Balance training – a great addition to your Functional Fitness

Flamingos can stand on one leg for hours without falling over – and as far as we know, they don’t get sore muscles either. What about your balance? If you’ve been avoiding balance training, it’s time to start! Because the more trained your deep muscles, the lower the risk of injury and the higher your flexibility

What exactly is balance training?

How confident are you standing on unsteady ground? Do you fall over as soon as you step onto a rocking boat or get a slight jolt? Then you should start with balance training. Also known as stability training, this workout strengthens your deep muscles, coordination and concentration. So you’re not only using your body, but also your head. After a while you will be able to keep your balance effortlessly.

Try it out! You can also use equipment to support your exercises like a powerband Set specific goals in the process: For example, to be able to easily hold a body position like the standing balance even while moving your arms. The level-up can then be implemented with a kettlebell that you move from one hand to the other.

Here are the benefits of balance training

Coordination is everything – not only in everyday life, but also in sports. You should also train it regularly because your fine motor skills reduce as you age. Your brain sends the necessary nerve signals to your muscles less quickly. Accordingly, you find it increasingly difficult to grasp firmly or stand steadily.

Once again, it’s the combination that does it!

You should also train your balance in the prime of your life. Especially as a sports enthusiast, there is a high probability that you suffer from imbalances. Whether you mainly ride a bike, play golf or kick the ball around: You always use the same muscles. With balance training, you compensate for one-sided stresses, your core muscles become stronger, and you benefit from improved posture. And you also benefit from a lower risk of injury. At the same time, you prevent health restrictions such as back pain.

Good for muscular imbalances

You have many possibilities to balance your body through functional balance training. For example, you can use sandbags or a sling trainer to focus on the so-called antagonists of the muscle groups. These „antagonists“ are often neglected. Ab workouts are on your weekly schedule? Think about your back too! You are not alone if you have neglected it so far but if think about it you can avoid tension, increase your flexibility just by starting your balance training!

Balance training promotes coordination and stability

If the sun is shining and you don’t feel like going to the weight room try stand-up paddling for advanced balance training! With this popular leisure activity, you challenge all the muscle parts that have so far had a purely side-gig due to one-sided stress.

The alternative to stand-up paddling is to train your balance on a balance pad.

A balance pad is a nice alternative for your own four walls. But even better would a pulley sling trainer as it can be used to perform specific exercises with an unstable environment. This makes push-ups, lateral push-ups or planks even more challenging.

Through the instability you address your entire body and especially your deep-seated muscle layers. Because of the dynamic posture, you train the full package of accessory muscles in addition to the main muscle groups! Your extremities are constantly under tension – a fun challenge! The versatile equipment is ideal if you want to maintain your balance and strengthen your core stability.

Sandbags, sling trainers and power bands are perfect tools on the road to core stability. For the upper back, for example, rowing with the sandbag in a one-legged stance is a good option. With alphaband loop power band you do exercises, such as the deep lunge with lateral rotation of the upper body for extra resistance.

Suitable for beginners and professional athletes alike

Whether you are still at the beginning of your athletic career or have already made the leap into the professional camp: Balance training should be on your program in any case. Neither your age nor your fitness level means any restrictions here, on the contrary. There are many benefits to balance training, from coordination and joint stability to motor control of your muscles. Especially in unforeseen everyday situations all this pays off. Like when you suddenly stop the bus or train and no longer stumble around. And who knows: Maybe you’ll soon be following the example of the flamingos!