The Importance of Balance

The Importance of Balance

                By Brendan Malloy, D.C.

Balance, or better yet proprioception, is essentially your awareness of where your body is in space. Being able to remain stable and in control in a constantly changing environment is the foundation for successful movement not only in sports, but also life. The more control you have over your balance, the more efficient and safe you will be in your movements. If you execute movements on unstable surfaces (such as wobble board, stability disc, Airex pad, BOSU, etc.), you force our body to adapt to this instability by cultivating stability. This translates to better balance, strength, and performance. It is not enough to build simple-strong muscles; we must also create smart muscles that work in unison with the rest of our bodies.

Balance begins at the core because it is the foundation of all movement. Strong, efficient, and fluid movement begins with a strong foundation: your core. In every movement you perform, although it may be targeting a specific muscle group more intensely than others, it’s all tied together by your core. The more joints that are involved in the movement (such as squats, lunges and wood-chops to name a very few), the more the core is relied upon.

The less stable a surface, the more your core is relied upon as well. If you work out alone, try engaging your core first, before adding balance into your program. Use movements that are multi-planar, multi-dimensional and multi-joint. This will provide your core with the variety it needs to develop properly. I advise balance training be done under the guidance of a trained professional. Form is usually sacrificed when instability is thrown into an exercise, having a coach or trainer is ideal to excel.

Cultivating balance is a great way to add new exercises to a tired routine, breakthrough plateaus, or create a new dimension to your program. Healthy movement is done with grace and strength. Building better balance can give rise to a stronger you.

Dr. Brendan is a Chiropractor at Sandy Plains Chiropractic. The office is very close to Fitness 1440, at 2697 Sandy Plains Rd. Dr. B graduated from Life University in 2010 where he played for the Life Hockey Team as one of their goal tenders. After graduating he went into practice with his father, Dr. Michael Malloy, and traveled with the Life Hockey Team as the team Chiropractor for the next 2 season, as well. Shortly thereafter he cofounded Linked Athletics and became a strength coach and Chiropractor for the players of The Gwinnett Gladiators (now Atlanta Gladiators) for 2 seasons. Dr. Brendan is now enrolled in a certification program through the ICPA (International Chiropractic Pediatric Association) focused on maternal and pediatric Chiropractic care. Dr. B blends his expertise to provide the best individual care and advice for each person’s specific concerns. Dr. Brendan can be reached at the office or by email docbdc@sandyplainschiro.com.