Finding Your Footing: 9 Stabilizing Yoga Poses for Balance
You might not think too much about your balance, but it’s responsible for preventing you from falling and helps you react and recover if you trip, helping keep you upright in many cases. Surprisingly, many Americans neglect their balance, which like the rest of your body, tends to decline with age.
Improving your balance also has a range of other benefits, including boosting the health of your joints and making your entire body more stable. There are several yoga poses for balance that you can include in your home workout routine for positive benefits. Here they are.
Tree Pose is one of the Best Yoga Poses for Balance
Not only is tree pose incredibly helpful when you’re working to improve your balance, but it’s one of the most recognizable and easiest poses to master.
Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart. Balancing on your left foot, raise your right foot as high as you can on your inner left thigh. Raise your arms above your head, touching your hands together. Hold the pose for 10 seconds, then repeat on the other side.
Mountain Pose is Easy and Beneficial
When it comes to using yoga to improve balance, you can’t go wrong with mountain pose, which strengthens your back and core muscles and trains your body to stay in alignment.
To do the pose, stand up straight, spine neutral. Then roll your shoulders back and down, being sure your arms are straight and your palms facing out. Close your eyes and breathe through 5 breaths to complete the pose.
You’ll Love What Chair Pose Can Do for You
There are many yoga balance exercises, but this one is beneficial in many ways, including improving your body’s stability. It’s a simple pose to master and helps build the muscles in your core, which is a primary component to building better balance.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, raise your arms out in front of you and then sit backwards, pretending there’s a chair behind you. Go back as far as is comfortable and hold for a couple of breaths.
Step Things up by Adding Dancer Pose to Your Routine
Even if you aren’t a natural dancer, you can benefit from adding dancer pose to your yoga for balance routine. This pose can be done with a partner until you build your balance to the point that you can do it on your own.
Like many other yoga poses, you’ll start by standing with your feet hip-width apart. Use your right ankle to grasp the inner part of your right foot, lifting it up behind you while balancing on your left foot. Hold for 10 breaths, then repeat on the other side.
Include Forward Fold Pose to Really Great Results
Forward fold pose is one of the best yoga poses for balance problems as it strengthens the lower back and hamstrings, helping to balance out the muscles throughout your body for stability. It’s important to get the right form for this pose so that you get the most out of it and reduce the risk of getting hurt.
Do it by hinging your hips and folding your body in half, reaching your hands to the ground. Bend your knees slightly and hold for 5 to 10 breaths. If you need to, rock gently from side to side to improve the comfort of the pose.
Don’t Forget to Include Half-Moon Pose in Your Repertoire
Improving balance with yoga involves using a variety of poses and the half-moon pose is a no-brainer when you design your routine.
Again, start with your feet hip-width apart, then take a large step forward with your right foot. Bending forward, place your right hand on the ground in front of your right foot, lifting your left foot behind you to a 90-degree angle. Raise your left arm upward and hold the pose for 10 breaths before repeating on the opposite side.
You Can’t Go Wrong with Downward Facing Dog
This pose is very common and works to stretch the entire body while also targeting your core muscles, making it highly beneficial for improving your balance.
To do the pose, start in plank pose, then lift your hips up high. Keep your back straight, creating an inverted “V” shape with your body and hold the pose for 5 breaths. You can spread your fingers wider to help you stay in the pose and keep you from losing your balance.
Garland Pose Offers Some Pretty Great Benefits Too
If your goal is to open your hips for better balance, this is the pose for you.
To do it, stand with your feet at hip-distance apart, toes pointing outward at a 45-degree angle. Lower yourself into a deep squat, bringing your hands together in front of you in a prayer posture. Hold the pose for 5 to 10 breaths to strengthen your glutes and inner thigh muscles.
Lord of the Dance Pose is a Great Choice
As you get more comfortable with using yoga poses for balance, you can add the lord of the dance pose to your routine. It’s a bit more advanced than some of the other poses on this list but has some mega benefits for improving your balance.
You’ll need to have a fair bit of strength and flexibility before you can be successful with this pose.
Start by standing with your feet a few inches apart, then bend your left knee, bringing your left leg behind you and grasping your left foot with your left hand. Use your right arm to help you stay balanced and hold as long as you can. If possible, try bringing your foot up far enough to hold it with both hands near your head. Repeat on the other side.
On Balance
These yoga poses for balance are simple enough to do for people at all levels of skill. As with all poses, discontinue if you are uncomfortable or you’re experiencing pain. Doing these poses regularly will slowly but surely improve your balance and posture.
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