Balance...

When was the last time you stood on one leg? I know it’s an odd question to ask anyone who’s not a flamingo, but then again, is it?

Balancing on one leg is deemed a healthy thing to do says Michael Mosley (a doctor who is proactive in finding quick/simple lifestyle changes that can help make a difference to our health and wellbeing), and he focused on this recently in his radio series ‘Just one thing’

People who have suffered neurological conditions are often advised as part of their rehabilitation program to balance and it’s something I have done for many years after learning how effective it is for helping recover from and manage such conditions.

Three of the things I believe can occur and develop as a result of balancing, include:

Balance – not just physically being able to stand on one leg for a longer amount of time but also becoming more emotionally centred and balanced.

Development of perspective – standing on one leg will immediately make you appreciate your limbs and what you have available. This in turn can contribute and help develop a wider awareness of the world around us. It can also make us more compassionate as a consequence.

Leg strength and wobbles – it will build endurance and strength and also get you used to managing ‘wobbles’ and to regain your balance when this happens – you can bring this into your wider life and see how you potentially bounce back more quickly from those crisis that used to floor you.

Balancing on one leg (and then the other – taking it in turns), doesn’t need to be lifting the leg up really high and consequently falling over. You can simply lift it an inch off the floors if that’s what you can manage. You can lightly hold on to something (letting go every so often so you are balancing) or know something is there for you to hold onto if required. Start easy and build up.

Have a listen to the Michael Mosley program if it’s of interest and you can read lots more online too.

You can even listen or read on one leg once you get good enough!