By: Andrea Case-Rogers, CXO – Zibrio

According to recent research, if you’re a flamingo, standing on one leg can allow the other half of your body to relax, so you don’t use too much energy.

The same is not true for humans of course! If you’ve ever had a balance evaluation you may have timed how long you can stand on 1 leg. So should you practice doing it, and what would it mean if you could stand there for longer?

A 1 leg stand is the simplest way many people think about assessing their balance. And being able to do so comes with some advantages: being able to put on pants or shoes without sitting down, a certain satisfaction from holding a yoga tree pose, or because some members of your family or friendship group can’t do it.

And it does reveal something about your balance.

But in the real world you care about good balance because it allows you to walk and talk, run and jump, sometimes not rely so heavily on vision, being able to turn your head, sit down, stand up and therefore unless you train and challenge your balance while doing these things, standing on one leg may give you an incorrect view of how good your balance really is.

When you stand on 1 leg it doesn’t prepare you for running or jumping, because in those movements, your leg is not static, it’s swinging, ready for the next step or leap.

Even for putting on pants, you need to be able to bend and straighten in order to reach the pants in the first place. And that head movement makes a big difference. Firstly, because your head is heavy, so it’s the most challenging body part to move from a muscle strength perspective. And then because a major part of your balance sensory system – your inner ear – is sending signals to your brain about which way is up and where the muscles need to fire to keep you upright. It matters whether the movement you’re making is large or small. Being able to make a small movement (lifting up one foot) doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll also be able to perform the larger movement (bending down to put on your pants or shoes).

Zibrio is dedicated to making measuring balance simple. Find out about our range of products at www.zibrio.com

Measurement > understanding > improvement

By: Andrea Case-Rogers, CXO – Zibrio

You’ve been in lockdown for 2 months: your exercise regimen has had to change, maybe you’ve not been able to practice your usual sport at all. You’ve likely gone through a process called reconditioning.

Deconditioning: 5 Ways You’ll Notice It:

1. Your aerobic fitness isn’t as good as it was when you last completed
2. You’ve lost some strength in your muscles
3. Your sport-specific skills aren’t as sharp as they were
4. Teams: Your team coordination isn’t that hot
5. Your ability to balance is worse

Dangers of Deconditioning:

1. You get tired more quickly
2. Your risk of injury is greater: from pulled muscles to joint injuries
3. Your risk of falling is greater: maintaining good balance requires regular practice, and leg strength in particular is an important piece

How to get back to better than last year: Coaches Edition

1. You know your athletes, but you may be surprised at how everyone’s balance has dropped. Ask them what kind of exercise they have been able to do, and pay attention to coordination difficulties too
2. Include balance training in every session. Begin easy and make sure people can do the exercise safely before moving on to more difficult ones

How to get your form back: Athletes

1. Make balance exercises the ones you never skimp on
2. Ask for help from coaches or trainers
3. Start easy, you don’t want to get sidelined by an injury now

For an in-depth look at how balance deteriorates, and how to create exercise programs to improve it, you may be interested in Zibrio’s online Balance Specialist Training Course. The course includes video training with assessment, and takes about 3 hours. Designed for fitness trainers, it contains information of value to coaches and may be of interest to athletes themselves also. Full details can be found at:

If you are looking to work with a balance specialist who is experienced in working with older adults and has already completed the course, search Zibrio’s online database for someone near you at https://www.zibrio.com/balance-resources-map. Some trainers also offer virtual options to their training packages.

By: Andrea Case-Rogers, CXO – Zibrio

People fall at all ages. The better your balance is, the more likely that a fall is caused by unexpected circumstances (water on a marble floor while on holiday, taking a corner too fast on a bike), or something else crashing into you (fellow players, runaway dogs).

But how hard we fall, and the consequences, do change with time. The truth is, we all need a little nudge to check the factors that make an unwanted wobble more likely.

Scientific literature identifies 21 risk factors for falls – across all populations. Some are difficult to monitor or only applicable to certain subsets of people. At Zibrio, we’ve narrowed our focus to six major factors which have the biggest impact and are mainly modifiable by our habits.

For example, how well do you sleep? Not only is sleep vital for muscle repair and growth in training, but a recent study at the University of Warwick in the UK demonstrated how lack of sleep affects your balance. Even one night’s disrupted sleep significantly reduced the participants’ ability to balance the next day.

It’s something to bear in mind when you’re travelling to The Games this summer if you’re susceptible to time change, as it can affect your performance as well as your balance.

And though good sleep is so important, think twice before reaching for sleep aids (over-the-counter or prescription). Most sleep aids have a negative effect on balance. Even if you’ve used one for some time, our kidneys process drugs differently as we age, and can interact badly with any other medications you might need to take. This is definitely a discussion you want to have with your doctor.

If you are struggling to sleep, there are non-drug approaches that are worth trying. From sleep hygiene like cool temperatures, darkness, and avoiding screens before bedtime, there are also a number of sleep-promoting meditations that can be accessed through free apps like Insight or Calm, which can help you drift off, or get back to sleep if woken during the night. Popping that pill is not the only option.

The Zibrio Balance Coach app is available free for smartphones at the Apple App Store and Google Play. Download it to get an insight into health habits that help or hurt your balance by simply answering the questions. Results are displayed in a traffic light format: red for danger, green for great. How many pieces can you get in the green zone?

By: Andrea Case-Rogers, CXO – Zibrio

Ellen is a long-time runner and personal trainer, who became interested in measuring balance. This is her story.

“At first, I was really disappointed to score only 4/10. Even though I know only elite athletes sometimes score 10/10, I secretly hoped I might at least be close. Especially since I train other people and feel like I know how to get the best out of my body. I expected to score high.

Then I thought about it, and realized, I spend so much time helping others achieve their goals, I was neglecting my own needs. It had been a while since my last event, so I wasn’t training to a goal. When I demonstrate an exercise, it’s just that – a demo, I’m not doing it as a work out for myself. I realized I needed to do more for me.

The first thing I put back into my personal routine were lunges. They’re an exercise many people avoid as they’re uncomfortable, but that’s where their power lies. You’re offset, your ‘strong’ side can’t compensate for the weaker side, and you have to concentrate. You can’t do it without concentrating, and that’s exactly why it helps. If you haven’t done them before, get some help to check your form: your hips should be level and square, and your front knee mustn’t go forward of your toes.

Over the next week, my balance score fluctuated between 5 and 7. Finally, I reached the green zone, and I knew I was doing the right things for me. But I still wasn’t scoring as high as I thought I should be.

I scheduled an overdue appointment with my chiropractor, who warned me not to expect sudden change after my treatment. Sure enough, that day, my score dipped to 6, but the next day and the days since then, I’ve been scoring 8’s.

I’ve started to see balance as a check that I’m doing the right things, not just in terms of exercise, but also with my overall health. It reminds me of when I trained with a running specialist. There’s always a piece you can gain by seeking out the experts. My body can tell me how I really am through my balance, but it’s hard to ‘feel it’. Having an objective measure is what really makes the difference.”