Balance is an essential component of any sport and, more importantly, of an active lifestyle. Like many other skills, balance is also constantly diminished by our sedentary lifestyle. Most of us spend a great deal of time in supported seating where very little balance is required. When we walk, we are usually walking in supportive shoes on concrete or similarly flat, even surfaces. While this leads to fewer injuries in the short term, it robs us of the skill to use our feet, ankles, hips and trunk to gain balance.

Many of us have seen elderly individuals who are bent over and walk in a shuffle. This habit can be picked up in response to losing balance. When an individual fears falling due to a lack of balance, that person can easily adopt a cautious shuffle that leads to more inactivity and increased loss of balance. (Posner-Mayer, 1995) Eventually, this cycle can rob people of their independence and/or enjoyment of their favorite activities.

Maintaining a high level of balance requires practice and activity. The Exercise Ball is a dynamic base of support that will challenge each user in terms of their ability to balance. For example, just sitting on the ball is a balance exercise but, if you lift your leg, it is more difficult to balance. Moving your raised leg will challenge your balance further. In theory, challenging your balance should ensure functional balance throughout your lifetime and break or prevent that cycle of fear and inactivity. More challenging balance activities can be used by any amateur or professional athlete to enhance their athletic performance.