Improve Your Balance by Linking Core and Lower Body Strength

This is an effective way of improving your sense of balance by linking core and lower body strength.

Hold a ball or kettlebell in your hands and take it in slow circles around your head in one direction and then the other direction - be sure to keep your core engaged as you do these circles.

Once you feel comfortable with this movement, you can come out of each circle by moving the ball to one side of your body, rotating your torso slightly to that side while stepping back with the other side leg in a reverse lunge. As you come out of the reverse lunge, take the ball back around your head in another circle and slightly rotate your torso to the other side while doing a reverse lunge with the opposite side leg.

As you do these circles and reverse lunges, focus on keeping your entire core region engaged, including your obliques which line the sides of your lower abdominal region. Once you are comfortable with the mechanics of this full body movement, you can begin to experiment with a heavier weight to further challenge yourself, though this exercise does not require anything more than 1-10 pounds for most people to experience improved balance and linkage between the core and lower body.