Coordination and balance is important in our day to day lives as they are the ones responsible for our movements. In order to maintain our balance, our muscles need to be trained to function as one. Coordination is a combination of bilateral coordination, eye and hand coordination as well as controlled body movements.
In order to enhance one’s abilities of balance and coordination, you can try these exercises out.
Balancing on knees and hands.
For this exercise, you need to go down on your hands and knees on a gym or yoga mat. Once you have found your center, raise your right arm in front of you while lifting your left leg behind you. Make sure that your back remains straight as you hold this pose for a few counts. Bring the two limbs down and lift the left arm and right leg.
Catch and throw.
Have someone partner with you for this workout. As the name suggests, the objective of the exercise is for you to catch and throw a ball or medicine ball if you like alternately without moving from your spot. This will train your eye and hand coordination as well as your sense of balance so you won’t topple from where you are standing.
Balance beam workouts.
To improve your balancing skills, including balance beam exercises to your fitness routine is well worth it. You can make a low beam out of a plank and two sturdy stands like bricks where you can walk back and forth slowly. To increase the challenge of the balance beam workout, try placing a bean bag or book on your head and start walking without letting that object fall off your head. Increase the challenge as you master each round.
Hopscotch.
Who would have thought that the child’s game hopscotch is actually a good exercise to boost your balance and coordination? Draw a hopscotch pattern on your yard (you can do any design if you like) and try to make your way across by jumping, hopping or both. You will need to toss a bean bag or bottle cap on one of the squares which you need to avoid as you hop and jump. It’s important that you don’t touch any of the lines too. Your feet or foot should be inside the squares as you move back and forth while moving your bean bag or bottle cap.
Balance on a ball.
Here’s another coordination and balance workout that you need to try. First, you will need to have an exercise ball with you. Position it on top of a yoga mat or floor and sit on it. Second, raise your arms out to your sides. Third, tighten your core as you raise your left leg off the floor while keeping yourself balanced on top of the exercise ball. Hold this pose for a few seconds before lowering your leg. Repeat with the other leg.
These exercises can certainly help improve your coordination skills and sense of balance in no time. Just keep doing these exercises regularly and you will see improvements in these aspects soon.
