I just participated in the StaBLE (Stanford Balance Level Study) and it was very informative. I have been teaching yoga and Pilates for more than 30 years. Prior to that, I was a Marathon runner. So balance has been an important part of my daily life. This summer I suffered a vaccine injury and was unable to do my daily yoga. I am getting better and plan to start teaching again soon.
I was so happy to have been selected to experience this fabulous program at Stanford University. I am lucky to have 20/20 vision which has helped me to focus on my balance. My hearing is also excellent, which again aids in balance.
But, as you can see from the attached video, my balance has suffered. Thankfully, I have been cleared now to begin my daily yoga practice and I will retake the test in a month. We can compare this December video with the one I will take again in January. It should be noted that the majority of people do move when their eyes are shut. You must count to 50. See how you do. It is fascinating.
Look how when I shut my eyes and march, my proprioception is off and I change direction and march to the front of my yoga mat. WOW! I thought I was standing in one place. I am sharing this exercise for you to try at home. Have a friend record you and do not even think about doing it if you have fallen in the past or have poor balance as you could hurt yourself and no one wants that. It helps to eat and have a good night’s sleep before taking the test, which I will admit, I did not do.
Proprioception is the sense of body position and movement and is vital to motor control. It is a subconscious process that allows you to know where your body is in space without relying on visual cues. See more here. What Is Proprioception?
But, most people can improve their balance by standing on one leg for 10 seconds, transferring to the other leg, and doing the same. Keeping your eyes open and having a steady chair close by is OK. Balance gets more important as people age. So get on that yoga mat. You got this.
###AEA
