There are four aspects to achieve optimal balance control. But what is the key component to better balance?
While many factors contribute to balance, there is growing evidence that muscle strength plays the most crucial role. But is it the most important factor? Let’s explore.
Muscle Strength – The Backbone of Balance
Muscle strength, particularly in the lower body, serves as the foundation of balance. The muscles in our legs, hips, and core are essential for maintaining stability when we stand, walk, or shift positions. These muscle groups control posture, help us move, and provide the necessary force to correct any imbalance.
Muscle weakness as we age is a serious problem. The natural ageing process leads to muscle atrophy—shrinking of muscle fibres—and this loss of strength directly affects balance.
For example, the quadriceps, located at the front of the thigh, play a pivotal role in standing up from a seated position, walking, and keeping us upright. If these muscles are weak, seniors may struggle with simple tasks like getting out of a chair or walking short distances without feeling unsteady.
The muscles around our ankles when weakened can also significantly affect our balance and proprioception.
The Problem with Muscle Weakness
Muscle weakness due to inactivity, aging, or medical conditions like arthritis can have a compounding effect on balance. With weakened muscles, we cannot adequately react to changes in posture or uneven surfaces. This results in more stumbles, trips, and eventually, falls.
A simple misstep can become a serious fall when the body’s muscles are too weak to perform these corrections. The inability to regain balance after a small shift in weight demonstrates just how essential muscle strength is for overall stability.
Muscle strength, particularly in the legs is the single most important factor in achieving great balance.
Other Balance Components
While muscle strength is critical, it isn’t the only factor that influences balance
Proprioception, the body’s sense of where it is in space, also plays a vital role. Strong muscles are needed to take advantage of this sense, providing the power and control to correct posture or position.
Similarly, joint flexibility is necessary to maintain a full range of motion and adapt to different movements. However, flexibility alone does not improve balance. Even with great flexibility, if muscles are weak, balance will be compromised. Reaction time and cognitive function are other components that play supporting roles. Seniors may have slower reaction times, but without muscle strength to physically execute those reactions, balance remains unstable.
You can check out this video I produced on what makes perfect balance to see what the other components are too.
Strength: The Cornerstone to Great Balance
All of these components work together to help us stay on our feet, but muscle strength is the foundation. By building stronger muscles, older adults can see improvements in not just balance, but also in proprioception, joint control, and reaction time. As the muscles strengthen, their ability to respond to balance challenges becomes more effective.
A well-rounded program that focuses on muscle strength alongside balance exercises is the most effective way to prevent falls. This approach includes strength training exercises, targeted at lower body muscles, along with balance drills that challenge us to stabilise ourselves.
We should be actively working on our strength as we get older – it’s a vital component to working on. You can read my article on how to avoid muscle loss with age here Reverse Muscle Loss Article
There are many examples of fantastic balance drills to try at home. The traditional advice to stand on one leg is not the only exercise available!
I like using a tennis ball to add variety and to stimulate the vestibular and proprioceptive systems and to improve leg and core strength.
For example, you could practice throwing the tennis ball from one hand to the other. First with both feet on the ground, then to make things more difficult you could lift one heel and finally for added jeopardy you could balance on one leg!
You could also practice throwing it onto a wall and catching the rebound. This improves reaction and coordination both of which can help with balance retraining.
Conclusion
