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A Fun Game that Improves Balance, Core Strength, and Joint Position Sense

Here's a simple game that you can do anywhere with a soft belt or rope or anything similar that you and a partner can wrap around your waists and be connected with each other.

Have each person wrap one end of the belt around the waist so that the belt takes on an "S" shape. Each person should hold on to his or her end of the belt with the hand on the side where the belt ends, right along the side of the waist.

Stand far enough away from each other to take away slack from the belt.

When both of you deem yourselves ready for battle, do all you can to make your partner lose balance to a point where he or she moves one or both of his feet. You can use your body strength and your point of contact with the belt to accomplish this objective.

Try pulling on the belt, suddenly letting it go limp, and anything else that causes your partner to lose balance to a point where they move their feet. Even shifting of the feet counts as a loss. Try playing several rounds, as they tend to go quick, perhaps the first person to win 6 rounds wins the set.

Best results come from maintaining an athletic base - feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart, knees bent, and an activated core.

If one person has a significant weight or strength advantage, try having that person play on one leg. Or for added fun, start with both people on one leg.

Joint-position sense - also called proprioception - is a neurological ability that improves and diminishes in accordance with how active you are. By putting your body in situations where your brain needs to continuously register the position of your joints in order to fine tune motor output to prevent you from falling, you strengthen proprioception within your joints and nervous system. For obvious reasons, this is a good thing!

Hope you have fun with this game. :)




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