Balance training: why is it important?

Without really realizing it, you use your balance for the most obvious activities. Think of walking to work, standing in a bar, or cycling to the gym. Yet, training your balance (also known as balance training) is more important than you think, especially for athletes.

What is balance?

Balance ensures you don't fall over when, for example, walking, standing, or cycling. Young children have difficulty standing and walking because their balance organ is not yet developed, and older people have difficulty with their balance because they move less (or can move less). This, in turn, leads to them having less strength, causing muscle cells to break down and ultimately disturbing their balance. Adults – and particularly (avid) athletes – think they have their balance well under control, but is that really true? Often, there is still much to be gained here!

What if my body is not well balanced?

For almost everyone, one side or one part of the body is stronger or more stable than the rest of the body. For example, your left leg might be stronger than your right leg, or your back muscles might be much stronger than your abdominal muscles. This can later lead to poor posture, causing physical complaints. For athletes, injuries to, for example, knees and ankles can occur because the body has to compensate for the difference in muscle strength in the legs.

Why is balance training so important for me?

If you're going to do dumbbell lunges, for example, your body needs to be well-balanced, otherwise, you'll fall over. This also applies to sports like tennis, football, basketball, hockey, and so on. Good balance is required when running, jumping, hitting a tennis ball, or kicking a football. So, there are several reasons why balance training is good for you:

• Daily activities become easier.
• Sports become easier and therefore more enjoyable.
• Complaints are reduced because your body has to compensate less.
• Sports injuries are less common because your body becomes stronger.

So, make sure you do enough balance training, as this will lead to fewer complaints and injuries. What does balance training look like and what do you need for it? You can read that in our next blog.