Balance May Be Key To Preventing Falls and Improving Athletic Performance

While exercising to stay fit, balance may be overlooked during training.  Balance and stablility have become popular topics for researchers, and new research shows that how we maintain our balance might prevent falls among the elderly and also help athletes.As we walk, every step that we take is different from the previous one, and our bodies must constantly make adjustments to accommodate the variations in stride width, stride length, and the angle at which the foot hits the ground. It is unclear how the brain controls balance, but balance is related to stabilizing the body while walking. The research on balance and stabilization may be eventually used to prevent falls and help improve training in sports where balance is essential, such as gymnastics and skiing, because if we are able to pinpoint how our bodies should compensate for unexpected motion, we can prevent falls and improve training techniques.These preliminary findings suggest that balance and stabilization excercises should be incorporated into our exercise routines.