How Good Is Your Balance? Try This Test

We take balance for granted when we are young. Every twenty-something body becomes a thirty-something body, then a forty-something body, you get the idea.

Maintaining and improving balance is a must if you want to live a healthy, active life as you age. A balance test can be used to assess your skills.

The test was created by Michael Julom, a certified personal trainer and founder of ThisIsWhyIm Fit.com. He tells First that it is important for women to work on their balance when they are older. Losing balance and falling can be very dangerous. Women suffer from osteoporosis at a higher rate than men, and mortality increases as a result of hip fractures, which are common from falls. It makes sense to train balance before the issue arises.

This isn’t an official balance test like the Berg Balance Scale or the Tinetti Gait and Balance Assessment Tool. These assessments can be used to test a patient’s balance.

How To Perform the Balance Test

The balance test is a stance progression for Julom. Stance progression begins easy and gets harder as you progress, he says. Here is how to do that.

1. Stand near a fixed object, like a countertop, tall table, or bar bolted to a wall.
2. Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Move feet close together.
3. Raise both arms to sides.
4. Raise both arms overhead.
5. Keep one arm overhead and lower the other.
6. Repeat the steps above with eyes closed. Keep the fixed object within reach in the event of loss of balance.

If you can keep your eyes closed, you can repeat the steps. It’s easy at first, but can be difficult in practice.

• Level 2: staggered stance. Place one foot slightly in front of the other.
• Level 3: tandem stance. Place one foot directly in front of the other. (The heel of one foot should touch the toes of the other.)
• Level 4: single leg stance. Stand on one foot, with the other foot hovering just above the floor (in case you need to touch your toe to the ground to regain your balance).

You are a pro if you completed all four levels with ease. It is a cue to work on your balance if you have difficulty at levels one, two, or three. Julom came up with three simple exercises you can practice to improve your balance test results.

Exercise 1: Bird-Dog Pose

Julom says the birddog can also be used for balance work. There are two ways to complete the move, for balance or core. If you are working your core, don’t raise your arms too high. If you want to balance, raise your arms and legs over parallel. Here’s how to do it.

1. Start on the floor, with your hands and knees in a tabletop position. (A mat makes this more comfortable.) Make sure your arms and knees are at 90 degree angles.
2. At the same time, raise your right arm and left leg. Hold this position for as long as possible — five seconds is a good place to start. Repeat on the other side (raise your left arm and right leg).
3. Repeat the full movement series (one side, then the other side) five times. Do three sets (15 repetitions of the full movement series total).

Exercise 2: Stork Pose

The stork pose is designed to look like a level four of the balance test. It helps you get to level four. What makes it easier than the test? The non-balance foot rests on the calf as it is performed with eyes open. Here is how to do it.

1. Start with your feet together. Make sure a stable surface is within arms reach.
2. Slowly raise one foot by sliding it up the front of the opposite leg, so that the heel is just below the knee.
3. Hold that pose for as long as possible — 30 seconds is plenty.
4. If stable and not wobbly, gradually raise both arms to the side.
5. If completely stable, slowly lower one arm to the side (either one), then the other. Repeat the full movement series on the other foot.

Exercise 3: Balance On an Unstable Surface

It’s time to move on to something more challenging if you feel comfortable completing level four of the balance test.

If you need to grab a stable object for this exercise, you will need a thick foam pad or Bosu Ball. Because it requires a piece of gym equipment, we separated it from the rest of the test. The gym balls are half-circle. If you’re looking for an inexpensive foam pad, you might have better luck. Try folding a thick towel into a square and placing it on the floor for this exercise. Here is how to do it.

1. If using a Bosu, position it flat side down, ball side up. Do not turn it upside down with ball side down.
2. Position your pad, towel, or ball near a stable surface (countertop, table, etc.).
3. Stand with both feet on the ball or pad. Establish your balance while touching the nearby stable surface.
4. Gently let go of the surface. Stay in that position until you are completely stable.
5. Raise one hand about one inch in front of your face and focus on one finger. Maintain stability.
6. Extend your hand to arms’ length in front of you. Maintain balance.
7. Slowly drop your arms arms back down to your sides, and slowly raise one foot. Keep the toe of the raised foot near the ball or pad in case you need to re-establish balance.
8. Stand in that one-leg position for as long as possible. Aim for 30 seconds.

Final Thoughts

How often should you do these exercises? Julom suggests doing the balance test with the bird dog daily. If you don’t have an underlying balance disorder, and you are not in a period of recovery after surgery or injury, you can practice the stork pose daily. Under the supervision of a physical therapist or healthcare professional, Julom advises doing it. Again it is a condition. Let the good sense prevail.

If you want to do the unstable surface exercise once or twice a week, aim to do it once or twice a week. He says it requires more stabilization from the skeletal muscle system.

If you have recently suffered a fall or had a surgery, you need to talk to your doctor, physical therapist, or trainer before you try these exercises. Julom says that any woman who is suspected of having post hip replacement surgery should do these exercises under supervision.

How far did you make it on the test? We want to know in the comments.