Balance isn’t just for tightrope walkers or yogis. It’s a crucial component of overall fitness that enhances your ability to perform everyday tasks, from walking and climbing stairs to playing sports and lifting weights. Good balance can help prevent injuries, improve coordination, and boost physical performance. It’s an often-overlooked aspect of fitness that deserves more attention in your training regimen. That’s why we’ve rounded up some of the best balance exercises that reveal whether or not you’re in good shape.
Balance naturally declines as you age, increasing the risk of falls and injuries. Incorporating balance exercises into your routine can counteract this decline, enhancing your stability and overall quality of life. Whether you’re an athlete aiming to elevate your performance or want to move more confidently and securely through daily activities, working on your balance offers substantial benefits.
Ready to test your performance? These 10 balance exercises can help you assess and improve your stability, ensuring you’re in good, if not even great, shape. Each exercise challenges your balance differently, delivering a well-rounded approach to this essential fitness component.
If you can master these balance exercises, you’ll be well on your way to achieving better balance and overall fitness!
Single-leg Stand
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The single-leg stand is a fundamental balance exercise that tests your static balance and lower-body stability. It’s beneficial for identifying imbalances between your left and right sides.
This exercise engages the stabilizing muscles in your ankles, knees, and hips, promoting joint health and reducing the risk of injuries. Additionally, it enhances proprioception, which is your body’s ability to sense its position in space, which is crucial for maintaining balance and coordination in everyday activities and athletic pursuits.
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Stand tall with your feet together. Lift your right foot off the ground and bend your knee to form a 90-degree angle. Hold this position for 30 seconds to a minute without letting your hips tilt or your standing knee wobble. Switch to your left foot and repeat. To increase the difficulty, try closing your eyes or standing on an unstable surface like a foam pad.
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Tree Pose
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A staple in yoga, the tree pose improves static balance, focus, and proprioception and strengthens the muscles around your ankles and knees. By requiring you to balance on one leg while maintaining a specific posture, the tree pose enhances your mental concentration and mindfulness.
It encourages proper alignment and posture, which can translate to better overall body mechanics. Additionally, the tree pose stretches the groin, inner thighs, chest, and shoulders, contributing to flexibility and muscle balance.
Stand with your feet together and your arms at your sides. Shift your weight onto your left foot and place the sole of your right foot against your inner left thigh or calf (avoid placing it directly on the knee). Bring your hands together in front of your chest in a prayer position. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute, then switch sides. For an added challenge, extend your arms overhead or close your eyes.
Single-leg Romanian Deadlift (RDL)
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The single-leg RDL targets your hamstrings, glutes, and core while challenging your dynamic balance. It’s excellent for improving stability and strength in the posterior chain. This exercise enhances hip mobility and can help correct muscular imbalances that often lead to injuries.
By engaging your core muscles throughout the movement, the single-leg RDL promotes better posture and alignment, reducing the strain on your lower back. This exercise is particularly beneficial for athletes, as it mimics the movements required in many sports that involve running, jumping, and changing directions.
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Stand on your right leg with a slight bend in the knee. Hinge at your hips, extending your left leg straight behind you while lowering your torso toward the ground. Keep your back flat and your hips squared to the floor. Reach your hands toward the ground or hold a weight for added resistance. Return to the starting position and repeat for eight to 12 reps before switching legs.
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Split Squat
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The split squat enhances lower-body strength and balance, particularly in the quadriceps and glutes. It also helps improve hip mobility and stability. This exercise isolates each leg, allowing you to focus on developing unilateral strength, which can help correct muscular imbalances and improve overall leg strength.
By requiring you to stabilize your body in a split stance, the split squat engages your core muscles and promotes better balance and coordination. It’s a versatile exercise you can modify with weights or varying stances to target different muscle groups and intensities.
Start in a staggered stance with your right foot forward and left foot back, about two feet apart. Lower your body until your right thigh is parallel to the ground and your left knee nearly touches the floor. Keep your torso upright and your front knee aligned over your ankle. Push through your right heel to return to the starting position. Perform eight to 12 reps before switching legs.
Single-leg Squat to Box
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This exercise improves single-leg strength, balance, and coordination. It also helps identify and correct imbalances between your legs. You engage your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves by performing a controlled squat on one leg, enhancing lower body strength and stability.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e
The single-leg squat to box also challenges your core muscles to maintain proper alignment and balance, reducing the risk of lower back strain. This exercise can improve your performance in activities that require unilateral strength and stability, such as running, jumping, and changing directions.
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Stand on your right leg in front of a box or bench. Slowly lower yourself into a squat, lightly tapping your glutes on the box. Keep your left leg extended in front of you and your torso upright. Push through your right heel to return to the starting position. Perform six to 10 reps before switching legs. Start with a higher box and gradually decrease the height as you get stronger.
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Single-arm Plank
The single-arm plank challenges your core stability and upper-body strength and tests your ability to maintain balance with asymmetrical loading. Lifting one arm off the ground forces your core muscles, particularly the obliques and transverse abdominis, to work harder to stabilize your body.
This exercise also engages your shoulders, chest, and back muscles, promoting upper-body strength and endurance. The single-arm plank improves your coordination and balance, making it an excellent addition to any functional training routine.
Begin in a standard plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your body in a straight line. Lift your right hand off the ground and extend it straight before you or keep it by your side. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds, keeping your hips level and your core engaged. Switch to your left hand and repeat. To increase the difficulty, try lifting the opposite leg simultaneously.
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Suitcase Carry
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The suitcase carry tests your dynamic balance, grip strength, and core stability. It mimics carrying a heavy object in one hand, which requires significant stabilization. This exercise engages your obliques, shoulders, and grip muscles, promoting overall functional strength.
The suitcase carry also improves your posture by encouraging you to maintain an upright position while carrying an asymmetrical load. It’s a practical exercise that enhances your ability to perform everyday tasks, such as carrying groceries or lifting objects, with better balance and reduced risk of injury.
Hold a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell in your right hand at your side. Stand tall with your shoulders back and your core engaged. Walk forward for 30 to 50 feet, maintaining an upright posture and avoiding leaning or twisting. Switch hands and repeat. Focus on keeping your steps controlled and even.
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Heel-to-Toe Walk
This exercise enhances dynamic balance and coordination, making it particularly useful for improving gait and stability. The heel-to-toe walk engages the muscles in your lower legs and feet, promoting strength and endurance in these areas.
This exercise challenges your proprioception and spatial awareness by requiring you to place one foot directly in front of the other, helping you maintain better balance and coordination. The heel-to-toe walk is an excellent exercise for older adults or anyone looking to improve their walking mechanics and reduce the risk of falls.
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Stand with your feet together. Step forward with your right foot, placing your heel directly before your left toe. Continue walking straight, placing each heel directly before the opposite toe. Keep your eyes forward and your arms at your sides or extended for balance. Perform for 20 to 30 steps.
Lateral Shuffle
The lateral shuffle improves lateral movement, agility, and dynamic balance. It’s excellent for athletes who need to move quickly in different directions. This exercise engages your hip abductors, adductors, and quadriceps, promoting strength and stability in these muscle groups.
The lateral shuffle also enhances cardiovascular fitness and coordination, making it an excellent addition to high-intensity interval training (HIIT). By improving your ability to move laterally, this exercise can enhance your performance in sports and activities that require quick direction changes, such as basketball, tennis, and soccer.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Shuffle to your right by pushing off your left foot and stepping your right foot to the side. Follow with your left foot, keeping your feet apart and your movements quick and controlled. Shuffle for 10 to 20 feet, then switch directions. Perform for 30 to 60 seconds.
Three-way Toe Taps
This exercise tests your balance and proprioception in multiple directions. It strengthens your ankles, calves, and core. Tapping your toes in different directions challenges your ability to maintain balance while shifting your weight, promoting better coordination and stability.
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The three-way toe taps engage your hip flexors, glutes, and lower leg muscles, enhancing overall lower-body strength and endurance. This balance exercise is particularly beneficial for improving your ability to perform multi-directional movements, such as those required in sports and daily activities.
Stand on your right leg with a slight bend in the knee. Tap your left toes forward, to the side, and then behind you, returning to the starting position after each tap. Keep your torso upright and your movements controlled. Perform eight to 12 taps in each direction before switching legs.
The Russian twist is one of the most popular core exercises, and it’s a good option for improving core strength. However, the windmill exercise is a functional movement (so it mirrors real life) with a safer movement pattern for most people. It could be a better option.
It’s an advanced move, but one well worth doing if you want an alternative in your strength training routine or to build strength and stability specifically in the muscles along the sides of your core, known as the obliques. Doing so can better help you in daily movements, such as bending to the floor to reach objects on the ground or to play sports like tennis. If you’re a fan of a bodyweight Pilates workout, you’ll find your practice gets easier after doing this exercise for a while.
It can also improve your posture and may prevent injury across the lower back, shoulders and hips.
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What is the windmill exercise?
The windmill is an excellent exercise for your core, glutes, hips and shoulders. It involves standing with your legs hip-width apart, raising one arm over your head (with or without a weight), and sliding your arm down to your leg to your ankle, hinging at the hips.
While it doesn’t look complicated, it’s as much a glute exercise as it is a core exercise. It requires flexibility and strength in your upper and lower body. For this reason, Sarah DiGiovanni, a trainer at ALO Wellness Club, says she’s a big fan.
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“My approach is always to do functional core movements over isolated moves like crunches,” she says. “The windmill is great for the core because it targets the obliques from every angle. It also engages your upper and lower abs to stabilise your spine and control the movement. There’s no rest for your core at any point in the range of movement.”
How to do the windmill exercise
How to Perform a Kettlebell Windmill | Nuffield Health – YouTube
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Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Lift one arm straight towards the ceiling, with or without your weight.
Turn both of your feet gently to the side, away from the side where the arm is lifted (about 45 degrees).
Shift your weight onto the leg that’s on the same side as the arm that’s lifted.
Push your hips back at the same 45-degree angle, keeping the leg with your weight on straight and allowing the other to bend slightly.
Slide your other hand (the one not raised) down the inside of your bent leg, towards the floor.
Make sure to keep your eyes on the raised hand to maintain your balance and rotate properly.
Stop at a point that feels comfortable, engage your core and glutes, and drive up to the starting position to complete the movement.
Repeat at least 8 times on both sides for 3 sets.
What weight should I use?
Choosing the right weight, whether you use a kettlebell or dumbbell, is key when doing the windmill exercise. Too light and you won’t feel the benefits, but Sarah says that starting lighter than you think you’ll need is a good idea. “Form matters more than weight here,” she says. “This is not a move to rush, and you want to stay controlled the entire time.”
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You could also try it without a weight to begin with. Make sure your form is comfortable, and you have the movement well-practised before adding weights.
“Keep your arm fully locked out throughout the entire movement. As you hinge to the side and reach your free hand toward the ground, keep your eyes focused up at the weight to help with balance,” she adds.
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12kg Soft Kettlebell for Home Gym
If you’re doing the windmill exercise at home, Digital Health Editor Grace Walsh recommends using a soft kettlebell like this one from Kayman. It uses steel sand rather than cast iron, reducing any potential damage to your floor if you drop it or put it down heavily.
Benefits of the windmill exercise
Improves balance: “Holding a weight overhead during the movement challenges your coordination in a way most exercises don’t,” says Sarah.
Supports your spine: The lateral hinge takes your spine through a range of motion that it rarely gets in traditional resistance training, keeping it healthy and strong over time.
Prevents a strength imbalance: “Single-sided moves are non-negotiable for my programmes,” says Sarah. “We’re all dominant on one side, and the windmill forces each side of the body to work independently so your weaker side can’t hide behind the stronger one.”
Improves core strength: All the control and stability your body needs to do this movement comes from your core. By engaging it, you’re making it stronger.
In a groundbreaking advancement poised to revolutionize dementia care, researchers have announced a comprehensive study protocol examining the influence of community-based structured group exercise programs on both cognitive and physical functions in older adults living with dementia. This randomized controlled trial, detailed in a recent publication slated for BMC Geriatrics in 2026, aims to explore the untapped potential of structured physical activity as a non-pharmacological intervention to slow cognitive decline and improve overall quality of life.
Dementia, a progressive neurodegenerative condition characterized by deteriorating memory, thinking, and motor skills, remains one of the most pressing global health challenges, especially as populations age worldwide. Traditional approaches have primarily focused on symptom management and pharmacological treatments, which often come with limited efficacy and undesirable side effects. Against this backdrop, physical exercise has emerged as a promising avenue, backed by neurobiological theories suggesting that physical activity may promote neuronal plasticity, enhanced cerebral blood flow, and reduced neuroinflammation.
The study underlines the importance of a community-based framework, which holds immense promise for scalability, accessibility, and sustained engagement. Community-based interventions leverage social support, environmental context, and local resources, creating an ecosystem that encourages consistency and motivation among older adults. It also introduces structured group exercise as opposed to individual exercise routines—infusing a social and interactive element believed to synergistically bolster cognitive engagement alongside physical exertion.
At its core, this research protocol delineates a comprehensive systematic design featuring randomization — the gold standard for clinical trials — ensuring that participants are evenly distributed among intervention and control groups to minimize bias. The intervention includes carefully tailored exercise regimens that combine aerobic, resistance, balance, and flexibility training. These multifaceted routines aim to target various physiological systems implicated in dementia progression, from cardiovascular health to motor coordination and muscle strength.
Emerging studies have shown that aerobic activities stimulate hippocampal neurogenesis, critical for memory and learning processes often impaired in dementia. Resistance training, meanwhile, supports muscular strength essential for daily activities, reducing fall risk and enhancing autonomy. Balance and flexibility exercises further contribute by improving proprioception and joint mobility, thereby mitigating mobility-related comorbidities. By integrating these elements into structured group calendars, researchers anticipate synergistic effects accumulating over the trial timeline.
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Cognitively, the engagement associated with group exercise acts as a dual catalyst. Beyond the direct neuroprotective benefits of physical activity, the social interaction inherent in group settings stimulates cognitive domains such as attention, executive functions, and emotional regulation. Social isolation and loneliness have been consistently linked to accelerated cognitive decline; thus, group dynamics within this exercise framework may serve as a potent protective factor by nurturing community bonds and meaningful interpersonal connections.
The outcome measures designed for this trial span a range of validated neuropsychological and physical assessments. Cognitive outcomes include evaluations of global cognition, memory, executive function, and processing speed conducted via standardized instruments like the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Physical parameters are meticulously assessed using tests such as gait speed, handgrip strength, and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, presenting a multidimensional view of functional status.
Importantly, the protocol emphasizes longitudinal follow-up to determine the persistence of any cognitive and physical benefits post-intervention, which is pivotal in discerning sustainable impacts rather than transient improvements. Additionally, the researchers have accounted for confounding variables including baseline physical activity levels, comorbidities, and medication use, thereby ensuring the robustness and generalizability of the findings.
The implications of positive outcomes from such a trial are vast. Demonstrated efficacy could reshape public health policies and clinical guidelines, reinforcing physical activity as an essential component of dementia management. Community centers, healthcare providers, and caregiving organizations might adapt to include tailored structured group exercise programs, thus democratizing access to an affordable, scalable intervention with minimal side effects.
Moreover, this research aligns with growing interdisciplinary perspectives that advocate for holistic management approaches — ones that incorporate biological, psychological, and social determinants of health. The integration of physical activity into care plans reinforces a paradigm shift from reactive to proactive and preventative models that empower older adults with dementia to maintain independence and dignity.
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While challenges remain in delivering consistent, well-supervised exercise programs adapted to heterogeneous patient needs and functional capacities, this trial’s community-rooted design mitigates many logistical and motivational barriers. Leveraging local infrastructure and peer support creates a dynamic environment conducive to sustained participation—a crucial factor given historically high dropout rates in exercise interventions.
From a neurobiological standpoint, this initiative supports the evolving understanding of dementia as a modifiable disorder where lifestyle and environmental factors play significant roles. The interplay between exercise-induced neurotrophic factors such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), reduced oxidative stress, and enhanced cerebral angiogenesis may offer mechanistic insights into how structured physical activity slows neurodegenerative processes.
In conclusion, the launch of this randomized controlled trial heralds a promising avenue for dementia intervention research by meticulously investigating the dual benefits of physical exercise on cognitive and physical realms in a structured, community-based setting. Its innovative combination of rigorous scientific methodology and practical community implementation presents an exciting frontier in mitigating the global dementia burden.
For families, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and policymakers alike, this trial offers hope through a vision of dementia care that transcends pharmacological limitations and centers on empowering individuals via movement, social connection, and holistic well-being. The ultimate testament to this research will be its translation from protocol to practice—transforming insights into real-world impact.
Subject of Research: Effects of a community-based structured group exercise program on cognitive and physical function among older adults with dementia.
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Article Title: Effects of a community-based structured group exercise program on cognitive and physical function among older adults with dementia: a randomized controlled trial study protocol.
Article References: Amin, A., Hossain, K.M.A., Uddin, M.R. et al. Effects of a community-based structured group exercise program on cognitive and physical function among older adults with dementia: a randomized controlled trial study protocol. BMC Geriatr (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-026-07631-3
Image Credits: AI Generated
Tags: cerebral blood flow and cognitioncognitive improvement in dementiacommunity-based exercise programsdementia care innovationgroup exercise for dementianeuroinflammation reduction through exerciseneuroplasticity and exercisenon-pharmacological dementia interventionsphysical fitness in older adultsrandomized controlled trial dementiascalable dementia interventionssocial support in dementia care
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