Balance exercises

Simple balance exercises that can be done at home to help improve your health and mobility.

Sideways walking

Simple grapevine

Heel-to-toe walk

One-leg stand

Step-up



Don't worry if you've not done much exercise for a while, these balance exercises are gentle and easy to follow.

If you're not very active or not sure how to start, you may want to get the all-clear from a doctor before starting.

Wear loose, comfortable clothing and keep some water handy. Build up slowly and aim to gradually increase the repetitions of each exercise over time.

Consider doing the exercises near a wall or a stable chair just in case you lose your balance.

Try to do these exercises at least twice a week and combine them with the other routines in this series to help improve strength, balance and co-ordination.

## Sideways walking

**A.**  Stand with your feet together, knees slightly bent.

**B.**  Step sideways in a slow and controlled manner, moving one foot to the side first.

**C.**  Move the other to join it.

Avoid dropping your hips as you step. Perform 10 steps each way or step from one side of the room to the other.


::: body-ad-desktop
zones:: 232632,232420,232640
types:: 163
disclaimer:: AD
typeFilter:: native_ad
adCount:: 1

:::


::: body-ad-mobile
zones:: 232632,232420,232642
types:: 5,163
disclaimer:: ADVERTISEMENT
typeFilter:: display/native_ad
adCount:: 1

:::

## Simple grapevine

**This involves walking sideways by crossing one foot over the other.**

**A.**  Start by crossing your right foot over your left.

**B.**  Bring your left foot to join it.

Attempt five cross steps on each side. If necessary, put your fingers against a wall for stability. The smaller the step, the more you work on your balance.


::: body-ad-mobile
zones:: 232632,232420,233460
types:: 5
disclaimer:: ADVERTISEMENT
typeFilter:: display
adCount:: 1

:::

## Heel-to-toe walk

**A.**  Standing upright, place your right heel on the floor directly in front of your left toe.

**B.**  Then do the same with your left heel. Make sure you keep looking forward at all times. If necessary, put your fingers against a wall for stability.

Try to perform at least five steps. As you progress, move away from the wall.


::: body-ad-mobile
zones:: 232632,232420,245869
types:: 5
disclaimer:: ADVERTISEMENT
typeFilter:: display
adCount:: 1

:::

## One-leg stand

**A.**  Start by standing facing the wall, with arms outstretched and your fingertips touching the wall.

**B.**  Lift your left leg, keep your hips level and keep a slight bend in the opposite leg. Gently place your foot back on the floor.

Hold the lift for 5 to 10 seconds and perform three on each side.


::: body-ad-mobile
zones:: 232632,232420,245870
types:: 5
disclaimer:: ADVERTISEMENT
typeFilter:: display
adCount:: 1

:::

## Step-up

**Use a step, preferably with a railing or near a wall, to use as support.**

**A.**  Step up with your right leg.

**B.**  Bring your left leg up to join it.

**C.**  Step down again and return to the start position.

The key for building balance is to step up and down slowly and in a controlled manner. Perform up to five steps with each leg.


error

 There was an error when submitting your feedback – have a screen break then try again in a few minutes.

Oh no, something’s gone wrong

ANY COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS?

initial

This isn’t helpful

This isn’t relevant

Something is wrong

This isn’t accurate

Please select one.

loading

success

We're listening – we use your feedback to improve your experience, and make our content more helpful.

Thank you for your feedback

References

Healthily's medical team

Article information

All of Healthily's articles undergo medical safety checks to verify that the information is medically safe. View more details in our <a href="/safety" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">safety page</a>, or read our <a href="/legal/editorial-policy-principles" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">editorial policy</a>.

These simple balance exercises can be done at home to help improve your health and mobility.

Balance exercises - Healthily

Get help with this

Physical activity