As a badminton player, you must know that solid balancing skills are crucial for every movement on the court or the ground.
Balance is a crucial survival skill; it is also perishable.
Many players face balancing problems because of their ageing, change, weaker muscles, and loss of bone density, which can also lead a player to face a severe injury on the court.
And to avoid such dangerous falls, you can improve balance by regularly stretching, warming up, and practising exercises that increase flexibility and coordination, including yoga, tai chi, strength training, and light cardio.
Luckily these practical exercises and drills even work.
Do you want to know how?
If yes, then check out the article below:
Why is balance important in badminton?
Based on my years of playing experience, balance training helps improve game performance and prevent injuries.
Balance training is effective in both everyday life and on the court.
Rather than this, your strong balance skills can help you to jump, run, twist, turn, and swing more effectively while playing on the court.
And when your balance is on point, steering and turning your body can feel smooth and effortless.
Also, check out: Top 10 Health Benefits of Playing Badminton.
Best effective balance exercises for badminton
If you have a poor balance or want to improve it, you should train thrice weekly.
You can even adjust that number accordingly.
So to work on your balancing skills, you need to start with easy exercises and drills and then go for the difficult ones later.
To make things more challenging, you can extend your exercise timing and try certain ones.
But before that, go through the exercises and drills mentioned below, which will surely help you in improving your balancing skills:
1. Single leg deadlifts
This balancing exercise is more complex in comparison to the other exercises.
But trust me, it is one of the effective ways to strengthen your balancing skills.
And while performing this specific exercise, you need to grab a dumbbell, kettlebell, or a gallon of water.
Stand on your left leg and hold the weight with the help of your right hand.
Then pick up your right leg and slightly try to lean forward.
Remember: While performing this exercise, you need to keep your back straight and try not to round it.
And if you want to know more about this exercise, then check out the video given below:
2. Single leg lateral line jumps
Performing single-leg lateral line jumps is another best way to improve your balancing skills.
But before starting, you need to mark a line on the floor with the help of masking tape or place a yardstick on the ground.
Then, you must stand on one leg with your side to the line.
Start jumping across the line ten times back and forth.
Try performing this exercise with both of your legs.
And when you feel like you’re ready to boost your intensity, you can increase the distance or number of reps.
If you want to know more about this exercise, then check out the video given below:
3. Side planks
Planks are usually performed to strengthen the abs muscles, but they can also help improve your balancing skills.
And while performing the side plank, you must start from your side and lean on your forearm with your shoulder right above it.
Keep your feet together and indulge your weight on the side of one foot.
Also, keep your body and hips raised in line with the rest of your body.
Then you need to place your other hand on your hip and hold on to this position for approx 30 seconds on each side.
And if you want to make things more challenging, you can try lifting your arm and leg and try to point them straight out.
If you want to know more about this exercise, then check out the video given below:
4. Front planks
Rather than the side plank, the front plank also allows you to enhance your balancing skills, stability, and core strength.
To perform a front plank, first, you need to get down on your forearms and toes, with your shoulders directly above your elbows.
Try to hold your body tight and straight while keeping your spine in a neutral position.
And for maximum core engagement, you must suck your belly button in and towards your back.
Also, keep your eyes stable on the floor and do not let your hips drop.
Hold on to this position for approximately 30 seconds or as long as possible.
And if you’re ready to challenge yourself, you can try lifting one arm and the leg on the opposite side.
If you want to know more about this exercise, then check out the video given below:
5. Single leg stance
If you are new to balance training, single-leg deadlifts are one of the best exercises to begin.
The best thing about this exercise is that you can perform it on any flat or unstable surface, just like an inflated rubber disc.
While performing this exercise, you must stand on one leg and hold the other leg in front of you at a 90-degree angle.
And hold on to that position for approx 30 seconds on each leg.
If you want to know more about this exercise, then check out the video given below:
6. Single leg squat
Single leg squat is also an effective way to increase your balancing skills.
Start with stepping your right leg up to your hip level.
Then slowly bend your left leg to perform a single squat, then try and touch your left toes to the ground.
Straighten the right leg to stand back up and step back down to repeat on the other side.
Repeat for five reps on each side.
To progress, work up to performing five single-leg squats on the same side.
It provides extra muscle toning for your quadriceps and glute muscles to strengthen your legs and boost your balance.
And if you want to know more about this exercise, then check out the video given below:
Final Words
Now you know why good balancing skills are necessary for playing the sport.
So rather than practising footwork, racket drills, and other badminton skills, you also need to perform some balancing exercises to boost your performance on the court.
Not only does it improves your flexibility, balancing skills, stamina, and endurance, but it also helps to prevent crucial injuries.
And in case you face any problems or have any questions in your mind, feel free to ask us or pin them in the comment section below.