Having some of the best balance exercises in your next workout could be the key to longevity, research suggests. While strength training and mobility exercises have their benefits, this is perhaps one of the simplest ways to boost your quality of life with age.
Balance isn’t just about staying upright, says Joey Bull, a personal trainer and expert in over-40s fitness for Issviva, an online menopause platform. “It’s a mirror of how well your brain, muscles, and senses communicate. As we age, particularly through menopause, our balance can subtly decline.
“Shifts in hormones like oestrogen affect muscle tone, joint stability, and even how our brain (especially the cerebellum, the region responsible for coordination, processes movement),” she says. “Yet, having worked with people of all ages, even those who insist they have ‘terrible balance,’ I’ve seen remarkable improvement. With focus, patience and the right drills, the body always responds.”
The best balance exercises
1. Sit to stand exercise
If you’re familiar with squats, then this first exercise should be no problem for you. However, even “small balance exercises will drastically help” to improve your balance, says Samantha Thom, an independent physiotherapist working with KYN Bickley.
Here’s how to do the sit-to-stand exercise:
- Sitting in your regular chair, ensure your feet are flat on the floor.
- Lean forward slightly, push through your feet, and stand up.
- Ensure the back of your legs touch the chair.
- Lower yourself back down slowly, pushing your hips out to meet the chair.
- Repeat 10 times.
Expert tip: If you struggle with this exercise, use a chair with arms. You can use the arms to improve your strength and balance, working up your confidence to do it hands-free, says Samantha.
2. Single leg slow bend
The single-leg slow bend is a “small but mighty” move that’ll be a real challenge for anyone struggling with their balance, but it’s an essential one, says Joey. “It re-educates muscle symmetry and restores joint alignment”, and is one of the best quadricep exercises.
Here’s how to do it:
- Standing tall, lift one foot slightly off the floor, keeping your ‘tail tucked under’.
- Slowly bend and straighten your supporting knee for two seconds down, two seconds up.
- Repeat the exercise 10 times.
Expert tip: “Watch your reflection to ensure your hip doesn’t jut out or your knee collapses inward,” says Joey. “And as you improve, try a few with your eyes closed.”
Much like the quick start and stop drill, doing this forces your brain to rely on other senses to maintain balance.
3. Heel raises
The next two exercises are simplest to do as a pair, and you can do them while waiting for the kettle to boil, making them a great movement snack. By shifting on and off your heels and onto your toes, you’re improving balance and boosting strength in your feet, ankles, and calves.
Here’s how to do heel raises:
- Stand tall, holding a support if needed.
- Lift your heels off the floor, taking your weight onto your toes.
- Hold for 3 seconds, then lower with control.
- Repeat 10 times.
4. Toe raises
Toe raises are the same exercise as the heel raises above, but the opposite. Instead of rolling onto your toes, you roll back onto your heels. The key to this one is to remember not “to stick your bottom out”, says Samantha.
Here’s how to do toe raises:
- Stand tall, holding onto support if you need to.
- Raise your toes – taking your weight on your heels.
- Hold for three seconds, then lower with control.
5. Quick step and stop drill
The quick step and stop drill challenges your agility and balance in one. It’s also one of the best functional exercises, says Joey. “This mimics real life while improving the brain’s ability to send and receive fast neuromuscular signals, keeping your reflexes sharp,” she says.
Here’s how to do it:
- Lightly patter your feet on the ground, stepping in one spot as quickly as you can.
- Sharply stop on one leg and hold.
- Repeat the movement 10 times.
Expert tip: If you find the quick step and stop drill too easy, try closing your eyes, says Joey. We use our vision to process information about how our body stands on one leg. When it’s taken away, the brain has to rely heavily on other information points that may be less effective, such as the joints, muscles, and inner ear.
What are the signs of poor balance?
“If you wobble or need to grab something, your body’s telling you it’s time to give your balance some attention,” she says.
Adding in some of the best balance exercises is a good way to do it, but there are some simple lifestyle changes you can make, too. “Walk barefoot when safe, it strengthens stabilising foot muscles, and prioritise posture as good alignment equals better balance,” says Joey. “And keep moving: dance, garden, or play. Movement is brain fuel.”
Benefits of balance exercises
- Improves longevity: Workouts involving the best balance exercises are among the best exercises for longevity, with a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine finding that those who could complete a 10-second standing test may have a lower risk of premature death.
- Reduces osteoporosis risk: Balance exercises often include weight-bearing exercises for osteoporosis that can also improve stability and lower the risk of falls later in life.
- Boosts confidence: “If you’re feeling steady on your feet, you’re more confident to get up, move around and get out of the house. This naturally positively impacts mental health as socialising or even just getting outside can improve wellbeing,” says Samantha.
- Helps strengthen muscles: “You strengthen your muscles whenever you move a limb or work on balance,” explains Samantha. “Resistance training or adding small dumbbells to any exercise is a simple way to keep bone density higher, which helps improve strength, and strength training can protect your joints from injury and contribute to better balance.”
