Physical Mental, Fitness and Life Balancing ...
When you hear the word “Balance” what first comes to your mind? The ability to stand upright during tasks? OR the ablity to stay stress free? OR the ability to do a little of everything? You can find balance in all of these areas. When you do, you will find that you are much more successful in each. These areas of life all work together and if one is a bit unbalanced, we feel it in many ways. It is hard to say that one is more important than the others; they all work together and interact with one another. With practice you can improve your Physical Balance, Mental Balance, Fitness Balance and Life Balance.
PHYSICAL BALANCE: Did you know that your physical balance can be improved as readily as your strength, endurance and flexibility? It just takes continual practice and challenge.
How to Improve: Start with simple balance challenges throughout the day. Begin by simply standing on one foot while you do medial tasks (such as brushing teeth). Add challenge to your equilibrium by changing your focus – look to one side then the other, or even try closing the eyes. You may want to practice Tree Pose from Yoga (see picture above): Start with feet hip width. Lift one foot and place it above the ankle or knee (not over knee joint). Find balance on your supporting foot by keeping good posture and your abdominals engaged. Hold for 10-60 seconds – increasing time as you practice.
Practice these types of exercises daily.
Looking for more Balance Training ideas? Check out a Brochure I wrote for the American College of Sports Medicine. The PDF can be printed at the following link:
http://www.acsm.org/docs/brochures/selecting-and-effectively-using-balance-training-for-older-adults.pdf
MENTAL BALANCE: Do you notice that productivity diminishes when you feel “scattered” or over-stimulated? Take time to find mental balance and you will be far more organized, relaxed and productive.
How to Improve: Stress reduction is a key component. Start by taking deep breaths, exercising, taking “me time”, etc. You may want to practice a progressive relaxation daily to find mental relaxation and focus. Getting your thoughts organized though meal planning, weekly scheduling, etc will also help you to stay balanced.
FITNESS BALANCE: Are you getting enough of all the areas of fitness? Cardiovascular fitness, Strength Training and Flexibility Training are all key to meeting your health and fitness goals. You will need to strive to spend time in each area weekly.
How to Improve: Make a schedule and stick to it. If your workouts are planned for the week, you will be much more successful and more likely to stay on task. Keep in mind that you may have a workout day that combines all types of exercise and you may find yourself doing a bit of all three in one session.
• Cardiovascular Training ~ We need to strive to get in 3-5 Cardio workouts (20-60 min each) per week. (Cardiovascular exercise includes activities such as: using a treadmill, biking, walking, swimming, etc).
• Strength Training ~ We need to work toward 2-3 Strength Training workouts (8-10 exercises covering the entire body) per week. (Strength training exercise includes: toning classes, free weights, machine weights, body weight exercises, resistance bands, etc).
• Flexibility Training ~ We need to work toward stretching 3-5 times per week (8-10 stretches covering the entire body). We should stretch each time we work out!! Flexibility is important for joint health and injury prevention.
LIFE BALANCE: This type of balance seems all encompassing, it covers all of the areas and keeps everything working in synchronization. This involves finding a good combination of family time, work, faith, exercise, play and personal time.
How to Improve: Make a list of the areas in your life that require your time. Since everyone’s list will be a bit different, the strategy for balance will vary. Take time to determine if you are spending enough/too much time in each and brain storm ways to find more balance here.
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