With muscular dystrophy, walking can result in you falling over and injuring yourself. The one thing that can completely change your life is working on balance. I continue to work on balance at least three times a week, and it has been the best thing I have ever done for my life. When I was younger, spraining my ankles was a casual thing for me to deal with, which surprisingly stopped me from getting falling related injuries. Without a focus on injuries and healing from bruising, you can focus on improving your body in multiple other ways. Without my focus on revitalizing my injured body, I could stretch, meditate, and exercise without limitation from the injury.
Core training is a perfect way to do that since it is the stabilizing muscle within your body. My favorite exercise is by far stabilizing yourself on half of a yoga ball with two legs and with one. Throwing a ball or moving around, forces you to rebalance yourself, which improves working phenomenally and decreases the risk of injuring yourself. When I began working on my balance, my physical therapist designed a balanced course that I would go on each week, I went there to work on balance.
The course consisted of different balance balls on the ground that I would stand on and make my way across a room. I had made my way across a path of hurdles while I maintained my balance and continued growth of my body. The third part of the course was using a foam surface on the ground, similar to a tight. I performed many different movements, including stepping one foot in front of the other, rotating my body 360 degrees every few steps I took and moving sideways across the foam platform. I gradually improved the amount that I could do and the efficiency of completing these exercises. While it a slower progress balance will continually improve each activity you complete
On top of the balance course, we would do activity related training as I stood on one foot, and I progressively enhanced my balance. I will list a few examples of these types of exercise, but there are vast amounts of activities that can improve your balance.
When I stood on a trampoline, I would use a long stick to hit a ball as I am standing on one leg. The most important part about this exercise is to stabilize your core as much as possible and maintain balance. Standing on a foam platform and either throwing a medicine ball, catching a ball, or moving the ball diagonally to test your strength. Keeping a tight core and doing these exercises in a fast manner will check your balance to the limits. Remember, if your feet, legs, or core become tired, stop balancing until you have fully recovered. Marching on a foam platform is excellent to put walking/marching to the test with balance, which can be a more comfortable form of exercise to improve stability. This personally helped me improve my walking habits to be in the best possible situation with the prohibitions that my body gives me.
You will continue to improve and be able to do more exercises, but keep in mind; it is a slow and tedious project. I can not stress enough to everyone that improving balancing is the greatest thing for you to do to the body. It will also retain focus on exercises and stretches that continue to enhance your body’s state. Adding on a balancing course to an exercise routine is a perfect place for people to start to improve their balance. Once you get into the habit of completing balance-related exercises, your body will be thanking you.
