Proprioception Drills

Surf-stance balance squats

Balance exercises and strength training are normally separate, but Maui trainer Suzie Cooney has come up with six (6) exercises that do both:

A strong core helps keep us steady on our feet. This group of muscles—the abdominals, plus the muscles along your spine, pelvis, glutes and sides of the torso—drives power to our limbs while stabilizing the body.

When Cooney trains athletes like 2022 Stand-Up Paddling world champion Connor Baxter, she complements core training with proprioception drills. Proprioception is the body’s ability to sense its orientation in a constantly changing environment.

This WSJ article not only provides the strength-and-balance exercises that your humble blogger has been looking for, it also illustrates each exercise with a .gif.

GIFs, like the one that shows surf-stance balance squats, both convey much more information than a still photo and are more efficient than a video.

Note: Not every one will have access to a white-sand beach to break their fall, so most people will have to add a rubber mat to the shopping list.