Balance

Good balance helps you stay steady and move safely during everyday activities - from walking and turning to reaching, dressing, or standing up. Many parts of your body work together to help you stay upright and prevent falls.

What is balance?

Balance is your body’s ability to keep its centre of mass over its base of support - your feet. When your balance system is working well, you can:

  • Know which way your body is facing
  • Sense how quickly you’re moving and in which direction
  • Make small, automatic adjustments to stay steady on your feet

How does the balance system work?

Three main systems in your body work together to keep you balanced:

  • Your eyes (visual system): help you see where you are and what’s around you
  • Your muscles and joints (proprioception): send messages to your brain about your body’s position and movement
  • Your inner ear (vestibular system): senses movement, head position, and orientation

Your brain combines information from all three systems to help you stay stable.

What can affect your balance?

If one or more of these systems isn’t working properly, you may feel unsteady or dizzy. This can increase your risk of falling or make you more reliant on walking aids or support from others.

Other common causes of balance problems include:

  • Changes in eyesight
  • Muscle weakness or joint stiffness
  • Side effects of certain medications
  • Low blood pressure
  • Conditions affecting your brain or nerves
  • Age-related changes
  • Inner ear conditions (such as vertigo or labyrinthitis)

What you can do

If you notice changes in your balance, talk to your clinician. They can assess your balance and recommend suitable exercises or treatments to help you feel steadier.

You can also help yourself by:

  • Doing regular strength and balance exercises
  • Wearing well-fitting, supportive footwear
  • Keeping your home clear of trip hazards
  • Using any walking aids correctly
  • Having your vision and hearing checked regularly

Balance can often be improved with the right support, exercises, and safety measures. If you’re feeling unsteady, don’t ignore it. Getting advice early can help you stay safe, confident, and independent.

Take a look at the balance exercises below and give them a try. It is advised to complete these balance exercises near a surface that you can hold onto if needed e.g. kitchen work surface.

For further information in regards to balance, or if you are having any difficulties with your exercises, please contact your physiotherapist for further advice.

Reaching out of base of support

This exercise can be completed sitting on the edge of a bed or sitting forward on the chair. With help from someone else, try to reach with your arm to touch a target as far as you can to the side.
 
Only go as far as you can. Keep your balance and then come back to the middle. This can be made harder by moving the target around in front of you into different positions.

Calf raises

Dependent on your level this can be done either with or without holding on to a support e.g. your kitchen work surface.
 
Slowly come up on to your toes, hold for 5 seconds then slowly lower back down.
 
Repeat 10 times.

High marching

Dependent on your level this can be done either with or without holding on to a support e.g. your kitchen work surface.
 
Lift one leg up into the air as high as you can then lower back to the floor, then lift the other leg up off the floor as high as you can.
 
Repeat 5-10 times on each leg.

Sideways walking

Dependent on your level this can be done either with or without holding on to a support e.g. your kitchen work surface.
 
Try to walk sideways next to the support surface approximately 5-6 steps then sideways walk back the other way to your starting position.
 
Repeat 5 times.

Tandem stand

Dependent on your level this can be done either with or without holding on to a support e.g. your kitchen work surface.
 
Place on foot in front of the other as if you are standing on a tightrope then hold this position for around 20 seconds. If this is too difficult place a small gap between the feet.
 
Repeat 5 times with each leg in front.

Single leg stand

Dependent on your level this can be done either with or without holding on to a support e.g. your kitchen work surface.
 
Slowly lift one leg up into the air and try and hold this for around 10 seconds or for a long as you can. If you start to lose your balance place the foot back down onto the floor.
 
Repeat 5 times on each leg.