Just don’t look down. You got that?
My favorite exercise to teach? Probably would have never guessed…………..it’s balance. Yes, you heard it, BALANCE. Not burpees, deadlifts, planks, or the complex cable exercises. Just plain old standing on one leg. The reason why I like teaching balance is because of its simplicity. You might be thinking that balance exercise = older population, but let me tell you I have seen a lot of my teenage clients having a lot less balance than my older ones. It’s very humbling when you can’t stand on one leg. No weights, resistance band, just your bodyweight. It gets people thinking if they can’t balance because of all the practical application it has in life.
What I look for when people balance is how the foot structure moves and this tells me which muscles are lacking. Don’t forget, you do have small muscles in your feet so it makes sense to get them stronger right? In addition to this, I look at the muscles that are above the foot (shins, calves, peroneals, quads, hips, hamstrings, groin etc) and try to pinpoint which one is not activating properly. It’s like playing detective, trying to solve the case. And because we have two legs, I get to analyze this twice. But the real reason balance is my favorite exercise to teach is because I don’t need any equipment to make something so simple burn so much. Yes, I am cruel……..Stay tuned for more next week! -Kei