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Athletes who put together balance training into their total conditioning programs not only improve their physical performance but also lessen the danger of injury. Balance training enhances one's own awareness, coordination and strength. By including balance boards, discs, pods, pads, and rockers into your workout routines, you can develop the skills necessary to respond to unstable situations.

You can be strong, flexible and aerobically fit, yet still have poor balance. Training can help you maintain and improve balance. This is important since balance tends to deteriorate with age, which can lead to falls and fractures. Try standing on one leg for increasing periods of time to improve your overall stability. Activities such as tai chi can promote balance.

This is a good test to evaluate your own balance. Stand up and place one foot directly in front of the other so that the heel of your front foot touches the toes of your back foot. Keep both feet flat on the floor. Hold that position and close your eyes. If you can maintain your balance for 30 seconds, you are doing pretty well. If you are wobbling just about as soon as you close your eyes, or before, your balance is poor.

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Core exercises strengthen your core muscles, including abs, back and pelvis. Strong core muscles make it easier to do most physical activities. You can do core exercises on a carpeted floor or mat. Breathe freely and deeply during each exercise. Focus on tightening your deepest abdominal muscle, the transversus abdominis, during each exercise. This is the muscle you feel contracting when you cough. Repeat core exercises five times. Gradually build up to 10 to 15 repetitions as your strength improves.

The muscles in your abdomen, lower back and pelvis help protect your back and connect upper and lower body movements. Core strength is a crucial element of a well-rounded fitness training program.

Core exercises help train your muscles to support the spine and enable you to use your upper and lower body muscles more effectively. Any exercise that uses the trunk of your body without support, including abdominal crunches counts as a core exercise. You can also try various core exercises with a fitness ball.

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Stretching is a form of physical exercise in which a specific skeletal muscle or muscle group is intentionally stretched out, often by abduction from the torso, in order to improve the muscle's felt flexibility and reaffirm comfortable muscle tone. The result is a feeling of improved muscle control, elasticity and range of motion.

In its most basic form, stretching is a natural and instinctive activity; it is performed by humans and many animals. Stretching often occurs instinctively after waking from sleep, after long periods of inactivity, or after exiting confined spaces and areas.

Most aerobic and strength training activities cause your muscles to contract and flex. For balance in your fitness training program, it's important to stretch those muscles, too. Stretching improves the range of motion of your joints and promotes better posture. Regular stretching can even help relieve stress.

Before you stretch, warm up by walking or doing a favorite exercise at low intensity for five to ten minutes. Better yet, stretch after you exercise, when your muscles are warm and receptive to stretching. Ideally, you'll stretch whenever you exercise. If you don't exercise regularly, you might want to stretch at least three times a week after warming up to maintain flexibility.