Can you put your socks on standing up? I used to be able to. Then one morning I tried it the old way, hopped twice, and ended up leaning on the dresser like it owed me money. Both cats and both of the doodles scattered in every direction. I guess they didn't want to catch me if I fell.
We laugh (and we should), but that little wobble is worth listening to. It isn’t a verdict. It’s information. Today I want to show you why balance shifts in this season, and how two minutes a day can improve balance after menopause and protect the thing we all care about most: our freedom to keep living our lives.
He Steadies the Feet He Gave You
“The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.”
— Habakkuk 3:19 (NIV)
Habakkuk wrote this in a hard season. Just before this verse, he describes fig trees without blossoms and empty stalls. Nothing was going right. And yet he pictures himself like a mountain deer, sure-footed on rocky heights where one misstep could mean a fall.
Deer don’t stay steady because the ground is smooth. They stay steady because they were made for uneven places, and because they keep practicing on them. God gave you feet made for this life, too. Balance work is simply a way of saying yes to that design.
Why Balance Changes in This Season
Balance feels automatic, but it’s actually a team effort. Three systems are constantly talking to your brain: your eyes, your inner ear, and tiny sensors in your feet and joints that tell you where your body is in space. Then your muscles have to respond quickly enough to catch you.
After menopause, several teammates can slow down at once. We naturally lose muscle as we age unless we work to keep it. Reaction time softens a bit. Vision changes. Joint surgeries (hello, new knees!) can quiet some of those position sensors for a while. And some common medications, like certain blood pressure pills or sleep aids, can leave you a little lightheaded. If you’ve noticed more wobbles since starting something new, it’s worth asking your pharmacist.
Here’s why this matters. About one in four adults over 65 falls each year, and falls are a leading cause of injury in our age group. I don’t share that to scare you. I share it because it means balance isn’t a vanity project. It’s what lets you carry groceries, walk the trail, play with the grandkids, and live on your own terms for a long, long time.
And the best news: balance is a skill, not a fixed trait. Like any skill, it fades when we stop using it and grows when we practice, at any age.
Your 2-Minute Daily Balance Practice
So, here we go......it only takes 2 minutes....but feel free to do a few extra minutes if you want to. Stand at your kitchen counter with both hands resting on it. That counter is your safety net, and using it is smart, not cheating.
Then try these three:
1. Counter-supported single-leg stand (about 30 seconds each side). Shift your weight to one foot and lift the other just an inch off the floor. Stand tall and breathe. As it gets easier, move from two hands to one, then to fingertips, then to hands hovering just above the counter.
2. Heel-to-toe walk (10 steps). Walk along the length of your counter, placing your heel right in front of the toes of your other foot, like walking a tightrope. Keep your eyes forward, not down at your feet. Trail a hand along the counter the whole way.
3. Sit-to-stands (5 slow ones). From a sturdy chair, scoot forward, lean slightly over your toes, and stand up slowly. Then sit back down just as slowly, like you’re lowering into a warm bath. Use your hands on the armrests if you need them. If your knees complain, use a higher chair or add a cushion.
That’s it. About two minutes. I do mine while the kettle heats for my morning lemon water, and I’ve started calling it my “kettle minute.”
Simple Tweaks That Make Home Safer
• Choose shoes with a back and a firm sole. Backless slippers are cozy and easy to kick off, but they aren’t your friend on the stairs.
• Add night-lights in the hallway and bathroom for those middle-of-the-night trips.
• Clear the walkways. In my house that means rounding up dog toys. Every. Single. Day.
• Secure throw rugs with grippers, or retire the ones that curl.
• Rise in stages. Sit on the edge of the bed for a few breaths before you stand up.
Grace for the Wobbly Days
After my knee replacements, I didn’t trust my own feet for months. I held onto the counter longer than the physical therapist probably expected, and some days I really wanted to skip the balance work entirely because I was tired of feeling unsteady. Here’s what I learned: steadiness came back in the same small doses it left. Not all at once. One minute at a time.
So if all you do this week is the single-leg stand, that counts. If you do it with both hands firmly planted on the counter, that counts too. If you’ve had a fall, or you feel dizzy often, please talk with your doctor and ask about a physical therapist. That isn’t giving up. That’s wisdom.
Come Practice With Us
This week we’re doing the 7-Day Sure-Footed Mini-Challenge together over on Facebook and Instagram: one 2-minute balance practice a day. It’s never too late to join. Start today and count it as Day 1.
And if you’d like a little steadiness in your inbox every Thursday, Beyond the Pause Weekly is my weekly letter to you: one simple wellness truth, one word of encouragement, and a journal prompt to carry into your week. Comment Newsletter below and I'll start sending them to you.
Keep reading:
• The Silent Change: Protecting Your Bones After Menopause
• Muscle Is Your Retirement Account: Strength After Menopause
• Rest as Obedience: What Sleep Actually Does for a Postmenopausal Body
Standing sure-footed together,
Heather
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