Grade by Grade
A–B. Active Living and Movement Competence · Active Living and Movement: Move Well, Train Smart, Stay Safe

Balance on the Move: Responding to What's Around You

B1.1 1.1About 65 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can combine stability (balance) skills with locomotor skills in a variety of activities.
  • I can brace my core and keep my centre of gravity over my base of support.
  • I can respond to external stimuli, like obstacles, music, a bar or other people, while staying balanced.
  • I can self-assess my form and decide what to change.

Words to know

stability skill
A skill that keeps the body balanced, still or moving, like landing, stopping, holding a lunge or pivoting.
locomotor skill
A skill that moves the body from place to place, like running, skipping, hopping or wheeling.
external stimulus
Something outside your body that you must react to, like an obstacle, a sound, a moving player or a high-jump bar. Plural: stimuli.
centre of gravity
The point where the body's weight is balanced. Balance is easiest when it is over your base of support.
base of support
The area under and between the parts of your body touching the ground.
core bracing
Tightening the muscles around your trunk (abdominals, back, hips) to keep the spine stable.

Remember from Grade 8

In Grade 8 you moved smoothly between balance positions, using base of support and centre of gravity to land, stop and change direction. In Grade 9, expectation B1.1 adds a new challenge: keeping your balance while reacting to things outside your body, such as a bar, a root on a trail, the beat of music or other players.

Hook: the trail runner

Running on a track is simple: flat, smooth, predictable. Now run on a forest trail. There's a root here, a puddle there, a slope, loose gravel, someone coming the other way. Your eyes, ears and feet are constantly sensing, and your body is constantly adjusting to stay upright. That's B1.1: balance + movement + response to external stimuli.

The building blocks

  • Static balance: holding still (a lunge, a yoga pose).
  • Dynamic balance: staying balanced while moving (running a trail, an aerobic routine, landing).
  • Base of support: a wider base is more stable. Feet shoulder-width or wider for strength moves.
  • Centre of gravity (COG): lower is more stable (bend your knees). Keep your COG over your base.
  • Core bracing: tighten the trunk muscles as if getting ready for a light poke in the stomach, while still breathing. A braced core keeps your trunk from swaying and protects your back.
  • Eyes ahead: looking where you're going helps you spot obstacles early and keeps your head (which is heavy) balanced.
base of supportStable lungecentre of gravity overthe base of supportcore braced, torso uprightfront knee over ankleWobbly lungenarrow stance, leaning forward
A stable lunge (left): wide base, centre of gravity over the base, braced core and upright torso. The wobbly lunge (right) has a narrow stance and a forward lean, so the centre of gravity drifts outside the base.

Responding to external stimuli

The curriculum's examples:

  • Lunges, with or without hand weights: stabilize and brace the core; the weights add a challenge to stay upright.
  • Aerobic routines: keep balance while changing direction to the beat of the music or a leader's call.
  • Orienteering: run (or move in a wheelchair) through the course while watching for obstacles on the trail.
  • High jump: be aware of the bar at take-off and landing so you clear it and land safely on the mat.

Another example: in the one-foot high kick, one of the traditional Arctic sports played by Inuit athletes (for example, at the Arctic Winter Games), the athlete jumps off both feet, kicks a hanging target with one foot, and must land on that same kicking foot with control. It takes balance, power and focus on an external target.

1. Sense the cuesee, hear, feel2. Decidewhat to adjust3. Moveadjust balance4. Check: did it work? In fast activities the whole loop takes a split second.
Every response to a stimulus follows a loop: sense, decide, move, then check. Practice makes the loop faster, until it feels automatic.

Living skill: self-awareness (1.1)

Film yourself (with permission) or ask a partner to watch three lunges. Check: Is my front knee over my ankle? Is my torso upright? Do I wobble at the bottom? Pick one thing to fix. Knowing your own form is the first step to improving it.

Worked example

Let's coach a walking lunge with a stimulus

Sam does walking lunges while his partner randomly calls "left" or "right" to tell him which way to turn after each lunge. He keeps wobbling on the turns. Analyse and coach him.

  1. Observe: Sam's feet land almost in a line (like walking on a tightrope), and he looks down at his feet.
  2. Base of support: a narrow line is unstable side-to-side. Coach: "Keep your feet hip-width apart, like on two train tracks."
  3. COG and core: Sam leans forward at the bottom. Coach: "Brace your core and keep your chest up, so your centre of gravity stays over your feet."
  4. Eyes: looking down slows his reaction to the call. Coach: "Eyes ahead, listen for the call, then turn."
  5. Progress: once steady, add light hand weights (like full water bottles) or make the calls faster.

A wider base, a braced core with chest up, and eyes ahead help Sam stay balanced while responding to the stimulus.

Hands-on activity

Balance-and-react circuit

You need: running shoes, two full water bottles (about 500 mL each) as hand weights, 6 markers (shoes, cones or plastic cups), a partner, and a flat open space indoors or in a park.

Warm-up (5 min): march, side shuffles, arm circles, gentle squats, 10 heel raises.

  1. Lunge holds (5 min): 3 sets of 5 lunges on each leg, holding the bottom for 2 seconds. Then repeat holding the water bottles.
  2. Call-and-turn lunges (5 min): walking lunges; your partner calls "left", "right" or "back" after each one.
  3. Aerobic routine (5 min): with music, do 8 counts each of step-touch, grapevine, knee lifts and jumping jacks (or step-jacks). Your partner calls "switch!" at random to change direction.
  4. Obstacle path (5 min): set out the markers in a zig-zag. Jog or wheel through, stepping or steering around each one. Your partner moves one marker each lap so you must watch and react.
  5. Self-check: rate your balance in each station from 1 to 5. Which stimulus was hardest to react to?

Cool-down: walk, then stretch quadriceps, hip flexors and calves.

Safety: Use a non-slip surface. Keep markers soft and low. Stop the lunges if your knees hurt. Move furniture well away from the routine area.

Just for fun

I tried to study centre of gravity while balancing on one foot. Honestly, it was a very grounding experience.

Your turn

1

What is an external stimulus? Give two examples.

2

What is the difference between static and dynamic balance?

3

Give two ways to make a stance more stable.

4

What does core bracing do?

5

In the high jump, what external stimulus must you be aware of?

6

Describe the one-foot high kick.

More practice: warm-up

1

Name a locomotor skill.

2

Is a wider or narrower base more stable?

3

Where should your eyes be when running a trail?

4

In a lunge, where should the front knee be?

5

What makes balancing in an aerobic routine harder?

More practice: on your own

1

Why do hand weights make a lunge harder to balance?

2

Explain how a wheelchair user completing an orienteering course uses balance and responds to stimuli.

3

Why does looking down at your feet slow your reactions?

4

Describe how a skier responds to external stimuli while staying balanced.

5

Your partner sees your back arch during lunges. What will you change, and why?

Challenge

1

Design a 3-level progression for a balance-and-react drill using only household items.

2

Explain, using centre of gravity and base of support, why high jumpers land on their backs on a thick mat rather than on their feet.

3

A dancer's routine falls apart whenever the music changes speed. Use the sense-decide-move loop to suggest a practice plan.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Which is an external stimulus?

2.

To make a stance more stable, you should:

3.

In a lunge, the front knee should be:

4.

Dynamic balance means balance while:

5.

Core bracing helps by:

6.

In the one-foot high kick, the athlete must land:

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Expectation B1.1 asks students to perform combinations of locomotor and stability skills in a variety of activities while responding to external stimuli: lunges with core bracing (with or without hand weights), balance in aerobic routines, moving through an orienteering course while watching for obstacles, and awareness of the bar in high jump.

How to help at home:

  • Be the partner who calls directions or moves the markers.
  • Watch three lunges and give one specific tip.
  • Take a trail walk or run together and talk about how you adjust to the ground.

Common difficulties:

  • Narrow stance and looking down.
  • Holding the breath while bracing; remind them to keep breathing.

Safety: Use a non-slip surface, water bottles rather than heavy weights, and clear space for routines. Stop if knees hurt.