The Great Balancing Act...
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One of my favorite outdoor activities is hiking, and I once had the pleasure of taking Entertainment Tonight
host Mark Steines on one of my favorite hikes in the local mountains for a segment on
their show. We had a lot of laughs, and at one point he (and the camera
crew) stood back as I leapt across a stream in our path, landing on a rock on
the other side. Mark paid me a great compliment - not on my waistline or
tone, but on an aspect of fitness we often overlook: Good balance.
Balance training is a key element to any elite athlete's training regimen. Whether you are a tennis player, skier,
or soccer player, it's a vital tool for any given sport. But balance is
just as important to the rest of us, from the weekend warrior to the average
grocery shopper. And while it may not involve the same calorie burn of
higher-intensity cardio exercises, balance training does make us better movers,
which improves our ability to run, bike, walk, hike, and lift weights more
effectively (not to mention getting out of the bathtub without having to yell
"I've fallen, and I can't get up").
Our brains create a system of
balance using the input from our eyes, inner ears, and skin/join receptors -
and as we age, that system begins to slow. You may have heard me say in
the past that "strength training is the fountain of youth."
Well, think of balance training as the faucet that lets all that vital,
strong, and youthful energy pour out. In short: You gotta do it.
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