How to train balance & lower leg variability

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I think everyone appreciates the importance of balance at all stages of life, but as we age, the consequences of losing your balance tip from inconvenient to devastating to potentially life-ending. 

There are many ways to train for balance, ranging from walking on uneven surfaces to walking on a tightrope or zipline.  

Regardless of your ambitions with respect to balance, a big piece of it, and the part that probably matters most for your healthspan, is lower leg variability, or as Beth Lewis likes to call it, “problem solving with your feet.”

Most of us have nowhere near the variability and proprioception with our feet that we have with our hands, which makes it much harder for us to maintain balance than it should be. We must have the ability to shift weight, accelerate and decelerate our mass through different parts of the feet in order to respond and stabilize appropriately to changes in our environment. 

While I love to play with a balance board, it doesn’t really help me gain the “feels” with my feet that the Black Board tool provides. I have to use my foot and lower leg to respond to how my weight shifts up top.

Disclaimer: This blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this blog or materials linked from this blog is at the user's own risk. The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard, or delay in obtaining, medical advice for any medical condition they may have, and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.
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