Feet-closer stance
Stand with your feet closer together to challenge your balance.
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Captured movement, awaiting exercise review. Only the body is shown. Chairs, supports and equipment are not.
What you need
A kitchen counter or sturdy table
Getting into position
- Stand facing a counter, holding it with both hands.
- Bring your feet closer together until they are a few centimetres apart, or touching if comfortable.
How to do it
Stand tall and look ahead.
Hold the position while breathing normally.
Step your feet apart again to rest.
Keep in mind
- Eyes on a point in front.
- Soft knees.
Where you should feel it
Your ankles, feet and the sides of your hips making small adjustments.
Stop or change something if you feel
Dizziness, or feeling you can't recover without grabbing hard.
A gentler starting point
Keep your feet a little further apart.
When it feels easy
Lighten your grip, or move to the semi-tandem stance.
Your next small steps
Change one thing at a time. Stay on a step until it feels steady, then take the next.
Hold the counter with both hands, feet a few centimetres apart.
2–3 holds × 10–30 s
Move on when: You hold 30 seconds steadily, two sessions running.
Bring your feet a little closer each session, until they touch.
2–3 holds × 20–30 s
Move on when: You hold 30 seconds with your feet together without needing to move them.
Hold with one hand, then with the fingertips of both hands.
3 holds × 30 s
Move on when: You hold the full time without grabbing the counter.
- Next level up
- Semi-tandem stance with support coming soon
Levels in narrow-stance balance
Each level is a separate variation. Move up when the last step on this page feels steady, and back down on a harder day.
- Level 1 · Supported startFeet-closer stance (this page)
- Level 2 · FoundationSemi-tandem stance with support coming soon
- Level 3 · More challengeHeel-to-toe stance with support coming soon
- Level 4 · ExperiencedHeel-to-toe stance with nearby support coming soon
Explore related content.
- Everyday focus
- Steadiness
- Body area
- Whole body
- Muscles
- To be confirmed
- Movement format
- Standing, Uses a support
- Starting point
- Starting a routine
- Age context
- Older-adult focused
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