Balance is the ability to maintain an upright posture despite external challenges. Developmentally, we start out in life unable to even sit up without toppling over. Given lots of opportunities to practice, a baby acquires the skill to achieve an upright posture that it can maintain as it reaches for objects in its environment. It can also manage to modulate its body on supporting surfaces and after external stimuli disturb that posture. 

In essence, balance is a skill and it is intertwined with some of our other senses, such as hearing and sight as well as information from your joints, muscles, and skin. 

Healthy individuals rely roughly 70 percent of the time on somatosensory information from your joints, muscles, and skin; 20 percent on vestibular (from the inner ear) system information; and 10 percent on vision to maintain balance on firm surfaces. For example, it is much easier to “lose your balance” with your eyes closed.

As we age and if we experience illness, our ability to modulate our posture and remain upright (in spite of gravity’s desire to pull us down) declines. Some of us experience more challenges than others. What affects our ability to remain upright runs the gamut from injuries to atrophy to illness. 

In the face of any of these challenges, our brain compensates, often competently. When one system is affected, the other two can be trained to compensate. When we compensate for a balance deficit, the quality of the movement pattern that we generate and its efficiency is the key to a competent behavior vs. one that just gets the job done but in the long run is limiting. 

For example, if an individual holds onto furniture as a means to maintain balance and prevent falling, eventually their core strength declines and they become unable to walk and carry items (one of the key reasons why we walk to places is to carry, place and retrieve things). A more effective compensation to a decline in balance might be not wearing shoes indoors so that the joint receptors in your feet provide more accurate feedback about your terrain vs. using hands to hold onto objects. 

Luckily we can work on balance, strength and flexibility exercises as a way to prevent falls and improve our balance skills. Consider for a moment that we are not born being able to run, ride a bicycle or do somersaults. These skills are acquired after a great deal of practice. And practice needs to be varied yet focused. An excellent way to do just that is the practice of tai chi. Focusing on technique, breath and mobilization is what will transform a tai chi practice from fun exercise into a dynamic, life-changing tool.

Another simple yet effective brain-training activity is to walk on uneven surfaces. Walk on grass, on sand, on gravel trails. Take advantage of being buoyant in a pool then find your “land feet.” If you’ve had the experience, you know what I mean. Play hopscotch, dance, walk while bouncing a ball or just walk and carry something in one hand and then switch to your other side. You get the idea; there are many options.

In our area, the Honesdale, PA YMCA and the Chi Hive in Narrowsburg, NY are places that offer classes for you to try out. 

Before I leave you, dear reader, here is a fun bit of futuristic news:

Biomechanical engineers and rehabilitation physiology researchers who study the neurophysiology of movement have developed prototype state-of-the-art wearable robot boots to improve balance. They programmed the exo-boots to give the participants a burst of assistance, faster than humanly possible, and helped users recover balance faster and prevented them from taking a step to recover. See link in box above for more.

Perhaps one day we will all have Iron Man’s rocket boots.

Hedy Schneller is the founder of Illumia Skincare Products, based in Honesdale, PA. Schneller, a former health care provider and mother of two, started making skincare products after growing frustrated with the lack of transparency in the cosmetics industry. Illumia uses local, fresh and healthy ingredients. Visit www.illumiaproducts.com for more.