Standing on one foot is an important skill to continually challenge throughout your entire life! Here’s an example of a balance exercise I may use with some of my clients.
Not everyone can “just stand” on one foot. Having a way to easily increase or decrease the challenge is the key to making progress!
Use the stick to give just enough help!
- Place one end of a stick or cane on the floor in front of the foot you will pick up.
- Shift your weight to one foot and lift the other while holding the stick to help maintain balance.
- Use the stick as needed to assist you in keeping balance.
- To increase the challenge, follow the steps below:
To increase the challenge:
To make the exercise more difficult, move the stick closer to being directly in front of the foot you stand on.
A Small Change Goes A Long Way!
Keep working at consistently over time it until you are able to keep balance with the stick right in front of your foot. (As shown in the picture)
By this time you can probably start standing on one foot without the help of the stick!
How to Adjust the Difficulty:
To make things harder just move the stick a little closer to being in front of the foot you stand on!
- Start somewhere! If the challenge is too easy, adjust to make it more difficult!
- Find a position that becomes challenging to maintain from 30 to 60 seconds!
- Be patient and work your way up slowly and consistently!
Alternatives to the Stick:
- Cane
- Hiking Pole
- Broom / Swiffer Mop
- Wooden Dowell
Get creative guys! All you need is something to hold onto that gives you just enough assistance to make the exercise challenging.
Try pairing this exercise with some other Leg Exercises for Balance and Mobility
Exercise Don't Hurt! 