Adding some simple balance work into your routine can help you reap great rewards. Whether you are a fitness enthusiast, active ager, or simply interested in remaining healthy and fit so that you can perform daily chores and routines with ease, balance is critical.

Balance work can also strengthen your core, increase coordination and motor skills, help you improve your overall energy expenditure and enhance your ability to perform your favorite activates.

Here are four basic balance exercises you can add into any workout routine, or do them on their own!

Stand and Balance

Place the BOSU^® Balance Trainer next to a wall and stand next to the BOSU^® Balance Trainer, with one foot on the dome.  With one hand placed on the wall step up onto the dome with both feet until fully standing. Root the heels into the dome, shoulders back and down, core engaged, then slowly remove your hand from the wall and try to find balance for a moment. Step down and repeat. Finding this balance at the top of the dome can be very rewarding! You can then progress to holding the stance without placing a hand on the wall for longer periods, or do this same movement without placing a hand on the wall at all.

Step Up

Once you feel comfortable with both feet on the dome, try this basic Step Up. Place the BOSU^® Balance Trainer in an open space, dome up, standing behind it. Step one foot up and place it on the dome, following immediately with the other foot. Pause very briefly, then step down. To progress, pause for longer periods at the top of the dome.

Sit and Tap

Place the BOSU^® Balance Trainer in an open space, and sit on the center of the dome. Placing hands at sides on the dome for balance, slowly lift either one, or both feet four to six inches from the floor, pausing at the top. Slowly lower feet and repeat. You can then progress to doing this same movement with hands at heart center, or raised out in front of your chest.

Fire Hydrant

Kneel behind the BOSU^® Balance Trainer, hands on dome in a table-top position. With core tucked in and neutral spine, slowly raise one leg, keeping it bent, until nearly parallel to the floor. Slowly lower the leg. Repeat for 5 – 10 reps, and do the exercise on the other side.

Amina Daniels is a high energy fitness professional, who champions her Detroit based cycle studio, Live Cycle Delight and Yoga/Pilates studio LCD Hot. Amina holds fitness certifications in RYS200 from Kripalu, Group Strength, Personal Training, TRX Camps, TRX Group Fitness, TRX Rip Trainer and Indoor Cycling by Schwinn Bikes and Real Ryder.