Your Core and Your Balance
Did you know your core and your balance have a a very intimate relationship?
Yes, your core can affect your balance?
Important side note, when we talk about the core, we consider the area from your collar bones to your SITS bones (the bones you sit upon) as your core.
Our core is also called our center of mass and our feet are our base of support.
It makes sense our core is in the center of our body and our feet support us at the bottom when we stand.
Balance requires your center of mass (your core) to be in line with your base of support (your feet).
What does this look like?
The woman on the left shows what it looks like when your core is stacked over your feet.
The women on the right demonstrate two common postures we often see.
The woman in the black shorts has that typical slouchy posture.
The woman in the blue shorts has a posture we often see where people have over-compensated for slouchy posture, and she has the appearance of almost leaning backward.
Highlighted is how both of these postures move your core (or center of mass) off your base of support. (your feet)
What does this feel like?
Give it a try.
Get your weight centered over your feet. Feel your weight equally distributed between the base of your big toe, small toe, and heel.
Next, try the slouchy posture and feel the weight shift to your heels.
Come out of the slouchy posture and bring your weight back to center over your feet. Next, lift your chest up and get your shoulder down and back. Again, feel how this posture shifts your weight over your heels.
If your posture shifts your core off-center, it will be hard to balance.
When your brain perceives it cannot balance, it will form compensations to create balance.
Tightness is generally the number one way the body compensates to keep you safe and in this case balanced.
Have questions or concerns about your balance and if your core may be causing some of your balance issues? Reach out and let's assess and create a plan specific for you.
Stay Motivated,
