Standing · Balance · 45 seconds

Weight shifts

Also called side to side weight shift, weight shifting or standing sway.

How to do a weight shifts

1. Stand tall with a sturdy chair within reach and your feet hip width apart.
2. Slowly shift your weight onto one foot, keeping both feet on the floor.
3. Shift slowly back through the middle and onto the other foot.
4. Stay tall, and move slowly enough to stop at any point.

In Vaskuna the voice says: “Stand with your feet apart and a chair beside you. Shift your weight slowly onto one foot, then the other. Stay tall.”

Go gently

Rest a hand on the chair if you need to. Move slowly enough to stop at any point.

Breathe slowly and evenly as you sway.

Make it easier

Hold the chair back with both hands and make the shifts very small.

Make it a little harder

Pause for a slow count of three with your weight over each foot.

Have within reach

• A sturdy chair

In a session

In Vaskuna this usually lasts 45 seconds. It is part of two routines: Standing steady, Balance builder.

Questions

Do my feet leave the floor during weight shifts?

No. Both feet stay on the floor and your body moves over them. You feel more pressure under one foot, then the other.

Should I bend at the waist to shift my weight?

No. Stay tall and let your body move as one, with your shoulders over your hips. The movement comes from your ankles and hips.

More balance movements

• Side steps
• Heel to toe stand
• Single leg stand
• Clock reach

Vaskuna is not a medical device. It does not diagnose, treat, monitor or prevent any condition, and nothing in it is medical advice. Talk to your doctor before starting new exercise, and stop and seek medical help if you notice chest pain or tightness, severe breathlessness, dizziness, or a racing heartbeat.