I have received several emails from people that are urgently writing me and asking, “I have Parkinson’s disease, and I need to work on my balance while I’m stuck at home, but how do I do this safely?”. I am going to answer the call for more balance exercises. This balance exercise is great for anyone, from a professional athlete to frailer individual in a wheelchair. I love this so much and incorporate it into my boxing bootcamp classes.
As discussed before, you are at higher risk for falling in your own home. We need to really work on balance to prevent falls now, especially because we are spending more time in our houses.
All you need for this exercise is a mat (or blanket) and maybe a chair.
Start by clearing your exercise area of all possible sharp corners you could fall on if you should fall over. Even falling from a kneeling position can cause severe injury if you hit a sharp corner.
- Come down to a high kneeling position.
- Bring one leg in front to a wide kneeling split stance.
- While keeping tall posture, slowly inch the front foot around as narrow as you can tolerate and still balance.
- Test your balance by moving your arms around in various positions in various speeds. Try moving them together and separate. The faster and bigger you move your arms, the more challenging the exercise.
- When you feel like you are ready, you can keep moving that front foot to the middle until the back knee and front foot are lined up.
- Switch slowly, and repeat the same exercise on the other side. Notice the difference… one side may be weaker and less stable than the other.
In a Chair:
- Sit on the edge of the chair and place one foot forward of the other foot.
- Move your arms around in different directions as shown in the video.
- When you are ready, you can try lining up your feet and moving your arms.
- Be cautious with how far forward you lean. Know your limits. Keep practicing, it will improve.
This is a great time to work on your balance. You have the time, and this exercise requires minimal equipment. Do it every day! The stronger your core and hips are, the better equipped you will be to keep from falling.
Try it today! And keep sending me blog ideas!
- 💜 Coach Kimberly