How to Build Your Balance and Muscle Tone
You can improve the size and strength of your muscles through resistance training, which tears down muscle fibers that your body then rebuilds, making them larger. You also can improve your balance at the same time through resistance training that uses dumbbells. Since dumbbells are independent of one another, you need to balance them and the movements performed with them using more muscles in your body. This is in opposition to a barbell, in which each side helps to balance the other, or a weight machine, in which the entire movement is balanced. Dumbbell exercises can be used to increase your muscle strength and tone, in addition to improving your balance.
Instructions
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Squat with a dumbbell in each hand, keeping your arms straight at your sides and feet flat on the ground. Move your hips backward and then downward in a sitting motion, with your knees behind your toes and your back straight. Push back upwards to complete a repetition. This works all the muscles in your legs, particularly your quadriceps, but also works your arms, stomach and back from the balance and stability they need to provide.
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Perform a straight leg dead lift by standing with a dumbbell in each hand and leaning forward, keeping your back and legs straight while you do so. Once your back is at a 90-degree angle to your legs, push through your legs and lower back to return to the starting position. This works your back muscles.
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Sit at an exercise seat with your arms and two dumbbells at shoulder width and height, then press them straight up and toward one another until they touch directly above your head. Make sure they follow the same range of motion -- they should be flush when they touch.
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Repeat each of these exercises three times every other day. To boost muscle tone and density without much size gain, choose a weight with which you only can perform four to six repetitions.
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Tips & Warnings
Start with very light weights to ensure to use correct form and to prepare your body handling heavier weights.
