Improving Your Balance
Book Extract
We looked briefly at the subject of balance when looking at efficiency. There are three systems used in the body to enable the sense of balance:
Proprioception: the sensors within your body that inform you where you are in space and the appropriate strength response, such as gripping a paddle
The visual sense: the use of your eyes to reference your body within the external environment
The vestibular sense: via the fluids in the ear canal: a kind of spirit level of the inner ear
Most people are highly reliant on their sense of sight. Look at the difference of the average timings standing on one leg between eyes open versus eyes closed for the following age groups:
| Age |
Eyes open |
Eyes closed |
| Under 40 |
45 seconds |
15 seconds |
| 41-50 |
42 seconds |
13 seconds |
| 51-60 |
41 seconds |
8 seconds |
| 61-70 |
32 seconds |
4 seconds |
Ways To Improve Balance
Given that your visual ability will probably be best developed, switch your attention to the other systems whenever you can. Balancing exercises where you close your eyes work well. To build your proprioception, you need to stimulate the appropriate sensors in your skin and fascia. Given that your feet are the only part of the body in contact with the board and have a disproportionate amount of nerve endings in them, they are an ideal place to start.
Ways to develop proprioception in your feet are:
- Walk around in bare feet
- Run barefooted in the sand
- Jump and run on the spot: this stimulates the fascia
- Use a spikey ball regularly to massage the base of your feet
- Regularly stretch and manipulate your feet to relax them and make them feel loved!
There are many other ways to improve balance, but the foundation is to have strong legs. A regimen of squats and jumps build the necessary strength. If you can’t do 30 consecutive air squats and cannot hold a deep squat for a minute, you probably have work to do.
Bosu ball exercises
A Bosu balance ball is great to improve your balance. The exercises develop your spatial awareness and strengthen the ankle’s small muscles, which are vital for balancing on a SUP board. Some exercises are listed below – depending on your current capability, start further down the list!
- Stand on the flat side and practise different feet positions
- Stand on the squidgy side and run on the spot
- Stand one-legged on the flat side
- Stand one-legged on the squidgy side
- Do all the above with your eyes closed
- Do a one-legged squat on either side of the Bosu ball
Photo 1: Stand on the flat side and practise different feet positions
Photo 2: Stand on the squidgy side and run on the spot
Photo 3: Stand one-legged on the squidgy side