From the August 2004 issue of Runner's World
Runners tend to focus on building strength, endurance, and flexibility, often forgetting--until we're about to take a tumble--that running also demands balance. In fact, running is an intricate one-footed balancing act. On the road you're negotiating traffic, uneven pavement, pedestrians, and any number of distractions that require you to stop or shift your weight suddenly. Even the treadmill poses a challenge: Running on a conveyor belt while fiddling with your iPod or sipping water can throw off your footing.
Fabio Comana, an exercise physiologist with the American College of Exercise (ACE), says balance is an important component of athletic ability because all forms of movement rely on it. As a runner, being steady on your feet enables you to more efficiently transfer forces and absorb the impact to the spine of each footstrike, says Comana. And being able to right a misstep is an important skill to have out on the road, considering that many injuries are caused by falls. Which is why people are working on their balance more than ever: ACE reports that balance training--improving your ability to control your body's center of mass--is among the fastest growing and most popular exercise options for adults and named it one of the top fitness trends for 2006.
Use It or Lose It
Balance naturally declines with age if you don't actively work on it. "You can lose as much as 75 percent of your balance ability between the ages of 25 and 75," says Ron Lawrence, M.D., a Malibu, California, neurologist and marathoner.
Balance is derived from sensory nerve endings in your joints and muscles called proprioceptors. Running taxes your proprioceptors, whose job is to sense changes in body position. Improving your balance can increase the ability of the proprioceptors in your feet and legs to anticipate movement changes so that your runs are smoother and faster.
