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Introduction. (0.11)
Self-assessment. (2.43)
Static Balance Drills:
Standing on one leg. (4.25)
Start with belly breathing from standing with tall upright posture, look ahead and focus in on a focal point, shift your weight to one side and lift the other leg while continuing to breathe and looking at the focal point. Vary the position of the lifted leg and explore different surfaces and environments (hard indoor surfaces compared to softer carpet, and outdoors grass, compared to sand or gravel.)
Variations: (5.57)
Add complexity by challenging your vision & head movements. With this variation, instead of keeping your eyes zoned in on the focal point, move only your eyes around. Start with small eye movements in each direction and gradually make them bigger. When you are ready to begin adding the head movements set up the same, initiate the head movement with your eyes. Your head follows your eyes. Again, start small and slowly make the head turns, nods, and circles bigger and vary the speed.
The Spaghetti Game. (7.24)
While balancing on one leg, start to move around and challenge yourself to take up a lot of space, then crunch down and take up less. Lift your arms up overhead or reach and stretch out wide. The idea is to bring yourself to the point where you are on the verge of loosing your balance and then you try to save it and save yourself. Try each side. Another variation is to play the spaghetti game on a line or curb so you have the added challenge of balancing on a narrow surface.
Pendulum Sway (8.46)
Lift one leg and swing it forward and back. Switch sides.
Standing on Tiptoes (9.44)
Start from a standing position, establish diaphragmatic breathing and tall posture and then rise up onto tip toe and come down. Vary speed, height, stance and strive to move with control.
Dynamic Balance Drills:
Walking the Line. (10.38)
Walk on an imaginary line, a line on the floor, or a crack in the pavement and practice walking along the line.
Walk on a curb or board which is raised slightly off the ground. As you take your step, touch with your toes to make contact with the surface and then continue your step. Stand tall, breathe with your belly, and let your hands rest by your side, unless actively using them to regain balance.
Variations: (13.11)
Walking Backwards
Travel backward balancing on the line, board or curb. Be sure to maintain a tall posture with your eyes on the horizon in front of you. Again, touch with your toe first to make contact and then proceed to step. Play with finding the end of the surface by feeling for the next step with your toe. You should not suddenly step off but develop the ability to feel it.
Turn around (without stepping off) (14.07)
The goal is to reverse direction without stepping off balance. One way to accomplish this is with a movement MovNat refers to as a Pivot Reverse. Stand with a slight light knee bend, lift your heels slightly and pivot on the balls of your feet thereby turning yourself completely around. Vary your lead leg because in doing so you will inherently vary the direction of your turn.
Another way to turn around, is with a movement MovNat refers to as a Cross Reverse. The front leg side steps in front of you. The ball of that foot, not the arch, turns and plants in front of you going sideway and then you transfer your weight onto that foot, look the way you want to go, lift the back foot allowing you to unwind and turn around and replace your back foot in the opposite direction. Vary which leg you lead with and therefore which way you turn. There are other ways to turn around these may have other names. To improve your balance after turning, quickly lock in on a focal point after turning. Your eyes lead your head, and your head leads your body.
Spaghetti game on beam (17.10)
Eyes shut on beam. (19.06)
Explore new environments. (20.08)