10 Exercises Designed to Improve Balance

Taking care of your body is very important for your health, mind, and soul. A part of taking care of your body includes balance training. Training and having control of your physical balance can improve your lifestyle. Improving balance can help a person's health, self esteem, and mental state. There are many exercises designed to improve balance. The balance exercises I am familiar with are used by circus performers. My friends and I use these exercises to improve our balance and to learn new skills. Here are 10 exercises designed to improve your balance.

# 10 Balance items on fingers

This exercise is used by many jugglers and acrobats to help their balance training. This is also a very fun and simple exercise to do. You can start at an easy level and work your way up. Good items to balance on fingers could be a ball, pencil, water bottle, broom, and anything else that is creative.

# 9 Head Stands

Head Stands can be a very difficult exercise to do but defiantly helps balance training. It may take a lot of tries to get the perfect headstand, but each try will help your balance. I suggest you stretch before you attempt this exercise, and most beginners do not complete a full head stand.

# 8 Standing on one leg

This is a very simple exercise that is great to do and can improve balance in a very short period of time. For this exercise all you have to do is stand in place on one leg and see how long you can balance. You can change what leg you balance on every time you do this exercise.

# 7 One arm push ups

Doing pushups are a great way to stay healthy but also to improve balance. For balance training try doing as many one arm pushups as you can.

# 6 Forward Rolls

This exercise is also used by many circus performers during warm ups and practice. This is a easy exercise that will help balance training, and is fun to do. A forward roll starts off by kneeling on your knees, tucking in your head, and pushing yourself with your hands and feet in a forward motion.

# 5 Walk with a book on your head

This exercise is a very well known one. Many parents teach their children this when they are younger. For this exercise get a book and put it on your head, then walk in a straight line without dropping the book.

# 4 Hand Stands

This exercise is similar to the head stand, except a little easier because you are not putting as much pressure on the head. For beginners this may take several tries to perfect, but this exercise gives great balance training.

# 3 Balance items on Feet

This exercise is similar to balancing items on fingers. This is also a great easy exercise to improve balance. For this exercise you can get a ball, hackey sack, weights or any item you thing would be good to balance on your feet. If you use a ball you have more flexibility on improving balance.

# 2 Practice Jumping and Landing

Practicing jumping and landing is a very simple way to improve balance training. There are a lot of us who are clumsy and fall occasionally. When you practice jumping and landing you can definitely help your physical stability.

# 1 Meditation

Meditation is a very relaxing way to improve balance training. Sitting crossed legged and breathing in deeply can definitely help.

These are just some personal exercises I have learned that can help anyone's balance training.