Here is one of my favorite balance drills. Give it a try and see how it feels.

Test

Range of motion (ROM) baseline:
– Forward fold with straight legs (touch your toes or the floor)
– Hip rotation to each side with feet under hips and palms together in front of you

Balance assessment:
– Stand heel to toe, your feet in a straight line as if you are on a narrow board.
– If that feels comfortable, hold your arms up, focus on a distant point, then close your eyes. Aim to hold this position for at least 15 seconds.
– If you start to fall, open your eyes and catch yourself.
– Test with your other foot forward as well. (The leg in the back tends to do more work.)

Drill

One-leg compass drill – reach foot as far as possible to 8 points around a “compass”
– Easier – reach and touch, return to center and touch.
– Moderate – reach and touch, return to center without touching
– Harder – reach without touching, return to center without touching

To add even more challenge:
– Reach further
– Hold positions longer
– Do the drill to a beat

Retest

Determine whether your ROM changed:
– Forward fold with straight legs (touch your toes or the floor)
– Hip rotation to each side with feet under hips and palms together in front of you

Improved ROM = drill works well for you. Do it every day.
Decreased ROM = drill was too intense at this time. Try a slightly easier version.

Balance assessment – see if the drill improved your balance.
– Improved – the drill is good for you, do it every day.
– Worsened – the drill might have fatigued you. Try one version each side the following day and reassess.

How to use it

Each day, do the version that feels right for you. Test ROM, do your version on each side, then retest ROM. When it starts to feel too easy, make it more challenging.

Are you happy with your ability to balance?