Standing balance with a twist

Adding a little balance work to your warm-up can raise your internal temperature and improve your balance. Try this exercise before your next workout.
To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Stand tall with your feet together and your arms at your side.
2. Shift your weight to your right leg only.
3. Bend your left knee slightly and lift your foot off the floor so all your weight is on your right leg (see Figure a).
4. Inhale and as you exhale, raise your elbows and cross your arms in front of your chest.
5. Twist to your left, hold for a few seconds, and return back to front position (see Figure b). Don’t attempt the twist until you’re stable on one foot. If you’re wobbly, use a chair or barre to help with your stability. Don’t be afraid of a little wobble; it’s how you test your limits and improve your balance.
6. Repeat this exercise three more times and then repeat four repetitions on the other side. To make this exercise more challenging, try standing on a bosu — a balance board — while performing this exercise. You can find a bosu at pretty much any sporting goods store.

A few do’s and don’ts for this stretch:

• Do exhale every time you twist.
• Do keep your hips level with each other. If one hip is higher than the other, holding your balance becomes difficult.
• Do hold your abdominals tight and your shoulder blades down.
• Don’t lift your foot too high — only a couple of inches off the floor.