Dumbbell Routine Targets Balance and Stability
Fit&Well highlights a trainer’s workout for building core strength and supporting independence.
Strength work can help preserve muscle mass and bone density with age, but Antonietta Vicario says long-term fitness should also include movements that test balance and stability. Vicario, PVOLVE’s chief training officer, connects these abilities with moving confidently, staying in control and maintaining independence.
Her approach asks the core to steady the body while the limbs or body position change. In a leg flutter, for example, the person lies on their back, raises the torso, extends the legs and moves the feet vertically. The core must limit rocking from one side to the other. This challenges the deep core and smaller stabilizing muscles to coordinate with the rest of the body and maintain alignment.
Balance-focused training also includes unilateral movements, meaning one side works at a time. Single-leg deadlifts and lunges are two examples. When these exercises are paired with stability moves such as leg flutters, they build core strength and practice control when balance is challenged. Vicario combined both styles in a home routine that takes 20 minutes. It requires two dumbbells: one lighter and another that is slightly heavier.
- The home routine takes 20 minutes.
- Two dumbbells are needed: one lighter and one slightly heavier.
- Leg flutters challenge the core to prevent side-to-side rocking.
- Single-leg deadlifts and lunges provide unilateral balance work.
Summarized from the reporting above. Read it for the full story.
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