Improve Your Balance with the "Balance Compass" Exercise

Falls are one of the biggest causes of serious injury as we get older. The good news is that balance isn't something you're simply born with, it's a skill that can be trained.

One of my favourite exercises for improving balance is called the Balance Compass. It's simple, takes just a couple of minutes, requires no equipment, and challenges your balance, coordination and leg strength all at the same time.
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I've been recommending this exercise to patients for years because it's easy to do at home and can be adapted for almost any fitness level.

​Why Does Balance Decline as We Age?

Many people assume that losing their balance is just a normal part of getting older.

While balance can decline with age, it often happens because we stop challenging the systems responsible for keeping us upright.

Around your ankles, knees and hips are lots of small stabilising muscles. Their job is to make tiny adjustments every second to keep you balanced without you even thinking about it.

At the same time, your brain is constantly receiving information from your joints about where your body is in space. This is known as proprioception.

If we don't regularly challenge these muscles and this communication system, they gradually become less responsive. You may not notice yourself losing balance until it's too late, and your body has less time to react and catch you.
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The encouraging news is that both muscle control and proprioception can be trained.

​Related: Chiropractic care and balance

​What Is the Balance Compass?

The Balance Compass is a single-leg balance exercise where you imagine standing in the centre of a compass.

From that position, you reach your free leg towards eight different points:

• North
• North-East
• East
• South-East
• South
• South-West
• West
• North-West

Each reach forces your standing leg to make small adjustments, activating the muscles around your foot, ankle, knee and hip while also challenging your balance system.
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Unlike simply standing on one leg, this exercise introduces movement, making it much more functional and engaging.

Related: Simple tips for better balance

​How to Perform the Balance Compass

Start by choosing which leg you'll stand on.

Place that foot firmly on the ground and find what I call your foot tripod.

This means maintaining even pressure through:

• The ball of your big toe
• The ball of your little toe
• Your heel

Once you've found that stable position:

• Shift your weight onto your standing leg.
• Keep your standing leg straight.
• Slowly reach your free leg towards each of the eight compass points.
• Return to the centre after each reach.
• Complete two or three rounds before changing legs.

​As you reach behind you and across your body, you'll probably notice the exercise becomes much more challenging. That's perfectly normal.

​Version Two: Add a Slight Knee Bend

Once you're comfortable with the first version, try performing the exercise with a slight bend in your standing knee.

Think of it as moving into an athletic position.

This small change increases the demand on your:

• Foot muscles
• Ankle stabilisers
• Quadriceps
• Glutes
• Hip muscles

​You'll quickly notice your leg working much harder to keep you stable.

Perform 2-3 rounds on each leg.

​How to Make It Easier

If you're just getting started or your balance isn't where you'd like it to be yet, don't worry, there are a couple of easy ways to reduce the difficulty.

• Don't Reach as Far. Instead of reaching as far as possible, simply make smaller movements. As your confidence improves, gradually increase the distance.
  
• Use a "Butterfly Touch". If needed, lightly touch your reaching foot to the floor at the end of each movement. The important word here is lightly. I call it a butterfly touch because your foot should barely make contact with the floor. Avoid leaning your weight onto that foot, as this takes away much of the balance challenge.

How to make it harder

Once the exercise becomes easier, there are several ways to continue progressing.

• Reach further. Increasing your reach distance creates a much greater challenge for your hips and balance system. It also encourages better movement control as your body learns how to stabilise itself while reaching in different directions.
• Hold each position for longer. Instead of immediately returning to the centre, pause for around five seconds at each compass point. This increases the amount of work your stabilising muscles need to do.
• Close Your Eyes. This is my favourite progression. I will explain why it works below.

Our balance relies on three main systems:

• Vision
• The inner ear ( our vestibular system)
• Proprioception

When you close your eyes, you remove one of those systems entirely.

Suddenly your brain has to rely much more heavily on the information coming from your muscles and joints.
It makes the exercise significantly harder, so be careful when you do this one.
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I'll admit, my left leg isn't quite as steady as my right with my eyes closed, which just shows we all have areas we can continue improving.

Related: Can your ankles pass these two tests?

​Why I Like This Exercise So Much

There are plenty of balance exercises available.

The reason I keep coming back to the Balance Compass is because it's:

• Quick
• Simple
• Doesn't require equipment
• Easy to modify
• Challenges multiple joints at once
• Improves strength and coordination together

Perhaps most importantly, it's a little more interesting than simply standing on one leg. When exercises are engaging and slightly challenging, we're much more likely to stick with them.

Try this challenge

Here's a fun challenge for you.

Can you complete all eight compass points on each leg with your eyes closed?

Take your time and make sure you're somewhere safe where you can grab onto a bench or wall if needed.
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You might be surprised by which leg feels steadier.

Final Thoughts

Improving your balance doesn't require complicated equipment or long workouts.

Just a few minutes of focused practice a few times each week can help strengthen the muscles that keep you upright while also improving the communication between your body and your brain.

The Balance Compass is one of my favourite exercises because it combines balance, strength, coordination and movement into one simple routine.

If you've never tried it before, give it a go this week. Start with the easier version, build your confidence, and gradually challenge yourself as your balance improves.
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Your future self will thank you.

Balance Compass FAQs

How often should I do the Balance Compass exercise?

For most people, performing the exercise three to five times per week is a great starting point. Because it only takes a few minutes, it's easy to include as part of your warm-up or daily movement routine.

Is this exercise good for older adults?

Absolutely. The Balance Compass is an excellent exercise for older adults because it helps improve balance, leg strength and coordination. If your balance is limited, simply make the movements smaller and keep a chair or bench nearby for support. If you feel unsteady, then simply stop.

Can younger people benefit from balance training?

Definitely. Good balance isn't just important as we age. It also improves coordination, body awareness and joint stability for people of all ages and can be useful for sport and everyday movement.  Also, the earlier you start your balance training, the better. 

What if I can't stand on one leg?

Start by lightly holding onto a kitchen bench, chair or wall. As your confidence improves, gradually reduce the amount of support you're using until you can perform the exercise independently. Make sure to use the butterfly touch as your balance improves. 

Which version should I start with?

I always suggest to do both the straight leg and bent leg version as they are working different things. You can make them easier or harder using the tips above.