Tone and Balance

Tone & Balance Exercises

If you are having trouble with balance, getting up or down, and pain when you are doing menial, everyday tasks, chances are your muscles have atrophied as you've gotten older. Here are a few exercises I do regularly to keep things working as they should.

Reclined - lie flat on the floor, legs together, arms out.

1. Knee Flex (20X)

2. Side Kick (20X)

3. Leg Lift (20X)

4. Lateral Lift/Lateral Cross (20X)

Standing next to a stationary object.

5. March (20X)

6. Knee Bend (20X)

7. Side Kick (20X)

8. Pendulum Kick (20X)

Strength & Balance

9. One Leg Dips (10X)

10. Toe Raises (30X)

All exercises should be done daily for a couple of months, six days a week. Once you reach your level of strength and stability, you can do them as often as you like, but at least 2-3 times a week for maintenance.

The following excises are done lying flat on the floor, legs together, arms out to the side. Start with 10 repetitions and increase by 1 rep every two days until you get to 20 in a single workout set. The pace of exercise is not fast. Move at about one rep every two seconds. Work one leg at a time and repeat on the other side.

Knee Flex - With your foot slightly off the floor, bring your knee up in line with your body (not to the side) as far as you can, then straighten it back out and without touching the floor, repeat until all reps are completed.

Side Kick - Raise one leg an inch off the floor. Keep your knee straight as you kick out to the side as far as you can and then return back to the center without touching the floor until all reps are completed.

Leg Lift - Bend one leg about half way. Keep your other knee straight as you lift that leg up as high as you can, pause briefly and then lower it back down and without touching the floor repeat until all reps are completed.

Lateral Lift - Roll onto your side with your bottom knee bent half way and the top leg straight. Support your head on your lower arm like a pillow. Without bending you knee, lift the top leg up as high as you can, pause and come back down to, but not touching the floor. Repeat until all reps are completed, then go to the Lateral Cross.

Lateral Cross - Immediately following the Lateral Lift raise your head up and rest it on your hand instead of the arm. Bend your top knee and set your foot on the floor behind the other leg. Straighten the bottom leg and place your opposite hand on the floor in front of you for balance. Now raise the bottom leg up as high as you can then pause and go back down without resting on the floor. (Note: even if you cannot lift the leg off the floor, the muscles are still working.) Repeat until all reps are completed. After working one side roll over on the other side and repeat both Lateral Lift and Lateral Cross.

For the following exercises use a solid, stationary object (counter top, table, chair) to aid balance . Don't touch any object except when you need it, and then use only a light finger tips or the back of the hand to help you balance. Start with 10-15 reps and add 1 rep every two days until you get to 20 reps.

The pace is not fast, and there is a brief pause at both ends of each movement to force you to use your muscles to control the motion. To help your balance, focus your eyes on a single point or object a short distance away and don't look away from it until the exercise is completed. Work one leg at a time and repeat on the other side except where as stated.

March - Alternately raise one knee at a time up as high as you can with a very brief pause at the top, and then go back down to the floor and do the other leg until all reps are completed.

Knee Bend (Back) - Stand on one foot with the other foot not touching the floor. Keep your knees together touching each other and bend the free leg at the knee until it is parallel to the floor behind you. Repeat the without touching the floor until all reps are completed.

Side Kick - Stand on one foot with the other foot not touching the floor. Keep your free knee straight and kick the leg out to the side as far as you can, pause, and bring your feet back together without touching the floor. Repeat until all reps are completed.

Pendulum Kick - Stand on one foot with the other foot up off the floor. Keep your other knee straight while you kick it forward as far as you can and pause, then come back down and pause at the bottom. Now kick back as afar as you can and pause, and then return to the start without ever touching the floor until all reps are completed.

Knee Dips - Stand on one foot, arms out at least half way for balance. Bend your free leg as you dip down on the other leg a couple of inches, then come back up. Repeat 6 to 8 reps to start. Increase the number reps as tolerated over several sessions to no more than 12. Increase the depth of the dips as tolerated over several sessions, but never more than 6 to 8 inches. If you have knee issues that prevent deep dips, do shallow ones with a hold of a few seconds at the bottom.

Toe Raise - I use a small board 3/4" thick, 2" wide, and 12" long for this exercise. Stand on the board or similar object on the balls of your feet with your heels are over the edge. Raise up all the way on your toes as high as you can, pause briefly and go back down until your heels just barely touch the floor. Repeat until all reps are completed. Start with 15-20 reps and increase as tolerated to 30 reps over several sessions. You can do this exercise slow or fast, just be sure to pause at the top for a moment and do all your reps.