TL;DR
Get comfort and recovery gear delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Fit&Well published three balance and strength exercises that a personal trainer recommends to support walking: march and hold, tandem stance balance, and heel-toe tap. The article suggests practicing two or three times a week, using a sturdy chair or surface for support; it does not report research findings or measured outcomes.
Fit&Well has published a personal trainer’s three-move routine for people who want to work on strength and balance used in walking, with particular attention to older adults. The exercises—march and hold, tandem stance balance, and heel-toe tap—require no equipment beyond a sturdy chair or solid surface for support, according to the article.
The trainer says the routine is intended to address balance and stability, which the article identifies as skills that can decline with age. The exercises imitate everyday movements such as lifting a foot, stepping, and maintaining balance while moving. The article recommends starting with two or three sessions a week and building toward practice every other day.
In the march and hold, a person shifts weight to one foot, raises the opposite knee to about hip height, pauses, then switches sides. Fit&Well lists a duration of 30 to 60 seconds per side. The trainer suggests keeping the gaze forward and using support nearby; holding the raised knee longer or relying less on the support can make the move harder.
For tandem stance, one foot is placed directly in front of the other, with the front heel touching the back toes. The position is held for 30 to 60 seconds on each side. An arm swing can add movement, while widening the stance makes balancing easier. In the heel-toe tap, one foot stays planted as the other taps its heel in front and toes behind. The article says to keep the torso steady and offers a forward-backward step as an easier variation.
Balance Skills in Daily Walking
The routine focuses on control while standing on one leg and adjusting foot position—movements involved in walking and handling common obstacles. Those skills can matter when stepping off a curb, using stairs, or moving across uneven ground. The article presents the drills as ways to practice those movements, rather than as a treatment or a proven way to prevent falls.
Its practical feature is accessibility: the exercises can be done at home without workout equipment, and the suggested modifications let people change the difficulty. For readers who feel unsteady, having a solid support within reach may make it easier to try the movements carefully. The source does not provide evidence that the routine improves walking ability or balance for all participants.
How the Routine Is Set Up
The Fit&Well article begins from the trainer’s general recommendation of walking for personal training clients of different ages, then adds targeted drills for older adults. Its stated rationale is that walking difficulty may involve balance and stability as well as stamina. The article does not identify the trainer by name in the supplied material.
Each exercise pairs a basic walking-related movement with a balance challenge. Marching lifts a knee, tandem stance narrows the feet’s base of support, and heel-toe tap moves one leg while the other supports the body. Fit&Well describes muscles including the hip flexors, quadriceps, glutes, calves, and ankle as involved. These descriptions are the article’s explanation of the exercises, not results from a clinical study cited in the source.
““I recommend these three exercises””
— Fit&Well article headline
Evidence and Individual Suitability
The source material does not specify the article’s publication date, name the trainer, or cite studies testing these three exercises together. It also gives no measured results for changes in balance, walking, or fall risk, and does not say how quickly someone might notice a difference. The recommendation should be understood as exercise guidance from the article, not a guarantee of an outcome.
People’s balance, mobility, and health needs vary. The article does not provide individualized advice or describe who should avoid the drills. Anyone with a health condition, pain, or significant difficulty balancing should seek guidance from a qualified health professional before starting, and should use a stable support and a clear area when practicing.
Starting With Supported Practice
Fit&Well advises beginning with two or three practice sessions each week and gradually increasing toward every-other-day sessions. Readers can use the easier options described in the article: widen the tandem stance or replace the heel-toe tap with a forward-backward step. The trainer suggests reducing contact with the support only to make the march harder; people should keep support nearby when needed.
The article does not announce a follow-up study, program, or outcome report. For now, its next step for readers is to try the drills at a manageable level and adjust them to their ability, while seeking professional advice if balance concerns or health conditions make exercise uncertain.
Key Questions
What are the three exercises?
The routine includes march and hold, tandem stance balance, and heel-toe tap. Each combines a leg movement or standing position with a balance challenge.
How often does Fit&Well recommend doing them?
The article suggests starting with two or three times a week and building toward practice every other day. It does not report research establishing that schedule as best for everyone.
Do the exercises require equipment?
No exercise equipment is listed. Fit&Well recommends having a sturdy chair or solid surface for support nearby.
Are the exercises proven to prevent falls?
The supplied article does not report evidence that these specific drills prevent falls or guarantee improved balance. It presents them as exercises intended to work skills used in walking.
Source: rss
Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day Picks
long weekend sales
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
