King of the BOSU

Stand on the BOSU trainer. Your partner stands on the floor holding a medicine ball. Again, his or her goal is to put you off balance so you touch down. The drill begins with your partner throwing the ball to you; you catch it and throw it back. Your partner can circle around you, leading you in one direction and then the other. You follow your partner by adjusting your feet and continuing to catch and throw the ball. Every time one of your feet touches down, your partner gets a point. Play the game for 2 minutes and then switch. This is another great drill for developing balance and stability.

Stability Ball Push Up

Balance Ball Push Up for Strength and Stability

By Elizabeth Quinn, About.com

Updated: June 16, 2008

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board

If you want to move beyond the basic push up for upper body strength try stability push ups. This variation of the push up increases the difficulty (as well as the effectiveness of the standard push up).

Most trainers and coaches prefer to have athletes perform functional exercises, rather than just push weights around. Functional exercise is generally an exercise that requires you to use your body as resistance, rather than the weight. Such exercises require more muscles to be activated (stabilizers and core muscles) during the movement. In this way a push up works more muscles than a bench press.

When you add is the requirement of balance, you also increase muscle fiber activation. During functional exercises, a machine doesn't control the movement patterns, so your muscles must control it.

Keep in mind that you should progress from the basic push up to the stability push up in order to perform it safely. Do not attempt stability push ups until you can do 20 basic push-ups.

The stability push up requires a stability ball (, and is much harder than it appears. In additional to being a great upper body and core training exercise, it's also great for shoulder stabilization.

Stability Ball Push Up Technique

• Lay with your chest on the stability ball
• Place your hands at the sides of your chest.
• Place your toes on the floor, legs straight.
• Push your body up until your arms are almost straight (do not lock your elbows).
• Hold and balance for two seconds.
• Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.

The One Leg Squat and Reach Exercise Isolates the Gluteus and Improves Balance

Isolate Your Gluteus and Build Better Balance and Core Strength

By Elizabeth Quinn, About.com

Updated: May 13, 2009

The one-leg squat-and-reach exercise builds balance, ankle strength, proprioception, gluteus muscle strengthening, and trunk stabilization.

Using this type of stability exercise challenges your balance and engages muscles that are used while performing any exercise your perform with one leg at a time, such as running, cross country skiing, and even cycling.

This exercise is also a good way to regain balance and stability after an ankle, hip or core muscle injury. By maintaining this stable position during the exercise, you will engage your glutes, hips and core muscles by working many muscles at one time.

Basic One Leg Squat and Reach:

• Place an object on the floor about 2-3 feet in front and to the left of your left foot.
• Balance on your left foot; raise your right foot off the ground.
• Slowly bend your left knee and lower your torso.
• Reach forward with your right hand and touch the object.
• Maintain your balance by extending your right leg slightly.
• Be sure to keep your left knee over your left foot.
• Touch the object, pause, and return to the start position.
• Maintain a slow and controlled movement throughout the exercise.
• Repeat the exercise 5-10 times. Switch feet and repeat on the other side.
• Complete 2 sets.

Advanced One-Leg Squat-and-Reach:

• Because shoes offer additional support, you can increase the difficulty of this exercise by performing it barefoot. This engages the small muscles of the foot and ankle that stabilize the ankle and maintain balance.
• You can also hold a small, 5-8 pound dumbbell in your hand as your reach forward and slowly reach out to the left as far as you can go, pause 3 seconds and then slowly return, switch hands and reach to the right.
• Repeat 10-15 times on each side and switch to the opposite foot and hand.
• Do 2 sets for each side.

One Leg Away From Better Balance

by Laura Inverarity, D.O.

for About.com

Updated April 06, 2005

Often as we age, our balance skills deteriorate. For this reason it is important to do exercises to improve and maintain balance throughout our lives. Balance exercises can be performed daily and in your own home. You can start out with simple balance activities and increase the difficulty as your balance improves.

Improving your balance takes practice. One simple exercise can be done and modified as your skill level improves. Read on to learn how to improve your balance starting today.

Beginner:

Stand up straight behind a tall chair or at a counter top.
Lightly grasp the chair or counter top with your finger tips.
Raise one leg a foot off the ground.
Maintain your balance while standing on one leg.
Hold for a count of ten seconds.
Repeat with other leg.
Perform five on each leg.

Intermediate:

Stand up straight behind a tall chair or at a counter top for safety only.
Without holding on to the chair or countertop raise one leg a foot off the ground.
Maintain your balance while standing on one leg.
Hold for a count of ten seconds.
Repeat with other leg.
Perform five on each leg.

Advanced:

Stand up straight behind a tall chair or at a counter top for safety only.
Close both eyes.
Without holding on to the chair or countertop raise one leg a foot off the ground.
Maintain your balance while standing on one leg.
Hold for a count of ten seconds.
Repeat with other leg.
Perform five on each leg.

Single Leg Stance

by Laura Inverarity, D.O.

for About.com

Updated March 24, 2008

Overview:

A multitude of injuries and occurrences can affect our balance and leave us less steady on our feet. An ankle sprain, for example, can leave one with balance deficits due to tears in the fibers that rely balance input to the brain. People who suffer from a stroke also often also have severe balance problems that make walking difficult. We also loose stability as a result of the normal aging pattern.

We can improve our balance by performing simple balance exercises. The single leg stance is a very effective exercise for improving balance. This exercise can be modified as balance stability progresses.

Single Leg Stance:

Initial steps include:

Stand behind a chair
Hold onto the chair back with both hands
Slowly lift one leg off the ground
Maintain your balance standing on one leg for 5 seconds
Return to starting position and repeat X 5
Perform with opposite leg

Exercise Progression:

Follow these steps as your balance improves:
1)Hold onto chair back with only one hand
2)Stand near the chair for safety, but do not hold on
3)Progress finally to lifting your leg off the ground one inch higher

Complete all three modifications to this exercise and your stability will be much improved.

BOSU & Squat Jumps

Squat Jumps onto the BOSU
Stand behind the BOSU. Bend the knees and keep the abs tight as you hop onto the top of the dome, landing with the knees bent in a squat. Step back down with the right foot and repeat 16 times. March in place for 8 counts and repeat, this time stepping down with the left foot. Be sure to land right in the middle of the ball. If landing with both feet simultaneously is too hard, go for a staggered landing, one foot at a time.

Squat Jumps
Stand on the BOSU with feet spaced evenly. Bend your knees and squat, as though you're sitting back in a chair. Then jump up as high as you can and land with soft knees, lowering back into a squat. Repeat for 10 reps and march in place (on the floor or BOSU) before repeating.

The BOSU is pretty fun, though I don't have one at home right now. It's a great tool for balance and core improvement. The best alternative to this, if you don't have a BOSU, is to do jump squats on the floor. You won't achieve the same level of core training, but you will get the work out in your legs, and if you go quickly, yet safely, you'll get some good cardio in, too.

You Don’t Have To Go To A Gym To Work Out.

What? No gym? How will I get buff?

For those of us lucky to live in locations with great weather, we can use the great outdoors as our natural gym. You can do your stretches at the park. Some people like to stretch in their living room before they go out so that they can lie down on the floor without getting dirty.

You should stretch for at least 10 minutes before starting any exercise.

Don’t forget to stretch after your work out, too.

You don’t have to run on a treadmill or on the track. You can run up hills or up and down the stairs. Running up hills or up stairs not only gives you a good cardio workout, but you also get more strength and muscles in your legs.

Dips are great anywhere! Dips strengthen and tone your triceps. You just need to put your hands facing you on a sturdy surface, such as a chair, bench or steps. Steady your legs in front of you so that you can sink to a seated position, while your arms bend to a 90 degree angle.

Push ups on the steps. You can do this in the city or even your house. As long as you have steps and are steady, you can challenge yourself in many ways with push ups.

Maintaining balance is important as we age. If you have steps, stones or any other solid surface, you can leap from one to another to maintain your balance.

Don't forget to stretch after your work out.


Contact me at melissa@ultrafitsf.com for personal training in the park.