15 Exercises to Improve Your Balance

Balance exercises are important at any age and fitness level; whether you’re trying to maintain stability and mobility, rehabilitate an injury, or improve athletic performance. Balance training supports better core strength, posture, and body awareness, helping increase your ability to control and coordinate your movements.¹

Before you begin

Before you begin balance training exercises, consider the following:

• Consult your health care provider about the appropriateness of the exercises for you.
• Have your eyes and ears checked regularly to be sure you have visual clarity and no inner ear issues that could contribute to problems with balance.
• Review any medications you take with your health care provider to be sure they don’t contribute to poor balance.
• If you notice a severe loss of balance or new balance issues like dizziness, lightheadedness, or vertigo (feeling like the room is spinning), see your health care provider.²

Safety First

When performing balance exercises, make safety the priority.

• Have a sturdy chair, counter, desk, table, wall or other sturdy object within reach in case you need it for support. You can also use a mobility training stick.
• Don’t continue any exercise that’s so challenging you risk falling.
• If you currently have balance problems, work on balance training exercises with a physical or occupational therapist before trying the exercises on your own.³

Balance Training Exercises

The following exercises are recommended for most healthy adults. Before beginning, please consult your health care provider with any concerns about your ability to participate in balance training exercises. Always keep a sturdy chair, counter, desk, or table nearby or stand near a wall to provide support when needed.

1. Single leg stance⁴

• Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart. If you feel unsteady, hold onto a chair.
• Lift one of your feet off the ground (knee slightly in front of you at height comfortable for you, don’t allow your legs to touch).
• Hold the position for 10-40 seconds (or as long as you can) before returning your foot to the ground. The longer you can hold that position, the better.
• Repeat with other leg.

Variation – Backward single leg stance⁵

• Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Bend your right knee to raise your right foot behind
• Hold the pose for 10-40 seconds (or as long as you can) before returning your foot to the ground.
• Repeat with other leg.

For an added challenge…

Try the exercise with your eyes closed. Closing your eyes helps hone your proprioceptive abilities (awareness of the position and movement of your body) and improve your balance even further. Be sure to stand with a form of support nearby for added safety.

2. Heel-to-toe walk (Tandem Walk) 

• Start with your feet hip-width apart.
• Raise your right foot off the floor and place its heel directly in front of the toes of your left foot so that the heel of your right foot touches the toes of your left foot.
• Step forward placing the heel of your left foot in front of the toes of your right foot (like tightrope walking).
• You can put your hands out to your sides for balance or use the wall for support, if needed.
• Keep your eyes forward – looking ahead, not down at your feet.
• Take 10-20 steps in a straight line focusing on maintaining a steady gait. Turn and repeat going back the other direction.⁴

Variation – Heel-to-toe

A variation of this exercise is to stand in one place (take out the walk). Place your right heel in front of your left toe and hold that position for 10-20 seconds, then return it to its original position. Repeat this process for 8-10 repetition, then switch feet.

For an added challenge…

Hold weights in both hands to increase resistance and further improve balance.⁶

3. Sit-to-stand 

• Sit on a sturdy chair with your feet comfortably resting flat on the floor. Have a sturdy support surface in front of you so you can reach for support if needed.
• Shift forward so your buttocks are positioned at the front of the seat.
• Leaning your chest forward over your toes, shifting your body weight forward, and squeezing your gluteal muscles (buttocks), slowly stand to a stable position. (If necessary, place your hands on the arms or seat of the chair and push through your hands to help stand and sit back down). The goal is to eventually not use your hands at all.
• Slowly sit back down to the starting position and repeat 10 times.

For an added challenge…

Hold weights in each hand to add resistance.^4,7

4. Standing knee raises

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Keep your arms at your sides.
• Lift one leg so your knee is bent in front of you. Slowly raise it to hip level and hold for a few seconds.
• Slowly lower your leg back down to the starting position.
• Repeat 10-15 times, on each side, keeping your core tight through the entire motion.

For an added challenge…

Hold weights in each hand to add resistance and further challenge your balance.⁶

5. Side leg raises

• Stand next to a sturdy chair (or hold onto it if you need extra support) with your feet hip-width apart.
• Lift one leg out to the side as far as possible, keeping your knee straight and toes pointing forward.
• Hold for a few seconds, then slowly lower to the starting position (keep your core engaged and your chest lifted).
• Repeat 10 times on each side.^4,6

For an added challenge…

Hold weights in each hand to add resistance and further challenge your balance.⁵ 

6. Tree pose^4,8

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Keep your arms at your sides.
• Slowly place the sole of one foot (toes pointing down) against the ankle, calf, or thigh of the opposite leg. Avoid placing it against the knee.
• Maintain a tall, straight posture.
• When balanced, try raising your arms above your head or with your palms together in front of your chest.
• Hold for 10-40 seconds.
• Repeat, reversing leg positions.

7. Lunges

• Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Take a big step forward with one leg
• Bend both knees until your front thigh is parallel to the ground.
• Your back knee should be just off the floor.
• Hold this position for a few seconds, then return to the standing position.
• Repeat 10 times, alternating legs; or do 10 lunges on one leg, then switch legs and do 10 lunges on the other.⁶

Variation – Reverse lunges

• Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Step backward (instead of forward), bending at the knees with your front thigh parallel to the ground and your back knee just off the ground.
• Hold this position for a few seconds, then return to the standing position.
• Alternate legs for 10 repetitions or do 10 on each leg.

For an added challenge…

Add resistance bands to your ankles or hold weights in each hand to add resistance and further challenge your balance.⁶

8. Side lunges

• Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart.
• Keep your hips facing forward and step out to the right with your right foot, bending at the right knee.
• Step back to the starting position.
• Repeat on the left side.
• Do 10 repetitions on each side.⁹

9. Squats

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Sit back into a squatting position, as if you were sitting down in a chair.
• Keep your chest up and spine tall.
• Hold for few seconds, then stand back up.
• Keep your weight evenly distributed between both feet for best balance control.⁹

For an added challenge…

Perform this exercise on a single leg with the lifted leg bent at the knee (out in front of you). Be sure to keep your standing knee aligned with your toes and avoid letting it cave inward as you squat down, which could lead to injury.¹⁰

10. Leg swings

• Stand next to a wall or other support and hold onto it for balance.
• Swing the leg closest to the wall backward and forward, focusing on controlled movement (not momentum or force).
• Perform 10 leg swings.
• Turn with your other hand on the wall and repeat on other leg.⁹

For an added challenge…

Perform this exercise without holding onto the support. Keep it nearby for safety.

11. Clock reach^11,12

• Imagine standing at the center of a clock.
• Hold arms out to your sides for balance, if needed.
• Lift the right leg and reach forward to 12-O’clock, to the side to 3-O’clock, and behind to 6-O’clock returning to the starting single-leg position after each reach.
• Switch legs, reaching forward with the left leg to 12-O’clock, to the side to 9-O’clock, and behind to 6-O’clock returning to the starting single-leg position after each reach.
• Try to barely tap the floor at each position, rather than resting it on the floor each time.
• Use the back of a sturdy chair or have it nearby, if needed for support.

12. Toe taps⁶

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Place your hands on your hips for balance.
• Lift one foot off the ground and tap your toe to the floor or an object in front of you, such as a step, curb, dumbbell, book, or ball. (Don’t lean forward; stand tall and keep your core engaged.)
• Alternate tapping each foot to the floor or object in front of you.
• Do 10-15 repetitions alternating leg.

For an added challenge…

Add a small hop after each toe tap.

13. Calf raises

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart
• Slowly raise onto you your toes with your heels up off the ground as far as you can.
• Keep your core engaged and your torso as upright as possible.
• Hold for a few seconds and come slowly back to the starting point.
• Repeat 10 times.

For an added challenge…

Stand on a single leg as you raise onto your toes.⁶ Use a wall for support, if needed.

14. Kickstand Romanian Dead Lifts

• Stand with your feet in a staggered stance (side-by-side with one foot slightly in front of the other).
• Keep your front foot flat on the floor. It will be holding most of your weight – Think of it as holding about 90-95% of your weight.
• Rest the toes of your back foot as lightly on the floor as possible – just to help you balance.
• Hinge at the hips with your back straight. Lower your chest toward the floor – keeping your back straight and your head up looking forward, not down at your feet. (Don’t hunch over with an arch in your back). You should feel this in your hamstrings (back of your thighs) and glutes (buttock muscles).
• Hold for a few seconds, then squeeze your glutes to lift your chest up and return to the standing position.
• Repeat 5-10 times on each leg.

For an added challenge…

Add a reach toward the floor and/or lift your back leg off the floor so you’re balancing on one leg – reach with the hand opposite your stationary leg toward the ground; or hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in the hand opposite the stationary leg to add resistance and further challenge your balance.^10,13,14 

15. Side-to-side hops (lateral bounds)

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Bend your knees slightly.
• Find, create, or imagine a line on the ground perpendicular to your body.
• Hop (jump) laterally from one foot to the other, crossing the line. This exercise helps you adapt to rapid changes in body position.¹⁵

Other ways to challenge your balance

If you’re looking to challenge your balance further, consider using balance training accessories, such as:

• Balance board
• Balance discs
• BOSU ball
• Foam roller
• Resistance bands
• Stability ball.¹⁶

See some balance exercises using these accessories from the American Sports and Fitness Association here.

Add activities that improve your balance

You can add other activities to your routine to improve your balance further.

• Tai Chi – Tai Chi involves slow, gentle movements and postures, often shifting weight from one side to the other (foot-to-foot). Tai Chi can help you improve balance and body awareness (proprioception), in addition to flexibility and muscle strength.^4,17,18 It has also been shown to reduce falls among older adults and people with Parkinson’s disease.¹⁹
• Yoga & Pilates – Both yoga and Pilates emphasize controlled, continuous movement patterns that support core strength, stability, range of motion, and balance.^15,18
• Stair climbing & Step aerobics – Stair climbing, on a gym machine or household stairs, provides cardiovascular benefits while improving balance and gait.^17,19 Step aerobics, using an elevated platform, offers similar benefits and has been shown to improve balance in older adults.^17,21
• Bicycling – If you ride your bike or have ever thought about doing so, cycling at least one hour a week has been associated with significant improvements in balance, as well as performing better on measures of decision time and response time. Cycling may be another avenue for improving balance and reducing risk of falls among healthy older adults.^18,22

Whatever activities you choose, choosing to work on exercises that improve your balance can serve you well for a lifetime.