YMCA Healthy Living Magazine, powered by n4 food and health Summer 2018 | Page 16

GUILLAUME TUAL
Born and raised in France, Guillaume ‘Gee’ Tual is a former professional basketball player, an
extensively experienced ski coach, and the founder of Peak Movement, which you can follow
on Instagram @Peak_Movement_Aus
EXERCISES
FOR A
BALANCED
LIFE
Exercise specialist Guillaume Tual shares four exercises
to help everyone of all ages to improve their balance.
I
n simple terms, balance refers to your ability to
create and retain control over your posture.
On page 15 we’ve detailed that balance is
particularly important for older adults, as it helps prevent falls
and the potentially dangerous consequences; but there is
immense value for your health in working on your balance, no
matter how old (or young) you are.
For this reason, today is a great time to start training your
body to be more responsive and improve your balancing
skills. Keeping your balance requires a lot of muscles working
together, so here are four exercises that can help you improve
your balance.
As a general rule of thumb, try and perform these exercises
while barefoot. This is because the skin on the feet has
thousands of tiny nerve endings which are very sensitive to
small vibrations; and this sensitivity is important for
maintaining balance. When you put shoes on (especially
those with thick soles), the transmission of messages from
those small nerves to your nervous system is a lot slower
which, in turn, delays the muscle contractions that occur in
response. For this reason, the more you can walk barefoot,
and the more different the surfaces you walk on are, the more
responsive your nervous system will become.
Remember, always consult a health professional prior to starting
any new exercise regime. And to ensure you are undertaking
these movements safely and correctly, have a chat to any of our
friendly fitness professionals at your local YMCA.
1. TRIGGER POINT RELEASE
It’s important to treat your feet nicely. After all, they carry you
along all day, every day for your entire life! You can treat your
feet by rolling the base of your foot on a massage ball. If you
don’t have a massage ball, then using a cricket, tennis or golf
ball will do the trick.
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YMCA HEALTHY LIVING MAGAZINE SUMMER 2018
How to do it: While seated or standing, press down on the
ball with your bare foot. Roll your foot over the ball from your
heel to your toes. When you feel a ‘tender’ spot, be sure to
breathe slowly and deeply, and stay on it for up to one minut