Body
Which of the following defines the center of gravity of the body?
A. The approximate midpoint of the body
B. The center of gravity is the approximate middle of the body, typically located at the midportion of the trunk.
C. The area within which an individual can move their center of gravity without changing the base of support
D. The highest elevation of the body in space when walking
A. The approximate midpoint of the body
• The center of gravity is the approximate middle of the body, typically located at the midportion of the trunk.
Which of the following types of balance occurs when an individual seeks to maintain the center of mass over an ever-changing limit of stability?
A. Static balance
B. Dynamic balance
C. Semi-dynamic balance
D. High-level balance
B. Dynamic balance
• Dynamic balance involves a constantly changing limit of stability, such as controlling posture during running.
Which three senses are involved in the balance system?
A. Visual, vestibular, and auditory systems
B. Visual, vestibular, and hearing systems
C. Visual, vestibular, and somatosensory systems
D. Vestibular, somatosensory, and auditory systems
C. Visual, vestibular, and somatosensory systems
• Visual, vestibular, and somatosensory systems
What is an example of an external factor that may influence the risk of falling in older adults?
A. Muscle strength
B. The environment
C. Joint stability
D. Ligament integrity
B. The environment
• The environment is considered an external factor because it is outside of the body. Certain environmental conditions may increase the risk of falls in older adults.
What must be maintained when performing exercises in a proprioceptively enriched environment?
A. Both feet on the floor
B. Correct technique
C. A stable floor
D. The absence of perturbations
B. Correct technique
• Proper technique must still be maintained during training in a proprioceptively enriched environment.
Which of the following best defines the base of support of the body?
A. The base of support describes the area where the body contacts the support surface.
B. This is the definition of the center of gravity of the body.
C. The area beneath a person that consists of all points of contact between the body and the support surface
D. This is the definition of the limits of stability.
C. The area beneath a person that consists of all points of contact between the body and the support surface
• The base of support describes the area where the body contacts the support surface.
Which balance training exercise is part of the second stage of balance training that uses dynamic, eccentric, and concentric movement of the balance leg through a full range of motion?
A. Single-leg squat
B. Single-leg balance
C. Single-leg lift and chop
D. Multiplanar hop with stabilization
A. Single-leg squat
• A single-leg squat involves dynamic, eccentric, and concentric movement of the balance leg through a full range of motion.
Which sense provides information to the central nervous system about where the body is in space?
A. Vestibular system
B. Visual system
C. Hearing system
D. Somatosensory system
B. Visual system
• The visual system processes the information about the body's position in space via the central nervous system.
What is the most important reason that a Certified Personal Trainer should make sure an older adult has been cleared by the medical provider to take part in a balance training program?
A. To enhance enjoyment of exercise
B. To ensure safety
C. To make sure the program is difficult enough
D. To make sure the client isn't doing too much exercise
B. To ensure safety
• Safety is the number one reason that a Certified Personal Trainer needs to be aware of a client's medical history and be sure they have obtained clearance from a medical professional.
What is the term for a postural disturbance being added to a task in order to make the task more difficult?
A. Neuromuscular control
B. Somatosensation
C. Sensorimotor function
D. Perturbation
D. Perturbation
• A perturbation is a mechanism where a postural disturbance is added to a task, which causes the client to learn to maintain or recover balance. An example would be lightly pushing on a client’s shoulders when they are balancing on one foot.
Which of the following defines the limits of stability of the body?
A. The approximate midpoint of the body
B. This is the definition of the limits of stability.
C. The area beneath a person that consists of all points of contact between the body and the support surface
D. The area beneath a person that consists of all points of contact between the body and the support surface
B. This is the definition of the limits of stability.
• The limits of stability relate to how much a person can change their position before loss of balance or falling outside of their base of support.
. The addition of balance training to a strengthening program can enhance what?
A. Vision
B. Strength
C. Vision will likely not improve from balance training.
D. Somatosensation
B. Strength
• The addition of balance training to a strengthening program can enhance lower-extremity muscle strength gains, suggesting strength training regimens should be augmented with balance training in order to optimize strength gains.
Which sense provides information about movement of the head in space?
A. Somatosensory system
B. Hearing system
C. Visual system
D. Vestibular system
D. Vestibular system
• The organs of the inner ear make up the vestibular system and help to provide information about changes of head position in space, which is key to promoting awareness of a person's surroundings as a part of maintaining balance.
What is an example of the role of the Certified Personal Trainer in working on balance training with a client?
A. Prescribing progressive, appropriate balance training exercises with knowledge/awareness of the client's medical history
B. Performing medical rehabilitation with the client for their balance deficits
C. Diagnosing balance disorders
D. Prescribing medications or supplements to improve components of the balance system (e.g., vision, vestibular, somatosensation)
A. Prescribing progressive, appropriate balance training exercises with knowledge/awareness of the client's medical history
• Fitness professionals play an important role in helping individuals with impairments in balance regain and continue to improve function, whether for simple activities of daily living or high-level sports, once the client has been cleared by a medical professional.
What is shortest time period per day that balance training should be conducted 3 times per week for 4 weeks in order to improve both static and dynamic balance ability in children?
A. 10 minutes
B. 35 minutes
C. 2 minutes
D. 5 minutes
A. 10 minutes
• In a systematic review, DiStefano et al. (2009) found that balance training programs performed for at least 10 minutes per day, 3 times per week, and for 4 weeks, appear to improve both static and dynamic balance ability in children.
What is the proper lower-body progression for balance training when starting with a new client?
A. Single-leg stable, two-leg stable, two-leg unstable, single-leg unstable
B. Two-leg unstable, single-leg unstable, single-leg stable, two-leg stable
C. Two-leg stable, single-leg stable, two-leg unstable, single-leg unstable
D. Single-leg unstable, single-leg stable, two-leg stable, single-leg stable
C. Two-leg stable, single-leg stable, two-leg unstable, single-leg unstable
• Progression should go from most stable and easy to perform to less stable and more challenging.
When balancing, the knee of the balance leg should be in line with which structure?
A. The head of the participant
B. The midline of the pelvis of the participant
C. The toes of the leg on which the participant is balancing
D. An imaginary point 4 inches lateral to the hip of the participant
C. The toes of the leg on which the participant is balancing
• When performing balance exercises, make sure the knee of the balance leg always stays in line with the toes.
Asking a client to close their eyes during a balance exercise would challenge which system?
A. Somatosensory system
B. Visual system
C. Auditory system
D. Vestibular system
B. Visual system
• Doing balance exercises with both eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions is a great way to challenge the visual system.
Asking a client to stand on a BOSU ball would provide a major challenge to what system?
A. Vision
B. Vestibular
C. Digestive
D. Somatosensory
D. Somatosensory
• Somatosensation is critical for balancing on unstable surfaces and for tasks that involve dynamic balance.
Competitive athletes who performed balance training exercises reduced the risk of which injury by 46%?
A. Anterior cruciate ligament injuries
B. Medial collateral ligament injuries
C. Ankle sprains
D. Concussions
C. Ankle sprains
• Bellows & Wong found that competitive athletes who performed balance training exercises reduced the risk of an ankle sprain by 46%, compared to athletes not performing balance training exercises.
Improving this using balance training would most likely decrease the risk of injury.
A. Performance
B. Rehabilitation
C. Injury resistance
D. Posture
C. Injury resistance
• Improving injury resistance and decreasing future injury using balance training is a critical benefit of balance training.
Which of the following has been used specifically as part of a protocol to improve balance?
A. Weight training
B. Stable floor environment
C. Aqua therapy
D. Biomechanical ankle platform system
D. Biomechanical ankle platform system
• A biomechanical ankle platform system can help build ankle stability and improve overall balance abilities.
Asking a client to balance on an unstable surface while barefoot would challenge which system?
A. Visual system
B. Somatosensory system
C. Vestibular system
D. Auditory system
B. Somatosensory system
• There are many modalities that can be used to challenge the somatosensory system by changing the surface that a client balances on, such as a BOSU ball, wobble board, or foam pad.
If the client cannot reach their foot during a single-leg squat touchdown, which is the first modification that can be employed?
A. Reach to their knee
B. Reach to their toes
C. Reach to their waist
D. Reach to their shin
A. Reach to their knee
• If individuals cannot touch their foot, have them first work on reaching to their knee, then to the shin, and then to the foot.
Which balance task would require significant use of the vestibular system?
A. Standing on two limbs with eyes open
B. Squatting on one limb with eyes closed
C. Standing on two limbs catching a ball
D. Naming the months of the year while standing on one limb
B. Squatting on one limb with eyes closed
• The vestibular system will likely be used to balance while squatting on one limb with eyes closed, as the head is accelerating, and vision has been removed from use.