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Standing
Balance Exercises
These exercises are advanced, and may be attempted after you have
reasonable skill in the sitting balance exercises.
WARNING:
If you have an inner ear condition which interferes with your balance,
do not attempt the exercises below. Be realistic about your abilities
to prevent injury.
First, focus your eyes on a target on a opposite wall. This is to
train the body to balance using visual cues. Now, bend your right
leg slightly, and grasp hold of your left foot with your left hand
as in the picture below. If you find that your are wobbly,
DO NOT proceed
with this exercise beyond this point. Practice this part only until
you can maintain your balance to a reasonable degree. If this is
as far as you can go, relax the leg down the same way you brought
it up, and work on the other side. It may be weeks or months until
you can progress to the next part. That's fine, better to establish
good balance with your stretch than to rush it and gain nothing.
If you can do the
above exercise comfortably, start to extend your left leg slowly.
If you can only go out halfway, stop there and do not proceed. Again
you may have to work on this phase of the exercise for several months
until you can go on. Make sure you extend your right arm to the
same extension as your left one. Retract your leg just like you
put it out. Again, practice the same on the other leg.
If you can comfortably
do the above two stretches, extend your leg all the way out. Do
not raise the hip, keep your eyes focused. Bring the leg back the
same way you extended it, and remember to extend the opposite arm
the same amount as the arm holding the leg. Relax the hand on the
non holding side. Repeat on the other side.
Back
to Sitting Balance Stretches
Disclaimer
It
is possible to injure onself in any physical activity. Consult
your physician if in doubt about your physical condition
before embarking on a stretching program. The author of
howtostretch.com accepts no liability for any injuries sustained
while practicing any of the stretches described within.
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