How is your balance?
- Dayna Player Robinson
- 3 minutes ago
- 2 min read
And have you ever thought about running as a single-leg sport?
Because it is.
Every step you take while running is essentially a controlled single-leg balance exercise.
One foot on the ground.
⬇️
Your entire body weight loading through that leg.
⬇️
The other leg swinging through the air, while your core, hips, ankles, and feet work overtime to keep you upright and moving forward.
Repeat that… thousands of times.
So when we talk about improving running efficiency, preventing injuries, and staying strong as we age—balance matters. A lot
Balance isn’t just a “senior thing”
Here’s the part most people don’t realize:
👉 Balance decline often begins between ages 40–50.
If you’re not there yet… you will be soon. Trust me 🙂 And if you are there? This is exactly the time to be proactive.
Balance doesn’t disappear overnight. It fades quietly—often showing up as:
Feeling unsteady on stairs
Ankles that “always hurt”
Hesitation on trails, curbs, or uneven ground
More frequent trips, slips, or near-falls
A general feeling of being less confident on one leg
Sound familiar?
A quick Disney story (because running coaches never stop coaching)
While I was at a Disney race cheering on my athletes, I started chatting with a woman who had raced the day before. Somewhere in the conversation, she said:
“My ankles always hurt. Bad tendons… you know, when you get old.”“Stairs make me feel really unbalanced.”
She knew I was a run coach and exercise physiologist, so I asked her a few questions and then said something simple:
“You’d probably benefit a lot from balance drills and foot-strength work.”
Her response? That look of “Wait… really?”
Yes. Really.
Simple balance work that actually makes a difference
You don’t need fancy equipment or long workouts. You need consistent, intentional practice.
Why balance matters so much for runners
Running doesn’t fail at the knees first. It often fails from the ground up.
Your feet and ankles are your foundation.
If they’re weak, stiff, or not communicating well with your brain, everything above them has to compensate—hips, knees, low back.
Balance training = strength training for the nervous system
Here’s the cool part: balance isn’t just about muscles. It’s about your nervous system.
When you train balance, you’re teaching your brain how to:
React faster
Stabilize better
Coordinate movement more efficiently
That’s why balance work can feel “hard” even when it doesn’t look intense. Your brain is working just as much as your body.
The big takeaway
If your ankles hurt…If stairs feel sketchy…If you don’t feel confident on one leg…
That’s not “just getting old.”
That’s your body asking for better balance, stronger feet, and smarter training.
Running is a single-leg sport. Life is, too.
And the good news? Balance is trainable—at any age.
Happy Balanced Running
Dayna - your fav. Exercise Physiologist & Run Coach
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