A couple, a man and woman probably in their late 60’s, were standing, facing each other, in the blue-green, knee deep water.
The waves began to surge on the beach outside the Kaanapali Beach Hotel in Maui, Hawaii. The weather was shifting, wind picking up, and it looked like a storm was brewing off shore.
When the couple entered the water, the waves were small; maybe a foot in height. As the waves crashed against them, they smiled, waved their hands in the air and laughed.
But the waves were now two to three feet and growing and what was fun now turned dangerous.
Instead of making their way to shore, they held onto each other, each grasping the shoulders of the other, as the waves rolled in crashing against them. Their reactions were too slow. The waves knocked them over like a pair of bowling pins sent tumbling to the side. But they couldn’t get up fast enough before another wave crashed on them. And then another.
Just as I started down the beach to help, a young man dashed into the water to pull them out.
Is It Just Poor Balance?
Almost every health & fitness article on balance says more or less the same thing: good balance reduces the chances of falling.
True. But, there’s something else that balance gives you that I think is even more important.
Agility.
Agility is ” the ability to move and change direction and position of the body quickly and effectively while under control.”
What the adventurous couple in the ocean lacked was agility. They were unable to move quickly enough, hampered by both the resistance from the water and their lack of nimbleness. Had they been in the water by themselves, they would have very likely been injured or worse.
We don’t think of this – nimbleness – when we’re on vacation or off the beaten path doing something we don’t normally do. Why would we? When else do you need to be so nimble?
And there’s the problem. Because we don’t see the need in our daily lives, we ignore the need to develop something like agility.
That strategy works.
Until it doesn’t like at Kaanapali.
The Basis of Agility
To be agile, you must possess both static balance (as in the Single Leg Balance test) and dynamic balance with some strength sprinkled in there too.
The movement strategy that people use, who lack adequate strength and balance, when their balance is perturbed often appears stiff and somewhat rigid with a more upright posture. It’s a stumbling reaction with several small steps, the body lurching in space and sometimes the arms flail.
Reminiscent of The Walking Dead fame.
Contrast that image with a more agile reaction where the body assumes an “athletic ready” position; the movements are swift, sure, and smooth.
How To Improve Balance and Agility
The ideal first step is to test your balance and establish a benchmark.
Once you know the results, here are some suggestions to help you boost your balance:
- Before you try a balance drill, rub your foot on a tennis ball or golf ball. Just sit down in a chair and put your foot on the ball and roll it back and forth, side to side for about two minutes. Then do the same thing on the other foot. Why? Science has shown that manipulation of the soft tissue of the foot improves balance and it also feels good so it tends to put you in a better frame of mind.
- Buy an electronic tooth brush that has a built in timer. Most of these tools now come with a 2 minute timer (that’s how long you’re supposed to brush your teeth). Now, stand on one leg as one as you can while you brush your teeth. This is actually a little harder than standing still. The movement of your hand and arm cause tiny perturbations and your body has to react to that which is the essence of balance – catching your self from falling.
- When you get dressed, put on your sock and shoe while standing on one leg. This means that once you’ve got your sock on, you have to squat down on one leg to get your shoe and put it on.
- When you find your self stand in line waiting, just lift one foot and inch off the floor and practice. No one will notice or care unless, of course, you fall into them.
Tips to Improve Agility
- Walk sideways in one direction then turn 180 degrees and keep walking. Increase your speed as you become more familiar with the movement.
- Braided walking – this is a version of walking sideways but place on foot behind the other.
- Stand -> Roll -> Stand – from a standing position, move to the floor lying face down. Roll all the way over and then stand up. Repeat to the other side.
The great news is that you can change your agility ability. Just takes a little effort and time.
