When I think about balance, I picture a tightrope

or a balance beam or a unicycle with someone gracefully perched atop making the feat look effortless. That's certainly the high-performance side, but balance is a huge part of everyday life too-and deserves training time in your workout schedule.

- Andi Breitowich

You may not recognize balance every time you use it. "We usually don't think about how quickly our brain and body coordinate to keep us safe," says Kerry Ann Madden, CPT, NASM-master trainer and owner of KAM Fitness and Nutrition. Yet how steady you are (or aren't) is piquing curiosity: Google search interest in "balance" and "balance exercises" has gradually climbed over the past five years.

What you'd ideally find as the answer to that first query: "Balance is being able to control your body during movements and activities, and to keep it in position while remaining static," says fitness coach Allison Kalsched, CPT, founder of AK+. It isn't an exaggeration to say that everything you do requires balance. Think of stepping off a curb, walking, skiing, practicing yoga, and getting up from a chair.

A major myth is that you're either born with A+ balance or you're not. "Most people can make improvements with some intentional, progressive practice," says Madden. And when you do, your increased steady-state means your body can respond appropriately to challenges, adds Antonia Henry, CPT, a registered yoga teacher and pregnancy and postpartum athleticism coach with AI Fit Coaching.

"Your daily activities are easier, and you feel confident in them as well as in sports." Training balance becomes even more important as you get older to reduce the risk for injury. "With good balance, our chances of accidents due to falling from a misstep or from muscle weakness decrease greatly," Kalsched says. But don't take that as an excuse to procrastinate. Balance is "a use-it-or-loseit sort of scenario," adds Henry.