If you don’t specifically train them, both strength and balance significantly decline after the age of 30.
Especially if you are working at a job where you are sitting at a computer all day, you are likely not challenging your muscles enough to offset this decline.
You may find that you can’t jump as high, run as fast, or have more trouble walking up stairs.
Even if you aren’t feeling like this yet, it’s coming soon. But with everything else you have to do in life, who has time?
By performing both single leg and double leg strengthening exercises in an exercise routine, you can efficiently improve strength and balance.
Here are 3 easy exercises you can do to efficiently improve strength and balance.
Goblet Squat
Hold a kettlebell or dumbbell close to your chest, feet shoulder-width apart.
Squat down, driving your hips back, keeping your chest up and back straight.
This exercise is primarily leg and core strength. Because you are using both legs at once, it has the lowest balance demands of these 3 exercises.
You should feel this working in your quads and hips the most.
Perform this for 3 sets of 5 to 10 reps, 2-3 days a week to improve your strength.
Bulgarian Split Squats
Rear foot elevated split squats (often referred to as Bulgarian split squats) not only help in strengthening the quads but also the hamstrings and glutes, ensuring overall stability for the knee joint.
This exercise build strength but also has a bigger balance component than regular squats do. Doing this exercise will result in strength improvements when you are doing single leg or reciprocal activities like running and walking. It will also help improve your balance. It may not result in the same level of increase in muscle strength and size as 2-leg squats.
How to do it:
- Stand a couple of feet away from a bench or raised platform.
- Extend one leg back and place the top of your foot on the bench.
- Keep your chest up and core engaged.
- Lower your body by bending your front knee until the thigh is almost parallel to the ground.
- Push through the heel of the front foot to rise back up.
- Perform 10 repetitions on one leg, then switch to the other.
- Aim for 3 sets on each side.
Pro-tip: Maintain a slow and controlled motion. Make sure your front knee moves forward over your foot, but not past your toes. Keep your weight evenly distributed across your front foot throughout the movement
Step Down
The goal of this exercise is to control the position of your hips and your knee. Your hips and pelvis should stay parallel to each other.
The knee of your foot that is on the step should stay lined up with the middle of that same foot. Start by using a lower step or a curb and progress to a higher step as it gets easier. You can also hold a weight to make it more difficult.
Start with 2 sets of 10 every other day. As it gets easier, increase the number of reps and then the height of the step. You should feel it working in the front of your thigh and in the side of your butt.
This exercise has the highest balance demands of the 3 exercises. Because of this, you won’t be able to load it with weight as much as the prior 2 exercises. You will likely see the largest increase in balance with this exercise and the lowest increase in strength.
To efficiently improve strength and balance, doing only the Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat will provide the best combination of strength and balance. To really maximize both strength and balance, doing 2-3 sets of all 3 of these exercises 2-3 times a week will give you the best results.
If you’ve tried these and you’re having difficulty with strength and balance, we can help you!
At Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine in Alexandria and Springfield, VA, we’re experts at helping people understand why they are having difficulty with strength and balance and we can create a plan to solve it.
Call us at 703-299-3111, or click here to request an appointment.
A member of our team will schedule you an appointment with one of our expert physical therapists.
What happens if you don’t have a plan to improve your strength and balance?
- You stop playing sports with your friends because get injured easily.
- You become at risk for osteoporosis and other diseases of aging.
- You’re more likely to fall during daily life or sports, risking fractures and other injuries.
But with a plan to improve your strength and balance you can live the confident and active life you want.
If you want an expert to listen to your unique problems and guide you to success, a Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine physical therapist in Alexandria or Springfield, VA will create a plan specifically for you.
You’ll feel confident that you have the knowledge and ability to stay active and do all the things you want.
Call us at 703-299-3111, or click here to schedule your appointment and get started.
Working to keep you living your best life,
The Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Team
