Strength Training of the Lower Body

How does strength training of the lower body affect one’s balance?
A simple test to check your body’s balance ability is:

1. Stand on one leg with knee flexed

2. Bring the free foot up to the bend in the back of your knee (foot/ankle behind knee joint

3. If you need to hold on to something for temporary balance, maintain the hold just long to establish balance

4. Use your hand positions to help establish a free balance, but do not hold on to anything

Depending on your balance ability, you should be able to hold a balance position for 5 seconds or more. The goal would be maintaining a one legged free balance stand for one minute on each leg individually.

If you tried this and maintained your balance for five seconds or more with both legs tested, and you’re 50 or over, you have surpassed normalcy.

If you could not hold a 5 second balance without struggling, you need to take this seriously. Either you have started to lose balance strength, or that strength never existed. As you age, you will loss more and more of your balancing ability. The proverb of use or use lose it applies very well here.

Why is this simple task so important? In an earlier post I stated 30% of those over 65 years of age have a serious fall caused by lack of balance. The only way to prevent oneself from becoming a statistic in the future is specific exercise routines.

Below are two common exercises for the lower body:

1.  The wall squat with or without dumbbells.

2.  Calf legs raise using a dumbbell.

Both exercises will strengthen your quadriceps (Vastus medialis) and gastrocnemius (rear calf muscle). These groups of muscles provide your body the ability to maintain balance.

The STABILITY BALL WALL SQUAT with or without dumbbells

Stability Ball Wall Squat

can be performed with dumbbells to make the exercise more challenging. I do recommend using weight or dumbbells. Empty one gallon milk jugs can be filled with water to produce resistance for the exercise. Their approximate weight is 7 pounds. There are two major points to remember when performing this exercise. The knees should not go over or past the toes, and when descending never break the point of knees belong parallel to floor.

Depending on your condition, start using the stability ball and perform 2 sets of 12 repetitions. When you feel comfortable; use dumbbells or milk jugs. Perform twice a week.

STANDING  UNILATERAL CALF RAISE WITH A DUMBBELL

Standing calf raises are executed with one or both feet. They are frequently done on a raised surface with the heel lower than the toes to allow a greater stretch on the working muscles.

The exercise is performed by raising the heel as far as possible. Weights or other methods of providing resistance are commonly used, but the exercise is also effective with body weight alone.

Balance may become a difficulty with free-standing calf raises, especially with 1-legged variations. Due to this, it is common to hang
on to something or lean the hand against a wall for stability. They are also performed using smith machines or using machines specially designed for calf raises with padded anchors for the weight that rest on the shoulders. (1)

Now look to fine tune these muscles as they are developed. Please consider Tai Chi not as an alternative but as a supplement.

The object of this blog is keeping you functional as long as possible. If you have read this far, thanks for your interest.

1. Wikipedia [Internet] Calf raises, Calf raises are a method of exercising the gastrocnemius, tibialis posterior and soleus muscles of the lower leg. The movement performed is plantar flexion, aka ankle extension. [cited 2011 October 9] Available http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calf_raises