5 Daily Moves From a Trainer

Give your balance some much-needed TLC by adding these daily exercises to your routine.

Balance exercises don’t get the attention they deserve. When most people hit the gym, they typically gravitate toward cardio machines to burn calories or free weights to build muscle mass. While both are essential parts of a well-rounded workout routine, balance training also deserves a dedicated spot in your rotation.

“Balance isn’t one thing; that’s the part most people don’t realize. It’s your strength, your proprioception (basically your body’s sense of where it is without looking), your coordination, your vision, and your inner ear all working at the same time,” explains Jacob Siwicki, founder and head coach of Siwicki Fitness, NCSF and AFAA certified, former top 1% globally ranked Equinox group fitness instructor (2019), Dartmouth economics graduate and former Dartmouth football player, fitness expert on FOX 5 DC, ranked #1 personal trainer in D.C. in 2021.

We learned from Siwicki five daily exercises that can improve balance faster than Tai Chi after 60.

According to Siwicki, “These moves pull on most of that at once. Want to make single-leg stands way harder? Close your eyes. That takes your vision out of it and forces the inner ear and the proprioception to do the work, and honestly that’s where I see people improve the fastest.”

Now, let’s get started.

Single-Leg Stand

1. Stand tall on a flat surface with your feet hip-width apart and arms at your sides.
2. Shift your body weight onto your left foot.
3. Lift your right foot off the ground.
4. Activate your core while keeping your shoulders stacked over your ribs and your hips level.
5. The time begins once your leg comes off the floor and stops when your foot touches the ground.
6. Hold the single-leg balance with your eyes closed for 1 minute.
7. Repeat on the other side.

Heel-to-Toe Walk

1. Stand tall.
2. Begin walking straight, placing one foot right in front of the other, heel to toe.

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Clock Reach

1. Begin standing tall with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Shift your body weight onto one leg, keeping the standing leg slightly bent.
3. Picture yourself standing in the center of a clock face.
4. Reach the lifted foot toward 12 o’clock (to the front), 3 o’clock (to the side), 6 o’clock (to the back), and then 9 o’clock (across the body).
5. Return your foot to the center after each reach.
6. Repeat on the other side.

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Sit-to-Stand

1. Begin seated at the front of a sturdy chair, feet under your knees.
2. Lean forward just a bit.
3. Try to stand up without using your knees, hands, or additional support.
4. Use control to slowly sit back down.

Weight Shifts Side-to-Side

1. Begin standing tall with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Activate your core and keep your knees slightly soft.
3. Shift your body weight onto your right leg, allowing your left hip and knee to slightly bend.
4. Hold briefly once you feel stable on the left side.
5. Then, gradually shift your weight to your left leg.

Alexa Mellardo