluid in your ears? This fluid moves through circular canals in your inner ear, giving your brain information about the speed and direction of various head movements. 

                                                                                                 Overall, your brain is working constantly to interpret information from multiple systems to determine what adjustments need to be made to maintain stability.  If one of your three balance systems are compromised… then instability can occur.  More so, if multiple systems are compromised… your risk of falling is greatly increased. 

This is a simplified version of how balance works and allows you to have a rough understanding of how to improve balance as well.  These 3 systems may need to be improved to allow yourself to reduce risk of falling or improve coordination for daily chores/athletics.  

In updated posts we will review how training these systems will improve your balance, but for now check out these three exercises to begin balance training today.  These are most appropriate for an individual who is not a high risk for falling.  

Click Here:  3 Balance Exercises to Improve Your Balance

Ok Team… that’s all for today.  Reach out to me directly if you have questions about the balance, youtube link or other physical therapy questions.  

-Keep Moving,

 Rob 

• The author, Rob Sumner, is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and owner of Sumner Specialized Physical Therapy. He's happy to answer any questions about this article, wellness, fitness, or physical therapy overall by phone at (509) 684-5621 or by email at Rob@SumnerPT.com

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