How to use…
The Balance Beam (#13)
It certainly is not THE most exciting station at the WCFP, but the Balance Beam Station is no less important than any of your favourites. Balance is an important component of functional fitness and sadly, among the first to go as you age. Loss of balance leads to falls, one of the biggest causes of injury and death among those over 60. Falls can be catastrophic and working on your balance, particularly if you are over age 60, is as important as maintaining strength, flexibility and coordination.
How-to Animations:
The how-to animations below provide snippets of exercises demonstrating proper form, posture and positioning.
1. Walk the beam
Notes:
Looks easy, right? Give it a try and find out if you could use a little work on your balance. Feel free to use your adjustable walking poles to assist.
Muscles used:
Shoulders – as active stabilizers
Arms – as active stabilizers
Mid section – abdominals, external obliques, erector spinae as stabilizers
Lower body – mildly engaged as prime movers
Difficulty:
2. Walk, hop and turn
Notes:
Three actions are the focus of this Balance Beam exercise: walking, hopping, and turning. All these actions are very easy when performed on solid ground, but perform these same actions on a narrow beam and you have the makings of a balance training routine.
Muscles used:
Shoulders – as active stabilizers
Arms – as active stabilizers
Mid section – abdominals, external obliques, erector spinae as stabilizers
Lower body – mildly engaged as prime movers
Difficulty:
3. Walk with a leg dip
Notes:
Walking the 4″ wide Balance Beam with a “leg dip” action is pretty much equal to performing a minor one leg squat with every step. This adds work for both the hip extensors (glutes, upper hamstrings) and the knee extensors (quads).
Muscles used:
Shoulders – as active stabilizers
Arms – as active stabilizers
Mid section – abdominals, external obliques, erector spinae as stabilizers
Lower body – glutes and quads as prime movers
Difficulty:
4. Nordic curl
Notes:
It’s really hard to come up with knee flexor isolation exercises at a fitness park. Performing knee or leg curls generally requires a gym, specifically the hamstring curl machine, either standing or prone versions. But here at WCFP there are a couple of locations where hooking your heels will put you in a perfect position for nordic curls. Nordic curls are a negative or eccentric-style movement where the contracting muscles are forced to lengthen during the contraction when overcome by the load. Eccentric work is potent and will often cause DOMS (delayed onset muscles soreness) when first practiced.
Muscles used:
Shoulders – anterior deltoids are prime movers in mild push up action
Chest – prime movers in mild push up action
Arms – triceps are prime movers in mild push up action
Mid section – abdominals, external obliques, erector spinae as stabilizers
Lower body – lower hamstrings (knee flexors) as prime movers
Difficulty:
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