Balance Exercises

What are balance exercises?

Balance exercises are activities that help your child move safely, improve stability, and prevent falls. Good balance promotes confidence and coordination as your child grows.  

Balance exercises help children develop the skills to run, jump, catch, play sports, and do daily activities. They can help improve focus, build core strength, promote good posture, and prevent injuries.  

How balance works

Many parts of the body work together for balance. These include: 

• Eyes (visual system): This system gives your child’s brain information about what is around them. It tells their brain where their body is in space.  
• Muscles, joints, and skin (somatosensory system): This system helps your child notice things like touch, pressure, pain, movement, and position. Signals from muscles, joints, and skin help your child’s brain know about their body position and how they are moving. 
• Inner ear (vestibular system): This system tells your child’s body the position of their head. It also sends information about whether their body is moving forward, backward, up, or down. 

Causes of balance problems

There can be many causes of balance problems during illness or treatment. These include: 

• Medicine or treatment side effects 
• Pain 
• Muscle weakness 
• Fatigue 
• Less physical activity 
• Vision changes 
• Nerve problems 
• Inner ear problems 

Work with your care team to find the causes of your child’s balance problems.

Signs of balance problems

If your child is having issues with balance, you may notice: 

• Problems walking 
• Loss of balance  
• Wobbling or stumbling  
• Falling or fear of falling 
• Loss of coordination 
• Dizziness when changing positions, turning, standing, walking, or sitting 

If you see any of these signs, talk with your child’s care team.  

Physical therapy for balance problems

In some cases, your child may need physical therapy to help strengthen muscles, increase flexibility, and improve balance. 

Physical therapists can look at your child’s balance and create the best plan of care. This may include physical therapy sessions at a hospital or clinic. It might also include balance exercises they can do at home.  

Balance and stretching exercises at home 

Balance and stretching exercises are safe for most people as part of a regular physical activity program. If your child has an illness, injury, or physical limitation, talk to your health care provider or physical therapist before doing any new exercise.

Here are some examples of balance and stretching exercises your physical therapist may give you to try at home.

Safety tips for balance exercises

• Talk to your care team before trying balance exercises. 
• Be sure you know how to do exercises correctly. 
• Do the exercises in a safe area with no obstacles. 
• Have something nearby to hold onto as needed. 
• Stop if your child has pain or dizziness.   
• Contact your care team if your child has pain, dizziness, or if balance problems get worse. 

Questions to ask your care team

• Why does my child have balance problems? 
• What balance exercises should my child practice at home? 
• How often and for how long should my child practice? 
• What is the right way to do these balance exercises? 
• How can I tell if an exercise is too hard for my child? 
• Are there any exercises or activities my child should avoid? 
• When should I call the care team with concerns? 
• Does my child need physical therapy to help with balance? 

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