Elegante Mother and I go to exercise three mornings a week. One of the things we work on at class is balance. This morning when we entered the room, there were two long strips of blue duct tape on the floor. The last 15 minutes of class, we lined up to walk the line!
The first time through, we walked relatively normally, one foot in front of the other. There were a lot of jokes about Breathalyzers and cops. The next time through, we brought our foot around in a circle before setting it down, and the last trip through we put a foot forward, touching down toe first, and then heel.
I discovered that most of it was simple to do if I was able to move through it fast enough. If the person in front of me was moving slower than I was, my balance went to pot.
I have one other balance test that was suggested to me. A person in their sixties should be able to hold this pose at least 10 seconds. Stand up, straight. Suck everything in and focus on keeping your core tight. Cross your arms, laying your hands on the opposite shoulders, close your eyes, and lift one leg to a 45 degree angle.
The first time, I keeled over almost immediately. I hadn't prepared by setting my posture and firming my core muscles. The second time I tried it, I got to about six seconds before I listed. One of my classmates was talking to me and distracted me. I think if I practice this in the kitchen, I should be able to master it.
Try it. How long can you hold this posture?
Comments (4)
I can't keep balanced in just about any posture (except sitting) with my eyes closed.
I am one of those people that would get pulled in automatically on any drunk test as I can't really balance on one foot even with my eyes open, much less walk a line!
Posted by bogie | March 1, 2008 6:27 AM
Posted on March 1, 2008 06:27
Luckily, Bogie, you'd pass the Breathalyzer, and your speech would be clear. I hope that cops are smart enough to be able to assess a situation, and understand that some people simply don't have balance when standing or walking.
I didn't realize how important an issue balance could be as we mature. My feet give me a lot of trouble, and that has an impact on my balance. I work on balance exercises all the time trying to offset the changes that come over time.
I haven't been pulled over in years, so I have no idea what to expect. Let's hope for smart cops! *G*
Posted by Registered User
|
March 1, 2008 3:06 PM
Posted on March 1, 2008 15:06
Elegant Friend, my exercise partner, thinks there must be something drastically wrong with me no better than my balance is. Sorry for one more bad thing that I evidently passed along to you. Buffy--I'll let you do the balancing for the three of us!
Posted by Cop Car | March 2, 2008 8:45 PM
Posted on March 2, 2008 20:45
Cop Car, I didn't realize you had a balance problem. I don't remember being aware of it when you visited, at all. I always thought mine was pretty good until we started doing balance exercises at class. I have good days and bad days, and what I'm wearing on my feet plays a big role on how steady I am, too.
You can hang onto me, and we'll go down together. Better make sure I'm the one on the bottom! lol
Posted by Registered User
|
March 4, 2008 4:38 PM
Posted on March 4, 2008 16:38