Chapter 10: Balance Training Concepts Flashcards
balance
when the body is in equilibrium and stationary, meaning no linear or angular movement
dynamic balance
the ability to move and change directions under various conditions without falling
what is a key to all functional movements?
the ability to maintain balance and postural control
what neuromuscular skills is dynamic balance strongly influenced by?
- speed
- endurance
- flexibility
- strength
true or false: adequate force reduction and stabilization are required for optimal force production
TRUE
what is required to reduce force at the right joint, at the right time, in the right plane of motion?
optimal levels of dynamic balance and neuromuscular efficiency
what is poor balance associated with?
injury risk
what is balance dependent on?
both internal and external factors to maintain the body’s center or gravity over its base of support
true of false: balance is only a static process
FALSE
-balance is also a dynamic process involving multiple neurologic pathways
maintenance of postural equilibrium (or balance) is an integrated process requiring what?
- optimal muscular balance (or length-tension and force-couple relationships)
- joint dynamics (or athrokinetmatics)
- neuromuscular efficiency using visual, vestibular (inner ear), and proprioceptive inputs
what can specific kinetic chain imbalances (such as altered length-tension relationships, force-couple relationships, and arthrokinetamtics) lead to?
altered balance and neuromuscular inefficiency
alterations in the kinetic chain before, during, or after exercise can further affect what?
movement quality, which can bring about flawed movement patterns
what do flawed movement patterns alter? what does this result in?
- the firing order of the muscles activated
- this disturbs specific functional movement patterns and decreases neuromuscular efficiency
prime movers may be ___ to activate
slow
synergists and stabilizers substitute and become ____ (synergistic dominance)
overactive
what do the combined effects of flawed movement patterns lead to?
abnormal joint stress, which affects the structural integrity of the kinetic chain and may lead to pain and joint dysfunction, and further decrease neuromuscular efficiency
what does joint dysfunction create?
muscle inhibition
what does joint dysfunction lead to?
- joint injury
- swelling
- interruption of sensory input from articular, ligamentous, and muscular mechanoreceptors to the CNS, which results in a clinically evident disturbance in proprioception
sensory feedback to the CNS is altered after what?
- ankles sprains
- ligamentous injuries to the knee
- low-back pain
what percentage of the adult US population will experience an episode of low-back pain at some point in their lives?
80%
an estimated of how many ACL injuries occur annually in the US?
80,000-100,000
an estimated of how many doctor visits occur annually for foot and ankle problems in the US?
11 million
what should balance training stress?
an individual’s limit of stability (or balance threshold)
what is an individual’s limit of stability?
the distance outside of the base of support that he or she can move into without losing control of his or her center of gravity
what type of environment should an individual’s limit of stability be stressed in?
a multiplanar, proprioceptively enriched (unstable yet controlled) environment, using functional movement patterns to improve dynamic balance and neuromuscular efficiency
what helps to facilitate maximal sensory input to the CNS (resulting in the selection of the proper movement pattern)?
training functional movements in a proprioceptively enriched environment with appropriate progressions, correct technique, and at varying speeds
what kind of training programs are personal trainers encouraged to implement in order to develop consistent, long-term changes in their clients?
- progressive
- systematic
true or false: traditional training programs challenge the proprioceptive mechanisms of the human movement system
FALSE
-traditional training program designs often result in an incomplete training program, which does not challenge the proprioceptive mechanisms of the human movement system
how does balance training fill the gap left by traditional training?
by focusing on functional movement patterns in a multisensory, unstable environment
what is the design and implementation of balance exercises into a training program critical for?
developing, improving, and restoring the synergy and synchronicity of muscle firing patterns required for dynamic balance and optimal neuromuscular efficiency
how is balance training used to help prevent lower extremity injuries?
by improving balance ability in many types of individuals including those who are healthy and physically active
true or false: balance exercises have shown promise in reducing the rate of ACL injuries
TRUE
true or false: integrated injury prevention programs that include balance exercises in addition to plyometric or strength exercises greatly influenced the ability to improve lower extremity biomechanics
TRUE
balance training programs that are performed for how long appear to improve both static and dynamic balance ability?
at least 10 minutes a day, 3 times per week for 4 weeks
what must balance training exercises be?
systematic and progressive
balance and neuromuscular efficiency are improved through what?
repetitive exposure to a variety of multisensory conditions
balance training parameters - exercise selection
- safe
- progressive
- proprioceptively challenging
balance training parameters - variables
- plane of motion
- body position
what is the main goal of balance training?
to continually increase the client’s awareness of his or her limit of stability (or kinesthetic awareness) by creating controlled instability
example of systematic progression in balance training
floor > balance beam > ham foam roll > foam pad > balance disc
what can happen if you do not follow the proper progression for a balance exercise?
movement compensations and improper execution of the exercise, which can decrease the effectiveness of the exercise and increase the risk for injury
all three balance levels can be progressed or regressed by changing what?
- surface
- visual condition
- body position or movement that the exercise requires
how do surfaces change in difficulty?
as an individual moves from stable surfaces (floor) to unstable surfaces (e.g., half foam roll, foam pad, balance disc)
true or false: keeping the eyes open during an exercise is easier than having the eyes closed or moving the head around to look at various objects or performing a cognitive task simultaneously
TRUE
moving what parts of the body can make a balance exercise more challenging?
the contralateral limb, trunk, or arms
true or false: caution should be used to change one variable at a time
TRUE
balance-stabilization exercises
- involve little joint motion
- the body is placed in unstable environments so it learns to react by contracting the right muscles at the right time to maintain balance
what are balance-stabilization exercises designed to do?
improve reflexive (automatic) joint stabilization contractions to increase joint stability
examples of balance-stabilization exercises
- single-leg balance
- single-leg balance reach
- single-leg hip internal and external rotation
- single-leg lift and chop
- single-leg throw and catch
single-leg balance technique
make sure the gluteal musculature of the balance leg remains contracted while performing this and all exercises to help stabilize the lower extremity
single-leg balance reach progression
reach the floating leg to the side of the body and then reaching behind the body
single-leg hip rotation technique
make sure to rotate through the hip of the balance leg versus the spine - this will enhance control of the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex
balance exercise technique tips
- when performing balance exercises, make sure the knee of the balance leg always stays in line with the toes
- keep the hips level when performing balance exercises - this will decrease stress to the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex
single-leg throw and catch progression
there are several methods increase the demand of this exercise:
- trainer can toss the medicine ball at various heights across the body
- increase the distance between both individuals
- increase velocity of each throw
balance-strength exercises
- involve dynamic eccentric and concentric movement of the balance leg, through a full range of motion
- movements require dynamic control in mid-range of motion, with isometric stabilization at the end-range of motion
what is progressed in the balance-strength exercises?
the specificity, speed, and neural demand of each exercise
what are balance-strength exercises designed to do?
to improve the neuromuscular efficiency of the entire human movement system
examples of balance-strength exercises
- single-leg squat
- single-leg squat touchdown
- single-leg Romanian deadlift
- multiplanar step-up to balance
- multiplanar lunge to balance
single-leg squat technique
make sure the knee always stays in line with the toe and it does not move inside or outside the second and third toe - this will decrease stress to the knee
single-leg squat touchdown and single leg Romanian deadlift progression
- reach to the knee
- reach to the shin
- reach to the foot
multiplanar step-up to balance technique
make sure at the end position that the balance leg’s hip is in full extension for maximal recruitment of the gluteal musculature
multiplanar step-up to balance progression
use the same process but step up from the side (frontal plane) or turn 90 degrees (transverse plane)
multiplanar lunge to balance technique
when performing a lunge, make sure the stride length is not too large, particularly if one has tight hip flexors - this can force the spine into excessive extension, increasing stress to the low back
what are balance-power exercises designed to develop?
- proper deceleration ability to move the body from a dynamic state to a controlled stationary position
- high levels of eccentric strength, dynamic neuromuscular efficiency, and reactive joint stabilization
examples of balance-power exercises
- multiplanar hop with stabilization
- multiplanar single-leg box hop-up with stabilization
- multiplanar single-leg box hop-down with stabilization
balance-power exercise technique
- make sure the landing is soft (quiet) to ensure efficient acceptance of the forces through the tissues
- keep the knee in line with the second and third toes
balance-power exercise progressions
use the same format to hop in the frontal and transverse planes
balance-stabilization exercises - acute variables
- number of exercises: 1-4
- sets: 1-3
- reps: 12-20, 6-10 (SL)
- tempo: slow
- rest: 0-90s
balance-strength exercises - acute variables
- number of exercises: 0-4
- sets: 2-3
- reps: 8-12
- tempo: medium
- rest: 0-60s
balance-power exercises - acute variables
- number of exercises: 0-2
- sets: 2-3
- reps: 8-12
- tempo: controlled (hold landing position for 3-5s)
- rest: 0-60s
