What is balance, really? In this episode of the Movement Logic Podcast, Laurel and Sarah unpack why “balance” is much more than standing on one foot, not falling, or having a strong core.

Using the motor control concept of postural control, they explore balance as a dynamic, emergent process shaped by sensory input, motor responses, cognition, confidence, fear, environment, prior experience, and social context. They discuss center of mass, base of support, stability, perturbations, sensory reweighting, and why balance is deeply context specific.

You’ll learn why steady-state, reactive, and anticipatory balance are different biological problems, why yoga may train some balance skills better than others, why strength and power matter for fall recovery, and why no single “balance exercise” prepares you for every balance challenge life throws at you.

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RESOURCES

BOOK: Motor Control: Translating Research into Clinical Practice by Anne Shumway-Cook and Marjorie Woollacott

EPISODES

128: Does 'Balance Training' Prevent Falls, or Just Improve Balance?

129: Sarcopenia Redefined: Loss of Strength and Power Matter More Than Muscle Mass

On motor learning - 29: The Cues We Use Pt. 1, 31: The Cues We Use Pt. 2, 34: The Cues We Use Pt. 3

Our interview on the Capable and Worthy Podcast

POWER PLAY is on sale now for $99. The price goes up after May 31st.

Sign up here - https://themovementlogic.com/power-play/

Power training is not just for athletes. It's also not just box jumps, Olympic lifts, or kettlebell swings. Power is for everyone and it shows up all day, everyday in our daily activities. It's the ability to produce force quickly. You use power when you stand up from a chair, climb stairs, get off the floor, or react fast enough to prevent a fall.

This week on the Movement Logic podcast, Laurel and Sarah explain why they created their new course, Power Play. They discuss why power declines faster than strength as we age, why that matters for fall prevention and independence, and why so many people mistakenly conclude “my knees can’t handle that anymore” or “I’m too old for that” after being exposed to way too much impact or explosive movement too soon. They break down how power exercises can be scaled and progressed, why most group fitness classes fail to individualize this type of training, and how Power Play teaches people to start at the very beginning rather than assuming the hardest version is the entry point. They also discuss pelvic floor concerns, type 2 muscle fibers, balance, aging, reactive movement, and why just a few minutes of power training per week can make a meaningful difference in long-term physical function.

ABOUT Power Play

FOLLOW @MovementLogicTutorials on Instagram

WATCH Movement Logic on YouTube

LEARN MORE on the Movement Logic website

FOLDABLE HOME BARBELL RACK by Verse, use coupon code MovementLogic10%OFF at checkout

A lot of people think sarcopenia means age-related loss of muscle mass. But this is not what it means!

This week on the Movement Logic podcast, Laurel and Sarah unpack sarcopenia: what it actually is, why the definition has changed over time, and why losing strength and power matters more than losing muscle mass. They walk through the evolution from a tissue-focused understanding of sarcopenia to a function-focused one. Learn how the nervous system plays a major role in aging-related decline, and how this explains a far more rapid loss of strength and an even more rapid loss of power. They discuss why resistance training is essential if you want to maintain independence, reduce fall risk, and preserve the ability to do the things you love as you age. They also discuss why yoga, Pilates, walking, and cardio alone are not enough to prevent sarcopenia, and why training strength and power is non-negotiable for long-term physical function.

ABOUT Power Play

FOLLOW @MovementLogicTutorials on Instagram

WATCH Movement Logic on YouTube

LEARN MORE on the Movement Logic website

FOLDABLE HOME BARBELL RACK by Verse, use coupon code MovementLogic10%OFF at checkout

RESOURCES

GUARDIAN ARTICLE - We were asked to weigh in about Stacy Sims advice

EPISODE - Barbell Medicine on Sarcopenia

127: ASCM says K.I.S.S.

94: Capacities for Longevity - Power

CLARK, 2008 - PMID: 18772470

CLARK, 2012 - PMID: 22469110

MITCHELL, 2012 - PMID: 22934016

REID, 2012 - PMID: 22016147

European Working Group position stand 2018 - PMID: 30312372

European Working Group position stand 2010 - PMID: 20392703

BHASIN, 2020 (SDOC Paper) - PMID: 32150289

TØIEN, 2023 - PMID: 37881849

WIEGMANN, 2021 - PMID: 33657752

TØIEN, 2023 - PMID: 36442699