Balance Exercise Champion Nik Wallenda

By Suzanne Stoke, Physical Therapist @ Exercise For Balance via www.exerciseforbalance.com/

Balance exercises are important for every one over the age of 60 years old to perform, but they are most critical for Nik Wallenda, daredevil of the highwire. Nik Wallenda. According to Scott Stump of Today, “Daredevil Nik Wallenda succeeded in becoming the first person to walk across the Grand Canyon on a wire, during the Discovery Channel’s “Skywire Live” special on Sunday. After a tense 22 minutes and 54 seconds of walking the 1,400-foot wire, Wallenda kissed the ground at the finish line and hugged his wife. He was then presented with gifts from the president and vice president of the Navajo nation. The biggest challenge Wallenda faced was strong gusts of wind, which clocked in at 48 miles per hour before he started his walk. “It was stressful,” Wallenda told Morales and Geist of the feat. “It was a combination of the wire moving the way it was. I think the tension really played a key role in that and those winds – as I said from the beginning -- so unpredictable…” Wallenda said his faith helped him stay focused on making it to the other side. Just before his stunt, Wallenda had preacher Joel Osteen with him to offer spiritual support and lead prayer with the family. Winds are way worse than I expected,” Wallenda said while walking. When told to relax by his father, Wallenda responded, “Kind of hard to relax when you’re 1,500 feet above the ground.” Later, he added, “Joe Cool ain’t so cool right now.” At about 13 minutes in, Wallenda had to stop and sit on the wire to steady himself and get the bounce out of the wire. “It was just getting really, really uncomfortable,” Wallenda recalled after he finished. “I didn’t know if I wanted to get up at all. I just wanted to sit there and call out for mommy.” It was 1,500 feet straight down on either side and 1,400 feet across on a 2-inch-thick, 8 and a half ton steel cable to record-setting glory for Wallenda, 34, a seventh-generation member of the famous “Flying Wallendas” family. For Wallenda, completing this goal was a way to pay homage to his family's legacy. "I’m carrying on a legacy, this is in my blood…” Wallenda said afterwards. “It’s such a huge honor to be able to carry on the legacy in a huge fashion like this.” Wallenda spoke to Geist and Morales about his state of mind just before the stunt. “I’m feeling very excited,” he said. “This is a dream come true. Ever since I was a teenager and the first time I visited the Grand Canyon I wanted to cross it."

Harness-free

Unlike Wallenda’s high-wire walk across Niagara Falls in 2012, he was not wearing a tether or safety harness of any kind and there was no net at the bottom of the canyon to catch him. Wallenda was wearing an earpiece and a microphone to be able to talk during his attempt, which was being broadcast live but with a 10-second delay. A fall would have almost certainly been fatal.

“The biggest purpose is, or reason is, because I’ve never worn one before other than that Niagara Falls walk, which I had no training for, so it’s something that’s very uncomfortable for me,’’ Wallenda said of not wearing a harness. “It’s like telling you to get in the car and drive on the other side of the road today, it’s something that you’re not accustomed to.” Please see Http://www.exerciseforbalance.com/buy-now

Balance Exercise Expert Nik Wallenda

Balance exercise champion Nik Wallenda certainly showed us how to stay steady during extremely challenging conditions. The one of the balance techniques that Nik Wallenda employs is to concentrate on the sensory feedback from his feet and the surface below his feet. In this situation, Nik Wallenda was able to focus on the tightrope beneath his feet. For us flatlanders, we are able to improve our balance by using the sensory input from our feet to the surface below us, whether that is carpet, hardwood floors, grass or a hiking trail. You can learn these balance techniques and specific balance exercises developed by an experienced Physical Thearpist in the Exercise For Balance DVD.

Balance Exercises In The Exercise For Balance DVD

    Let Nik be your hero and begin the best balance exercises with the Exercise For Balance DVD. The Balance DVD is easy to use at home or in a group setting. The DVD is stacked with the best balance and strength exercises needed to enhance senior fitness and to perform basic activities like walking, standing, stair climbing or to advance to high level activities like dancing and hiking. In the Exercise For Balance DVD, you will learn how to improve balance, balance techniques and balance routines from a balance trainer --licensed Physical Therapist-- who has worked with balance and dizziness disorders for over 20 years. Get your copy of the Exercise For Balance DVD by clicking on the BUY NOW button

Let Nik Wallenda be your role model and start balance exercises today with the Exercise For Balance DVD to improve balance and prevent falls.