Getting ready for ice

Getting ready for ice: exercises to improve balance

Balance is a quality that we usually don't pay enough attention to in training. In everyday life, we encounter mostly stable surfaces that cannot shake our stability. But in winter, when there is ice outside, our balance may be at risk. In order to maintain stability in any situation, you need to train the central muscles of the trunk, which function to maintain or stabilize the balance of the body during movement.

First, try testing your balance using the Flamingo test exercise. Standing on your right leg, bend your left, turning your knee to the side and resting your foot on the knee of your right leg; hands - on the belt; head straight. Hold this position while maintaining balance and without bending your torso. Record the time. The test is considered complete if you begin to actively balance with your arms, try to maintain balance with your hand on some object, or place your left foot on the floor.

If you can maintain your balance for 30 seconds or more, this indicates an excellent level of stability. If the results are very different for the right and left legs, this means asymmetrical development of the muscles of the right and left halves of the body.

To develop balance and strengthen the central muscles of the body, we suggest the following exercise. Standing on your right leg, raise your bent left leg until your thigh is parallel to the floor, trying not to round your back in the lumbar region, maintain a deflection. Raise your arms in front of you, bend and point your elbows to the sides. Inhale and as you exhale, turn your torso to the left. Ideally, rotate your shoulders 90 degrees, but your hips and bent leg should remain motionless - only rotate your shoulders. In this case, the hands remain on the same line. As you inhale, return to the starting position. Do 4-8 reps. Then switch legs and perform this exercise to the right.

It is important to ensure that your back remains straight during twisting and not to round in the lumbar region; the leg and pelvis are always directed forward and do not turn together with the shoulders; hands are on the same line.

Consistent training will help your core muscles become stronger and more stable, and improve your balance. But besides these exercises, there are other exercises that also help improve your balance. Here are a few of them:

1. Standing on one leg, try to touch your toes to the other leg. Keep your balance and don't put your foot on the floor. Repeat on the other leg.

2. Standing on one leg, lift your other leg and try to touch the toe of that leg with your hand. Keep your balance and don't put your foot on the floor. Repeat on the other leg.

3. Standing on one leg, try to do a squat without lowering your other leg to the floor. Repeat on the other leg.

4. Standing on one leg, lift the other leg and throw it over the knee of your standing leg. Keep your balance and don't put your foot on the floor. Repeat on the other leg.

5. Standing on one leg, lift the other leg and spread it out to the sides, keeping it parallel to the floor. Keep your balance and don't put your foot on the floor. Repeat on the other leg.

Start with fewer repetitions and gradually increase the number of repetitions as your balance and stability improve. It is also important not to forget to perform the exercises correctly and control your breathing. Regular training will help you become more stable and confident on your feet, especially in winter when the streets are icy.