Balance Training 101: 5 Essential Poses

Most people think good balance means standing perfectly still.
After years as a massage therapist studying how the body stabilizes itself, I can tell you, that’s not how balance actually works.

Your body is constantly making tiny adjustments to keep you upright and steady, from the tiny muscles in your feet,  your deep core and abdominal layers, to how your shoulders align. 
Balance is movement, not stillness.

Once I had learned the anatomy, and which muscles were firing, how they communicated, and why the body responds the way it does, balance stopped being “freeze and hold still” and became a whole new appreciation of how the body works together. It’s a team effort.

Here are some of the muscle groups that work quietly behind the scenes whenever we’re balancing:

These big muscles gently tug back and forth to keep you from tipping forward or backward, playing an ongoing game of tug-of-war.

Warrior III: Gluteus Medius + Peroneals

Stand on one leg and your hip muscles (gluteus medius) keep your pelvis level while the muscles along the outside of your lower leg (peroneals) stop your ankle from rolling.
If one wobbles, the other reacts instantly. Go team! Amazing right?!

Bird Dog: Deep Core + Multifidi
Your deepest core layer hugs in (imagine a corset) to support your center, while tiny muscles along your spine turn on to keep your back from collapsing.
When I was in massage school, a professor made the analogy that when the body senses imbalance these muscles activate like a seat belt when it's been pulled too quickly and work to hold everything in tightly.

One Legged Chair: Foot Muscles + Tibialis Posterior

Pay attention next time you balance. Feel your toes gripping? Your arch lifting?
These muscles are constantly adjusting to keep you steady. They’re your foundation.

Half Moon: Obliques + Lats
Holding your sword or arm out, turns on the big muscles along your back, while the opposite-side abdominals pull you back to center.
A beautiful cross-body connection.

Once I understood these relationships, wobbling stopped feeling like failure and started to feel like learning.

Think of it this way… every wobble is learning happening in real time. 

So embrace the wobbling!

Add a sword, and suddenly your body has more work to do and multitask.
Your center of gravity changes, so your stabilizing muscles must work harder:

What do you notice? Do you feel a difference?

That extra wobble is your balance system waking up.

You use three systems to balance:

WeaponUp brings in the sword and challenges all three... especially the last one! It creates a gentle imbalance that forces the body to learn.

   Notice where you wobble

   That wobble is your brain and muscles learning.

Bonus: Once you’re steady, try closing your eyes. Instant challenge!

Balance isn’t about being still, it’s about:
   muscles firing
   nerves communicating
   your body learning in real time

Every time you wobble, you’re getting better!

Being still in a balance pose is an illusion... the reality is there is SO much movement happening underneath the surface!