3 kettlebell exercises for a stronger core and better balance

Balance training is an underrated part of fitness. Here are 3 kettlebell exercises to develop a stronger core and better balance at the same time.

The benefits of balance exercises

Balance training is often associated with exercises that are prescribed to the elderly. But it’s so much more than that. Plus, the earlier you start incorporating balance exercises into your routine, the less balance you will lose as you get older.

You can challenge and improve your balance with resistance training exercises to do at the gym or at home. Here are the main benefits:

Injury prevention

Having great balance prevents injuries at the gym and in your everyday life. It’s been shown that balance work can decrease the risk of spraining your ankle by nearly 40%.

Better fitness performance

When you work on your balance, you also work on muscle coordination, agility and therefore, you perform better at any sport, even the main resistance training lifts.

Enhanced core strength and joint mobility

Many resistance training exercises that challenge your balance are unilateral and therefore, require you to engage your core in order to stay stable. They will help you improve your core strength and your posture.

Some exercise also help develop your joint mobility (shoulders, hips…) at the same time as your balance.

The resistance training exercises you’ll discover below are not “just for balance”: they will target important muscle groups, develop your core strength and your mobility. You guessed it, they have every reason to be a part of your regular fitness routine!

3 kettlebell exercises to improve your balance

Although a kettlebell is more ergonomic, you can do these exercises with a dumbbell if that’s all you have!

If you’re planning on exercising mainly at home, I would recommend investing in an adjustable kettlebell. It can seem more expensive but you will only need to buy one and will be able to adjust the weight, allowing you to do a whole lot of exercises and to add resistance as you progress.

I personally use the JaxJox Kettlebell Connect which goes up to 19kg.

If you’d rather buy one or a set of regular kettlebells, here are a few suggestions:

Reverse Lunge to Press

The lunge is a unilateral exercise which in itself already makes you work on your balance. Adding a unilateral press is a great way to make it more challenging whilst also developing your shoulder stability and your core strength.

To read the full step by step and learn how to perform this exercise, head over to the Reverse Lunge to Press exercise tutorial.

Single leg deadlift

The single leg deadlift is an awesome unilateral exercise that not only works your hamstrings and core but also develops your balance.

It can take some time to master it, a great way to start is to hold a chair or the wall with your free hand, until you’re stable enough to do without.

Check out the full tutorial on how to perform the single leg deadlift.