- Hello, I'm Cassy.

Welcome to my Quick Fit balance series, where we are systematically progressing and improving your balance.

This fourth class is at an intermediate level.

My series is purposely designed so you can succeed in regaining your lost balance.

If you are really struggling with your balance, please start with my beginner level series.

But if you're ready for the next level, let's get started.

[upbeat music] The key to regaining your lost balance is consistency, but equal to that is the need for you to remain at each stage for as long as you need to without prematurely jumping ahead.

Think of all you've already accomplished.

You've gone from needing to hold onto something to strengthening your legs individually to shifting all your weight onto one leg to small movement while standing on one leg for up to 20 seconds.

How many weeks has it been?

Probably less time than you thought.

Today, we really move ahead, and yes, we're going to use a chair, but just for the warm-up.

Let's just begin by loosely letting your leg swing forward and back, letting momentum take it.

Bend that knee, stand nice and tall.

We're loosening up and warming up the hips, which we need.

All right, forward, now let's go out to the side and cross.

Try not to kick your chair.

Let the knee bend a little bit so you can get that leg up a little higher and freely swing it out to the side.

Now diagonal, diagonal across and towards the back.

Careful of your posture.

I feel like I've already been slouching.

Cross and back, and switch legs.

You know, that's a workout for both legs, the one that's swinging and the one that's standing in place.

Forward and back.

Let the knee bend a little to the front so you can get the thigh up a little higher.

And across the front.

Pull your stomach in.

Head and neck is nice and tall.

And diagonal.

All right, quick stretch warm-up.

And now let's move your chair out of the way.

We won't be using it for the rest of the class.

All right, let's start putting to use all of that balance practice you've been doing.

We'll start with leg lifts to the front, [inhales] going as slow as you need to, okay.

And the goal is to keep that foot off the floor, lifting as slowly as you need to.

You'll be able to increase speed over the next week or so.

Okay, and speed's not really the point.

Up, up, up.

Now we'll slowly bring it to the back.

Stabilize and little lifts.

Squeeze your glutes.

Let your focus glaze over onto something that's not moving and focus on your breathing.

And then we'll go out to the side.

We still haven't put that foot down.

Your standing leg's getting a workout at the same time.

Good, lift and lift, good, take a little break.

Shift your hips.

[inhales and exhales] Good, a couple hip circles and we'll do the other leg.

Okay, start with your feet about shoulder-width apart, shift your weight.

[inhales] Good, let's do it out to the side this time to begin with, little lifts, lift, lift.

Stand tall, pull in your stomach.

Find something that's not moving.

A few more.

And to the front, stabilize.

If you feel like you're gonna have to put your foot down, just stop, just freeze, little lifts, and go as slow as you need to.

Letting that standing foot wobble.

That's very common.

And to the back, slow as you need to.

Stabilize, get your posture, and squeeze the glutes to lift.

Lift.

You guys are doing good, hang in there.

Hang in there, lift and lift, very good.

Let's repeat it again on each leg.

Okay, shift your weight, we'll start at the side and slowly lift that leg off the floor, stabilize, and lift.

It doesn't have to be a large movement or fast.

Focus on it being controlled, okay?

And move it to the front.

Try to move it without putting the foot down, little lifts.

And as you repeat this class over the next few weeks, you can also increase the amount of repetitions you do.

As your standing leg gets stronger, you'll be able to do more and more.

Good, lift, lift, and lift.

Good job, two feet down, a couple hip circles before we finish up with the last side.

Good, shift your weight.

Check your posture before you start, and lift, lift, lift.

And slowly move that leg to the front.

And lift, lift.

And to the back, extend the leg to the back.

Stabilize, squeeze, and lift.

So good, all right, two feet down.

Let's just lift one heel up and then the other, couple little shifts, stretching your feet and your toes.

And two heels up and down.

And take a few steps up on your toes to finish.

[inhales] Good job.

Because you took the time to build a stable foundation of skill and strength, you'll probably improve much faster than when you first started this series.

I'm so excited for you because I know how vulnerable you must have felt and disappointed in the whole aging process.

Hopefully we've changed your mind about aging and given you hope, but don't stop here.

Come back each day to pbswisconsin.org/quickfit to continually improve so you can live better, longer.

See you next time.

- Announcer: Funding for Quick Fit with Cassy is provided by Focus Fund for Wisconsin Programs and Friends of PBS Wisconsin.