January's Challenge: Master Your Balance by Standing on One Foot While Brushing Your Teeth
As we kick off our 2025 Monthly Wellness Challenge, we’re starting with a simple yet impactful practice: standing on one foot while brushing your teeth. This daily habit may sound easy, but it’s an effective way to improve balance, joint stability, and overall well-being. Let’s explore why this challenge is so essential and how you can make the most of it.
The Challenge
For January, we encourage you to stand on one foot while brushing your teeth in the morning and switch to the other foot in the evening. Aim for two minutes on each foot, gradually increasing your balance time if needed. If you find it too easy, try closing your eyes to further engage your stabilising muscles.
Morning Routine: Balance on one foot while brushing for two minutes.
Evening Routine: Switch to the other foot for the evening brushing session.
Progress Tracker: Time yourself and work up to holding the position for the full two minutes.
Why is it important to be Able to Balance on One Leg?
1. Enhances Joint Stability
Standing on one foot strengthens the muscles and ligaments that support your ankles, knees, and hips, improving joint stability. This contributes to better balance and reduces the risk of falls and injuries. It is widely acknowledged that balance training enhances proprioception, which is your body’s ability to sense movement and position.
2. An Overall Marker of Health
Balance is increasingly recognised as a key marker of overall health and life expectancy. A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that individuals who could not balance on one foot for at least 10 seconds had nearly double the risk of dying within the next 10 years compared to those who could.
3. Balance Matters as we Age
Maintaining good balance is especially important as we age. People aged 20-30 have an average balance time of 30 seconds or more. Between 40-50 this decreases to around 15-20 seconds and by the time we’re 60+ it is often less than 10 seconds. Studies suggest that failing to balance for at least 10 seconds in this age group is linked to higher mortality rates. Read more about balance and age here.
What Affects Your Balance?
We know that balance is important but what impacts your ability to balance? A variety of factors, including:
Muscle Strength: Weaker leg and core muscles make it harder to maintain balance.
Inner Ear Health: Your vestibular system plays a crucial role in maintaining balance.
Vision: Your eyes provide critical information about your position and movement.
Proprioception: The ability of your body to sense its position and movement, which decreases with age if not regularly trained.
Tips for Mastering our Challenge
Everyone is different when it comes to balance and if standing on one foot for this length of time seems impossible don't let this prevent you from joining in with our challenge!
Start with Support: Stand near a counter or wall for light support if needed.
Progress Gradually: Begin with 30-second intervals and increase your time in increments.
Engage Your Core: Tighten your core muscles to help stabilise your body.
Breathe Steadily: Maintain a calm, even breath to stay relaxed and focused
Close Your Eyes for an Extra Challenge: Engaging more muscles and proprioception.
Start small and build up. Maybe it will take you the whole month to master it but consistency is key. If you know it will be particularly challenging for you why not rope in a friend or your partner to do it too and keep you accountable each day?
Other Ways to Improve Your Balance
Our challenge is designed to kick start you in thinking about it but there are lots of other ways to boost your balance:
Heel-to-Toe Walks: Place one foot directly in front of the other, heel to toe, and walk in a straight line.
Single-Leg Squats: Perform shallow squats on one leg to build lower body strength and stability.
Balance Board Exercises: Use a balance board to challenge your core and leg muscles.
Tai Chi or Yoga: These practices incorporate balance-enhancing movements and focus on body awareness.
Over to You!
Incorporating balance training, like standing on one foot while brushing your teeth, into your daily routine is a simple step towards better joint stability, improved muscle engagement, and long-term health.
We’d love to hear how you’re doing with this challenge. Share your progress, tips, and photos with us using #WellnessWithLaPochette. Tell us if you’ve noticed any improvements in your balance, mood, or energy levels. The most inspiring submissions will have the chance to win a £150 La Pochette voucher and be featured on our social media.
Let’s make this small, impactful change together!
