Balance Is Key! (The key to what???).......And what is Proprioception?

I have been working balance/stability a lot lately in my classes.  I have been doing this with specific sports in mind.. for the runner and cyclists in my classes... But...  Why am I doing this?  What is the point?  I wanted to explain in my words, but I found an article that does a better job of it than I can.....   Thank you, SparkPeople.com for the article:  Balance Training 101, Why It's Important For Everyone  and for your valuable information!!!!!
"Benefits of Balance Training
Let me spring a big word on you here: proprioception. It's the body’s ability to interpret and use information about your position in space. Through a complex system of environmental feedback, cues from the bottom of your feet, the relation of your inner ear to gravity, and what you see, your body senses which muscles to activate or deactivate to maintain your desired position. It does this when you stand, get up from a chair, or walk on the sidewalk. It also uses all of these cues when you're riding a bike, skiing, strength training at the gym, and standing on your tiptoes to grab something from a high shelf. When the information received is too complex to translate, the system gets overwhelmed and you lose your balance. But with practice and experience (i.e. balance training) you can master what once seemed like impossible tasks—just like you did when you first removed the training wheels from your childhood bike or made it to the bottom of the bunny hill the first time without falling. 

By training to develop greater balance, you will recognize improvements in coordination, athletic skill, and posture. This in turn will result in fewer injuries and greater stability as you age, which can help prevent falls and keep you both strong and independent longer. These are the very benefits that have led many coaches, trainers, and athletes to incorporate balance training into their workouts. So how do you start? 

Quick Balance Test
Here is a good test to evaluate your own balance. Stand up and imagine you're going to walk forward on a straight line, placing one foot directly in front of the other so that the heel of your front foot touches the toes of your back foot. Keep both feet flat on the floor. Hold that position and close your eyes. If you can maintain your balance for 30 seconds, you are doing pretty well. If you are wobbling just about as soon as you close your eyes—or before—your balance is poor.  

If you did not perform as well as you thought you should, it's OK. Let’s work on this together. 

You don’t need to buy expensive equipment to improve your balance. You can do several exercises without any equipment. Check out this article for exercises you can do at home or the gym—without any special equipment. Try adding 5 or 10 minutes of balance exercises to your workouts three times a week. How can you tell if you are getting better? When you can maintain your balance during the various exercises (or the balance-training test above) for longer periods of time. 

If you want to do some serious balance training (a good idea after you've mastered some of the basic exercises), you can choose from a variety of balance-training toys to help you reach your goals. If you have a gym membership, your gym may carry some or all of these types of equipment. While some are pricier than others are, keep in mind that balance-training equipment isn't necessary for improving your balance—it just helps you take it to the next level. In fact, a study published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that balance boards and balls engage more muscle fibers in other areas of the body: the lower back (42-70% more exertion), lower abs (22-34% more exertion), quads (61-84% more exertion), hamstrings (33-70% more exertion), and calves (17-51% more exertion) compared to exercises done without those balancing devices. Here are three of the most common pieces of equipment to consider trying: 


Stability ball ($10-$20) Did you know that every time you sit, lie or lean on that ball to perform strengthening exercises you're also helping improve balance? It's like double-duty strength training! Simply swap your bench or chair for a stability ball during seated or lying exercises. Get creative and come up with more ways to balance on the ball, whether with planks, pushups, or Pilates! 


Balance Boards ($15 and up) SparkPeople sells an inflatable balance disc in the  SparkPeople Store  http://www.sparkpeoplestore.com/  and offers exercise instructions and workouts for the balance board to help you get started. This is an inexpensive alternative to pricier wood balance boards, which can also be a lot more challenging for beginners to master. You can do many of the same exercises as you can on a BOSU with this more portable piece of equipment. 


BOSU Ball ($100) Available in most gyms (or for purchase to use at home), BOSU balls are versatile. You can perform a wide variety of exercises on the BOSU to improve your balance. It comes with an introductory video that will explain a little more about the BOSU trainer. You can also find BOSU fitness classes, BOSU workout DVDs and more exercise ideas on the Internet.


As you progress in your balance training, you can integrate balance and stability training exercises with other pieces of equipment. For example, you can perform squats on a balance board in the beginning, and as you get better, add some weight (dumbbells) to the exercise. For a greater challenge. combine multiple exercises, such as a squatting a BOSU ball with an overhead press. The possibilities are endless! 

Thank you again, SparkPeople!!  To read the full article... click here:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=755
I also have blog posts that have some Stability Ball exercises on them.  Just enter "Stability Ball" in the search box on the upper right corner of my blog!!