Strength · Balance
Strength work for balance
Balance is not a gift. It is single-leg strength, an ankle that can respond, and practice at the specific thing you want to be steady doing.
What this trains
This page is about the ankle, the hip abductors and the single-leg chain.
- Gluteus medius
- Ankle stabilisers
- Quadriceps
- Deep hip rotators
The lifts
- 01Single-leg Romanian deadlift3 × 8 each side
Go slowly enough that you never need to hop. Wobbling is the training.
- 02Step-down3 × 8 each side
Lower under control until the heel taps, then drive back up. No dropping.
- 03Single-leg calf raise3 × 12–15 each side
Full range, pause at the top. The ankle is the first thing to respond to a stumble.
- 04Eyes-closed single-leg stand3 × 20–30 s each side
Near a wall. Removing vision is a large jump in difficulty — expect it to be hard.
What this page can't tell you: New or worsening unsteadiness is a reason to see a doctor rather than to train around it.
Other regions
Posturethe upper back, the spinal erectors and the deep abdominal wallDesk workthe hip flexors, the glutes, the upper back and the neck extensorsHipsthe glutes, the abductors, the adductors and the deep external rotatorsHamstringsthe back of the thigh — biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosusBack and spinethe spinal erectors, the lats, the deep trunk and the muscles that resist rotationNeck and shouldersthe rotator cuff, the scapular stabilisers and the neck