Maintaining balance is key to our ability to do the most ordinary things like walking, climbing the stairs or avoiding tripping and falling. Most of us easily take our balance for granted until we experience a fall or begin to get wobbly on our feet as we age. For those who have experienced a stroke, maintaining balance while walking is a real issue that needs to be faced. Even a simple ankle sprain impairs our ability to remain stable. Losing our balance while engaging in sports or simple fitness routines can lead to crippling disability that can drastically affect our quality of life.

There are simple exercises, however, that help us remain stable on our feet. Doing these exercises everyday for as often as you like can greatly improve your balance. For the first few times that you do these exercises, you need a chair or a sturdy wall to hold on to for support.

1. Single Leg Stance. Stand behind a chair and hold the chair back with both hands. Slowly lift one leg off the ground and hold the position for up to 10 seconds. Return to starting position and repeat for 10-15 times. Do the same with the other leg for the same number of times. As you begin to gain more stability, you can progress to further improving your balance by holding onto the chair using only one hand and doing the same leg raises. Then, as your balance further improves, try doing this exercise without holding the chair but staying near it just in case you need to hold on to it.

2. Heel-to-Toe Walk. Begin this exercise by putting the heel of one foot in front of the toes of your other foot. Keep your eye on one spot ahead of you to focus on as you walk. Take 20 steps, making sure that you put your heel of one foot in front of the toes of the other foot the whole time.

3. Balance Walk. With your arms raised to the height of your shoulders, look forward and begin walking in a straight line. As you walk, lift the leg behind you for about a second. Continue to step forward. Repeat with the other leg, alternating motions for about 20 steps.

These are just three easy exercises you can do to improve your balance. You can do variations of these as well. By strengthening your lower extremities and improving your vestibular system (the organ that helps us balance), you can help prevent falls and avoid injuries associated with such. The elderly can most benefit from balance exercises as research has shown that more than a million of our elderly population get brought to the emergency rooms due to falls and fall-related injuries. However, everyone stands to benefit from doing balance exercises. From athletes who need to remain stable on their feet as they try to score a goal while keeping opponents at bay to mothers who have to carry infants as they cook and chase their little toddler all over the house, everybody needs balance. It's a must for anyone who wishes to experience the full spectrum of life.