If you’ve ever taken up a new activity and suddenly realised your balance isn’t as good as you expected, it can be an unsettling experience. Balance plays a key role in many everyday movements and activities. When it isn’t challenged regularly, it can quietly decline over time without you even noticing.
What Is Balance?
Balance is the ability to keep your body’s centre of gravity positioned over your base of support, allowing you to stay upright and avoid falling. This process happens constantly and automatically. Your body relies on several systems working together to maintain balance, including your vision, inner ear (vestibular system), proprioception, and muscles and joints.
What Is Proprioception?
Proprioception is your body’s ability to sense where it is in space. Information from your muscles, joints, tendons, and skin is sent to the brain, which then interprets your body’s position and movement. This is what allows you to place your foot on the ground confidently without looking at it. While many people aren’t familiar with the term, proprioception is essential for safe movement, stability, and fall prevention — and it can be trained and improved.
How Can You Check Your Balance?
A physiotherapist can carry out a thorough balance assessment, but you can try these simple checks at home to see how steady you are:
- Stand with your feet together and close your eyes
- Stand on one foot, keeping your eyes open until you feel steady, then close them
- Increase the challenge by standing on an uneven surface, such as a pillow on the floor
Try to hold each position for around 30 seconds. If you find this difficult, it may be worth speaking with your physiotherapist. They can help identify areas for improvement and provide practical strategies to enhance balance and reduce the risk of falls and injury.