Specificity of Balance, Proprioception, and Core Stability
For any sport, the optimal method to improve balance, proprioception, and core stability is to practice the skill itself on the same surface on which the skill will be performed during competition. There is little transfer between balancing skills because balance is skill specific. For example, having a gymnasts practice on a wobble board balance will not be improved balance on the beam. Similarly, having a baseball pitcher stand on a foam roller while throwing a medicine ball may not improve proprioception when throwing from a mound. Likewise, having a football player stand on a stability disks while performing squats may not improve core stability when running through a defensive line. Performing resistance exercises on stability balls, foam rollers, wobble boards, and variations of such equipment has not been shown to enhance sports related skills.
Willardson JM (2004). The effectiveness of resistance exercises performed on unstable equipment. Strength and Conditioning Journal; 26 (5), 70-74.
Definitions
- Balance: ability to control equilibrium
- Equilibrium: state of no acceleration (no change of speed
or direction) of body
- Static Equilibrium: body at rest or motionless
- Dynamic Equilibrium: body in motion with unchanged acceleration created by balanced applied and inertial forces
- Stability: resistance to disturbance of equilibrium (change of acceleration)
- Center of Gravity: point at which all body's mass is equally balanced or equally distributed in all directions
Factors Increasing Stability
- Center of gravity falls with in base of support
- decrease in stability when center of gravity becomes near edge of base
- Larger base
- Greater weight
- Lower center of gravity
- When anticipating an oncoming force
- place center of gravity near the side of base of support expected to receive force
- extending base of support in direction of expected force
- Greater friction between body and surfaces it contacts
Rotation about axis
- moving cycle is easier to balance that stationary cycle
- Kinesthetic physiological functions
- vestibular system, vision, touch, and kinesthetic awareness
Movement
- Walking throws body in and out of balance with each step
- A large component of sprint acceleration is created by falling
forward
- placing the center of gravity beyond base of support
- Jumping attempts to raise body's center of gravity upward