Techniques for Improving Balance

by Shari and Nina

Elizabeth Cooke, Age 57

Because of something I'm working on—you can probably guess what—I wanted to learn more about specific techniques for improving balance. So I turned to one of my favorite local expert on the topic, our very own Shari Ser, yoga teacher and physical therapist. I asked her a set of questions regarding techniques for improving balances, and thought today I'd share the results with you. Thank you, Shari! —Nina

NINA: Let’s say you’ve decided that you want to focus on improving your balance, where should you start? Let’s talk about the person who has really poor balance first. Then maybe talk about someone who doesn’t have balance problems per se but just wants to improve and/or maintain balance?

SHARI: I’ll start with the individual who doesn’t live with a constant fear of falling and is relatively mobile, though not necessarily agile.

We always start at the beginning and my reference point for the beginning is Mountain pose (Tadasana). Tadasana is a symmetrical pose that is never mastered and there are endless variations you can practice. Varying your foot position by bring your feet closer together challenges your balance. Start by standing with your feet hips-distance apart. Then, if your knees allow it, gradually work toward the classic Tadasana foot position, with your feet together (big toes touching, heels slightly apart).

You can also vary the pose by closing your eyes, changing the position of your head, by looking up or looking down, and by turning your head. Other movements include raising your arms overhead and side bending.

Next try changing the surface you are standing on. Try standing on a sticky mat that is folded multiple times, on a couch pillow on the floor that is very cushy, on an inflated but soft air mattress, and so—I think you are getting the picture here.

A favorite balance challenge on mine is to put a foam block on your head (like the old fashioned postural exercises some of our moms may have taught us) and first just stand in Tadasana. Then add arm movements out to the side and overhead, trying to keep the block from falling—that can be a lot of fun. For those of you who have a fairly symmetrical walking pattern, walking while in Tadasana with a block on your head is a challenge as you examine how your transferring of weight may influence your postural stability and the ability to keep the block on your head.

NINA: What types of poses should your practice include?

SHARI: I always focus in the beginning on standing poses to challenge balance because they are so much fun and very gratifying because improvements are really noticeable. The standing poses that I would recommend for balance and also to increase leg strength include: Warrior 1 and 2 (Virabradrasana 1 and 2), Triangle pose (Trikonasana), and Extended Side Angle pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana).

Something else to consider is that different yoga traditions enter into and exit out of standing poses with a prescribed sequence. To challenge this habitual pattern—mental agility, folks!—you can change how you step into Warrior 1 or 2. Stepping back from Tadasana with one leg into a Warrior pose then back into Tadasana (repeating on the second side) is a balance challenge. Likewise, stepping forward from Tadasana into the pose from then back into Tadasana, switching sides rhythmically is also balance challenge. Adding rhythm in how you move in and out of a pose from Tadasana with a metronome can be fun, changing between faster and slower tempos. The concept here is NOT to do your entry and exit the same way every single time.

Another way to not only increase balance reactions and leg strength is to link poses together in a flow sequence. Baxter has done a few posts on mini vinyasas with standing poses (see Warrior 1 and Warrior 2 Mini Vinyasas), but  you can also make them up yourself by linking poses together. For example, try going from Warrior 2 to Extended Side Angle to Triangle pose and back again (repeated on the second side) is one way to approach this idea.

I also think it is crucial to make transitions from standing to the floor and back to standing smoothly and gracefully. You don’t want to move quickly through transitions because speed can increase the risk of falling because you aren’t moving mindfully but just trying to get to the next step. If you have difficulty getting down to and up from the floor, using a chair to assist you is fine but make sure you control the descent and ascent. If initially your legs are too weak or due to orthopedic issues they don’t “bend the way they used to,” it is fine to use your arms to help support your legs.

After working with the standing poses, you should also practice traditional standing balance poses, such as Tree pose (Vrksasana), Half Moon pose (Arda Chandrasana) and Revolved Half Moon, and Warrior 3 (Virabrdrasana 3). Starting with the right amount of support is important; improvement in balancing will bring the gradual lessening of the support that you need.

I also like some floor balance poses for challenges, such as Side Plank pose (Vasithasana), which you can make accessible by practicing the variations (see Featured Pose: Side Plank Pose). Other ideas are Boat pose (Navasana) and Hunting Dog pose, both of which have accessible variations. For more experienced yogis who have been practicing inversions like Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana), Headstand (Sirsasana), and Forearm Balance (Pinca Mayurasana), just the act of doing these poses is challenging your balance, but I don’t recommend them at all for beginners.

NINA: Should we be doing leg strength poses as well as balancing poses?

SHARI: Absolutely we should be doing leg-strengthening poses. Balance is an integrative full body system, and the leg muscles are part of the system. Strong legs mean you are able to lift your body weight with your legs. That means being able to stand from a standard height chair without using your arms to help. This in itself is a training activity. A yoga pose you can use is Powerful pose, either by sliding off a chair into the shape of Powerful pose or starting in Mountain pose and moving into Powerful pose. There are many ways to vary this pose (see Featured Pose: Powerful Pose).

Standing on one leg with adequate balance support and then over time removing the degree of support will also really work on strength, especially the outer hip muscles which help keep your pelvis level when your lift one leg off the ground.

To increase strength, increase your hold times you start to feel just a bit “uncomfortable” and there is more effort required. (I am NOT talking about staying in a pose and “working with the pain.” Effort does not equal pain, and, if it does, then you need to immediately come out of the pose.)

NINA: How often should you do the poses? How long should you hold the poses?

SHARI: I suggest practicing daily for even five minutes as a good way to begin. Developing the habit of practice is the key—what you do during your five minutes is more open. For someone just starting to work on balance, in a five minute practice you could start with Tadasana and Tree pose, which I recommend doing every day. Then add in one or two other standing and/or balance poses, which you should vary throughout the week to maintain a balanced diet of yoga poses.

As far as how long to hold a pose, I would recommend a simple approach. Hold a pose till you notice your leg is quivering and then try to hold 2-3 seconds longer. Come out and rest a few seconds before repeating on the second side. 

NINA: And when you get the basic balance poses down to long, steady holds, where should you go from there?

SHARI: The first thing I remove is vision because removing visual acuity really affects balance! So try either practicing in a darkened room or closing your eyes. Once you master the visual challenge, try adding head motions while keeping your eyes steady—find a visual focal point and keep your eyes on that object but add head rotations. 

Next, return to another visual challenge. Keeping your head steady, move your gaze around the room in every direction you can comfortably take it. Once you’ve mastered that, try moving your eyes in one direction with your head is turned in the opposite direction.

Another technique is to vary the surface you practice on. Try standing on a cushy or unstable surface—like an air mattress on the floor that is underinflated—and do standing poses like Warrior 2 or balance poses for a definite balance challenge! When practicing balance poses like Tree pose, as Baxter has recommended, try variations with moving your arms and head.

Other ways to vary your practice is to change where you do your practice. I, for one, am very partial to yoga on the beach. There is something about the movement of the air as well as the movement of the water that I find very nurturing. Watching moving objects while trying to remain still and steady is definitely a balance challenge.

NINA: Is there anything else you can do to improve your balance?

SHARI: Whenever possible, increase your foot sensitivity. Massaging the soles of your feet is important—there are numerous tools you can use for this. I also recommend stretching your toes individually and feeling all the small joints in the toes and how they move  (this also allows you to keep a close check on the state of your feet, especially if you are a diabetic).  You can also do toe exercises from a seated position, like trying to individually lift and replace each toe, which is quite challenging.

And as long as you don’t have diabetes or peripheral neuropathy, walking with bare feet in the house and in safe outdoor environments, such as at the beach or on the grass, is invaluable for keeping your feet health, supple, and responsive. So take off your shoes!

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