Add-on Habit Balancing while Dressing

2015-03-23

This is an easy add-on habit that serves as a diagnostic tool and an improvement exercise. When you are putting your shorts, pants, or underwear, try to move your legs in a very methodical way where you are in complete control of the position at all times. If you can, do this without holding on to any object to help steady yourself. Try to maintain perfect balance while dressing and undressing yourself.

If this is difficult for you, steady yourself on an object and over-time reduce the amount of force you are placing on the object. With continued effort, you will eventually improve your balance enough to avoid needing an object. You might notice that you still are moving your body in an uncontrolled manner to steady yourself. Focus on a very smooth, slow, and controlled motion while dressing.

Once you can do this in a very smooth and controlled way, you can speed up to challenge yourself. Another modification you can do to challenge yourself is to go up on the ball of your foot that is resting on the ground. Or, if you are really extreme, balance on the heel of your foot.

Another place to apply this balance exercise is putting on your shoes, so once you feel pretty comfortable with your balance, try putting on your shoes while standing up. The goal is to be able to put on your shoes in a slow controlled motion with only one foot on the ground at a time.

When I started add on this habit, I noticed that I could balance while putting on my clothes, but it was always with big swings of my arms and legs. Over time, I have increased my balance margin of error. Sometimes, when I dress quickly I lose focus and revert back to my old ways. It is okay when this happens: refocus yourself and continue to improve your balance!