Best Balance & Mobility Exercises to Do at Home

Obviously, I’m a big proponent of making movement a daily part of life. But though I talk a lot about strength training—one of my favorites—as well as interval training for cardiovascular health, there’s another category of workout that needs your attention: mobility and balance exercises.

Without continually strengthening and developing your balance and mobility, you’ll find your stability and movement compromised, especially as you age. After all, when it comes to your body, you must use it or lose it. Let’s delve into why these exercises are so important—along with examples you can do right at home (or almost anywhere), no equipment needed.

Why Are Balance & Mobility Exercises Important?

In our modern world, so many people lead sedentary lives—sitting all day at work or while on the computer. When I spend too much time sitting, I tend to get grumpy, because I have scoliosis and my body tenses up. However, I’ve found that stretching dramatically reduces my back pain and boosts both my focus and physical performance. That’s why I take regular breaks in my day to simply get up and move. As health experts have warned, sitting is the new smoking.

Additional benefits of stretching include: increased blood flow to your muscles, reduced risk of exercise-related injury, improved range of motion in your joints, enhanced athletic performance, and additional protection of brain health. In fact, I’d say that, in terms of your overall muscle health, nothing is as important as stretching. I recommend taking 5 minutes every day to do it. Try this for a week and notice the improvements in how your body moves and feels. It’s even better if you schedule several of these 5-minute breaks throughout your day. Think of them as the exercise equivalent of snacks.

While stretching improves flexibility and range of motion, mobility exercises also incorporate strength, ensuring the joint can move through that range of motion. As one public health report explained, optimal mobility, defined as “relative ease and freedom of movement in all of its forms,” is a key factor in healthy aging. Mobility helps us perform the necessary tasks of daily life, such as walking, getting up out of a chair or bed, working, cooking, driving, and more. The report added that impaired mobility is associated with negative health outcomes, so strategies to optimize mobility will improve health and well-being.

Meanwhile, maintaining balance helps prevent falls, which can be devastating for older adults, especially women with osteoporosis or low bone density. According to a mini-review published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, balance and coordination exercises are important because older adults naturally lose balance. These changes are due to “deterioration in the sensory systems (i.e., vestibular, visual, somatosensory), the cognitive system (central nervous system), and the musculoskeletal system.” But physical activity to improve balance control will help improve static and dynamic stability, quality of life, and even cognitive functions, such as memory and spatial cognition.

Top 7 Exercises for Better Mobility and Balance

Ready to boost your flexibility, mobility, and balance? Here are a few of my favorite moves:

 1. Chest Openers 

Stand up straight and clasp your hands behind your back at the base of your spine. Pull your arms back and raise them up behind you. (Don’t force your arms too far; when stretching, work with the range of motion that’s comfortable.) Open up your chest as you take deep breaths from your belly. Hold for 8 seconds.

 2. Neck Stretches

Standing or sitting up straight, place your left hand on top of your head, above your right ear, and gently guide your head to the left side. Lengthen the right arm, fingers reaching straight down toward the ground, to intensify the stretch. After holding for 8 seconds, move the angle of your head slightly forward, so that your head is diagonal over your chest, and hold for 8 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

 3. Shoulder Shrugs and Arm Circles 

Standing or sitting up straight, bring your shoulders up toward your ears, then back down, in a circular motion. Move your shoulders forward for several repetitions, then change direction and move them backward. Spread your arms straight out to your sides and circle your arms forward, then backward.

 4. Quad Stretches

For this move, you can hold on to a chair or wall if needed, but over time you can work toward stretching without a support to improve your balance. Stand up straight and bend your right leg at the knee, gripping your foot with your right hand. Tip your hips forward to point your knee straight toward the ground. Hold for 8 seconds and repeat on your left leg.

 5. Spine Twists

You can do this exercise sitting in a chair or lying on the ground. In a chair, sit upright and twist only your upper body to the right side, keeping your back straight. Position your right hand behind you and hold the chair seat with your left hand. Hold for 8 seconds to open up your back. Repeat on the other side. On the ground, lie down flat on your back, with your right arm out to the side, and bend your right knee across your body, pulling your knee to the left side while keeping your left side and your right arm flat on the ground. Hold for 8 seconds and repeat on the other side.

 6. Single-Leg Stands or Deadlifts

Using a wall or chair for support if needed, bend your right knee and raise it toward your chest. Hold for 8 seconds. Repeat on the other side. For an added challenge, make this move a single-leg deadlift: Instead of bringing your knee up, straighten your leg out behind you. Tilt your body toward the ground so that it’s flat and parallel to the floor, then return to the upright position. Repeat on the other side.

 7. Yoga or Tai Chi

For centuries, practices like yoga and tai chi have been helping people achieve better balance, strength, and mobility—not to mention better mental health. If you want to add gentle routines to your weekly regimen that improve these facets of your well-being, these are great options. You can find lessons (even as short as 5 minutes) led by an instructor, both online and in-person.

Tana Amen’s Tips for Mobility and Balance Exercises 

Here are some general tips to keep in mind when you’re practicing mobility and balance exercises:

• Do Them Daily

Remember the mantra I’ve already mentioned: Use it or lose it. You will need flexibility and balance to do virtually anything in life, so keep those skills sharp. Practice these types of exercises daily to maintain your body and brain in tip-top condition.

• Don’t Forget to Breathe

For better focus, a mental health boost, and improved endurance, practice deep breathing as you move through the exercises. When you deep-breathe from your belly, you force yourself to slow down and concentrate, and you achieve better oxygenation of the blood.

• Be Gentle

When you’re boosting mobility and balance, listen to your body and make sure you’re not pushing yourself past the range of motion you’re capable of. When doing balance exercises, you may need to hold on to a chair or wall for support at first. Especially when you’re just starting out, make safety a priority. Injuring yourself is the last thing you want when you’re trying to increase your daily movement. 

Building Your Balance and Mobility

 For maximizing your overall health and quality of life, mobility and balance exercises deserve your daily commitment. Plus, they don’t require a ton of time or fancy equipment. You can do them anywhere: at home, in the office, or while traveling. I promise they’ll be the gift that keeps on giving, enabling you to live your life to the fullest at any age.