As the summer really starts to get under way and we start spending more and more time on our boats, it’s the time of year when our balance gets regularly tested. Whether it’s standing on the bow to check if the anchor is holding or stepping from the boat to the pontoon on a breezy afternoon, having good balance allows us to have more fun as well as remain safe.
As a physiotherapist, assessing and improving balance, also known as proprioception is an important part of completing a patient’s rehabilitation to allow them to get back to living life to the fullest. Whether it’s following knee surgery such as a total knee replacement, or an episode of back pain, regaining and improving your proprioception is crucial to getting back to the things you love.
The good thing is that improving your balance is an easy thing to do. By practicing proprioception exercises you’ll very quickly see improvements and the exercises will get easier, as your brain and the wider neural system improves its interactions with the muscles and tendons.
There are some fun ways to do this and learning to use a stand-up paddle board is one of the best! Poole Harbour and Studland Bay are the perfect places to give this a try (as well as being a fun way to get into the beach!) and you’ll be surprised how quickly you can pick it up and enjoy the freedom and peacefulness of it once you get going! Did you know that Parkstone Bay also offer water toy storage now?
