It only seems fitting that I should post my next “The Fit 5” on 05.05.15. Really, it was pure coincidence, but the stars must be aligned today.

Today, on this day full of 5s, we’re going to learn about balance.

Balance is important in many aspects -> balancing work and life, balancing healthy eating with a few indulgences, balancing running with cross training, balancing introvert time with social activities, balancing on one foot… it’s all important.

I’m better at some of these than others. I’m not going to say which ones.

For this post specifically I’m going to talk about balance training for you body – what it means, why it’s important, and how we can incorporate more of it in our lives.

Let’s kick it off with 5 Fit Facts about balance:

Based on all of those facts, you can see why it is important to incorporate some balance training in your exercise routine. You can start out with something as simple as balancing on one leg for 30 seconds. Once you have that mastered try to master it on a half foam roll, then a wobble board, and eventually a bosu ball. This could take weeks (or months!) to progress through, but by progressing slowly and properly you will be increasing your neuromuscular efficiency and the strength in your stabilizer muscles.

Besides standing on one leg, here are some other balance exercises that you can add into your routine:

You will notice that a lot of these exercises mention to “hold for a few seconds” before continuing with movement. This is where you are really going to challenge your balance. Make sure to engage your muscles and focus on stabilizing your body before moving on.

You can add 1 or 2 of these exercises before/during/after your normal strength training routine. You could also make an entire workout just focused on your balance by cycling through these in a circuit.

Don’t forget to check out the other The Fit 5 posts: shoulders, biceps, triceps, and chest!

Another way that you can train your balance today is by ditching the chips and dip veggies into your guac instead… while you enjoy a margarita – happy Cinco de Mayo!