It’s well-established that aerobic exercise (running, jogging, cycling, swimming, brisk walking) and strength training (squats, lifting weights, pushing and pulling) are essential for good brain health. But what about balance training?
Forty healthy participants aged between 19 and 65 years were randomly assigned to either three months of twice weekly balance training or to relaxation exercises. Not surprisingly, the balance group significantly improved their balance. However, they also boosted their memory and spatial cognition. No such changes were seen in the relaxation group. Spatial cognition refers to how we orient ourselves in space, plan routes, and find our way in new surroundings. It’s an essential skill for daily life.
Another study found that 6-12 months of co-ordination training three times a week improved not only balance, eye-hand co-ordination, leg-arm co-ordination, spatial orientation and reaction to moving objects, participants also enhanced their ability to pay attention, process information, and perform tasks involving complex thinking.
Meanwhile, an MRI study involving people with Parkinson’s disease, showed that after only 6 weeks of balance training, changes occurred in several different brain regions. Thus our brain remains capable of learning and improving its functioning, even after developing a neurodegenerative disease.
Another important benefit of better balance is reduction in falls. Falls contribute to head injuries which contribute to dementia. Being insecure on our feet is an underrated health hazard. Several studies have found that 50-plus-year-olds who are unable to stand on one leg for 10 seconds (known as the 10-second one-legged stance or OLS) have a shorter life expectancy than those who can.
For more information about balance and the brain, read the chapter ‘Tip the balance’ in my book Can Adventure Prevent Dementia?
Balance training is easy to integrate into everyday life. Stand on one leg while waiting in a queue, speaking on the phone, or watching TV. Aim for 60 seconds on each leg. Then increase the level of difficulty by balancing on one leg with your eyes closed. To raise the bar even further, keep your eyes closed and count backwards from 100 by 13 ie 87, 74, 61, etc while continuing to maintain your balance on one leg.
Tai chi, qigong, pilates and yoga are also great ways to improve balance and co-ordination. But for the ultimate balance challenge, take up 68-year-old Ken’s hobby. Can you guess what it might be? Look out for Ken’s uniquely fun way of boosting his brain in my next Health-e-Byte.
To read the original studies, click on the links below:
- Balance training improves memory and spatial cognition in healthy adults — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5515881/pdf/41598_2017_Article_6071.pdf
- The Effect of Balance and Coordination Exercises on Quality of Life in Older Adults: A Mini-Review— https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6873344/pdf/fnagi-11-00318.pdf
- Cardiovascular and coordination training differentially improve cognitive performance and neural processing in older adults — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3062100/pdf/fnhum-05-00026.pdf
- Structural brain plasticity in Parkinson’s disease induced by balance training — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23916062/
Please share this Health-e-Byte with anyone who is looking for a simple way to start boosting their brain and reducing their risk of falls.
