Balance Is Not Something You Have or Lose: It Is a Skill You Can Train

Before you read further, stand beside a sturdy counter, lift one foot an inch or two off the floor, and count how long you can hold it. Keep a hand near the counter. There is nothing to score; you are only noticing.

Strength gets the spotlight in midlife, and rightly so. Balance is its quieter partner: the ability to control your body when the ground, your attention, or your position changes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention includes balance work alongside aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity for adults 65 and older. But there is no reason to wait for a birthday to practice the skill. Balance depends on several systems working together—vision, sensation, the inner ear, muscle strength, reaction time, and confidence. Practice challenges that coordination.

A two-minute beginning

Stand beside a sturdy counter, close enough to touch it if needed. Keep the floor clear and wear stable shoes.

1. Stand with your feet together for 20–30 seconds.
2. Place one foot slightly ahead of the other and hold for 20–30 seconds.
3. Switch which foot is forward.
4. If that feels controlled, walk heel-to-toe for five slow steps along the counter.

Your goal is not to prove that you can wobble through the hardest version. It is to find a position that requires attention while still feeling safe. Progress can mean less hand support, a narrower stance, or a few more controlled seconds—not closing your eyes or standing on an unstable surface without professional guidance.

Attach the practice to something already in your day: while the kettle heats, after brushing your teeth, or before a strength session. Frequency matters more than turning it into a performance.

If you have fallen, feel dizzy, notice a sudden change in balance, use an assistive device, or have a condition that affects movement or sensation, ask a clinician or physical therapist what is safe for you.

“…he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”

Psalm 40:2 (NIV)

Sources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Physical activity guidance for older adults.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Older adult fall prevention resources.

This article is for education and is not medical advice. If you have fallen, feel dizzy, or have a condition that affects movement or sensation, ask a clinician or physical therapist what is safe for you.

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.