TL;DR
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Fit&Well reports two balance drills recommended by Yancy Culp: delayed walking and slow high knees. The advice is to practice regularly, increase difficulty gradually and use support if needed; the report does not provide research findings or measured results for the routines.
Fit&Well has reported two balance drills recommended by Yancy Culp, a Spartan DEKA co-creator and senior director: walking very slowly and performing high knees at a slow, controlled pace. Culp says the exercises can help people practice balance and coordination, but the report does not cite a trial or provide measured evidence of how much improvement participants should expect.
The first exercise, which Culp calls “delayed walking,” is a deliberately slow walk. The aim is to spend longer balancing on one foot during each step than during an ordinary walk. Culp recommends doing it for several minutes a day and gradually lengthening each step transition. The report gives no specific starting duration or maximum target for the pause.
The second drill is a slow high-knee cycle. Culp advises raising one knee and taking three seconds to complete the movement before returning the foot to the floor, then continuing for two minutes daily. His suggested progression is to add one second to the cycle every fifth day; he says that after 35 days, a person would be doing 10-second cycles. That is a suggested schedule, not a reported result from a clinical study.
Culp also suggests optional challenges, including briefly closing the eyes or reaching down to touch the raised foot with both hands. These make the movement harder, and the report does not give safety screening or instructions for deciding when to try them. Readers who feel unsteady can keep their eyes open, shorten the movement, or practice near a stable support instead of adding those challenges.
Balance Practice in Daily Movement
The drills focus on a physical skill used in ordinary tasks as well as exercise. Walking involves coordinating opposite limbs and shifting support between feet, while lifting a knee requires control on the standing leg. Practicing those movements slowly may give people a structured way to work on steadiness without specialized equipment.
Culp says balance supports confidence in movement and becomes more important with age. These are his stated reasons for including a one-leg task among five fitness checks; they should not be read as proof that these particular drills prevent falls. The source offers coaching guidance, not evidence of a quantified fall-risk reduction or a guarantee of improvement for every person.
For readers, the practical point is that balance work can be adapted: begin with a pace and range of motion that feel manageable, then progress in small steps. Anyone with a recent fall, significant dizziness, pain, or a condition affecting mobility should ask a qualified health professional about appropriate exercise before attempting more challenging variations.
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Culp’s One-Leg Fitness Check
Fit&Well presents the exercises as an option for people who are not comfortable standing on one leg. The article places them alongside Culp’s broader five-part fitness “litmus test,” in which one-leg balance is one measure and the other areas include cardio fitness, strength and mobility.
The report also describes the writer’s personal experience: after finding it difficult to put on a sock and shoe while standing on one leg, the writer practiced putting on socks that way and noticed improvement over several months. That account is an individual anecdote, not a controlled test, and the writer’s outcome does not establish how quickly other people may improve. The drills are offered as a more structured alternative for those starting from a lower level of confidence.
“Balance is one of the clearest indicators of how well the body is functioning day to day.”
— Yancy Culp, Spartan DEKA co-creator and senior director, as quoted by Fit&Well
Evidence and Individual Safety
The supplied report does not identify a study testing these two routines, quantify expected gains, or state how many people have used them. It also does not establish that the drills reduce falls, and its 35-day progression is Culp’s suggested schedule, not a verified outcome for all participants.
There is no detailed guidance on modifications for people with injuries, balance disorders, dizziness, or mobility limitations. Closing the eyes or reaching toward the raised foot may make a drill harder and less stable, so those options should not be treated as necessary steps. How much practice is suitable will vary; readers should stop if they feel pain, marked dizziness, or unsafe and seek professional advice where appropriate.
Start Slowly and Track Progress
The report sets out a routine rather than announcing a study or program with a follow-up date. Anyone choosing to try the drills can begin with a slow, comfortable pace, keep a sturdy support within reach, and increase the challenge only when the movement feels controlled. The source does not specify a required number of weeks for delayed walking or a universal target for either exercise.
For slow high knees, Culp’s proposed schedule is two minutes daily, with one second added to each leg cycle every fifth day. People should not feel obliged to follow that progression if it makes the movement unstable. The next useful step for readers is to judge how they respond and, if balance problems are persistent or worsening, discuss them with a qualified clinician or exercise professional.
Key Questions
What are the two balance drills?
Delayed walking means walking slowly enough to spend more time balancing on one foot during each step. The second drill is a slow high-knee movement, with each cycle deliberately lengthened.
How often does Culp recommend doing them?
For delayed walking, Culp suggests several minutes every day. For slow high knees, he recommends two minutes daily, though the report does not establish that this schedule suits everyone.
How does the high-knee progression work?
Culp says to take three seconds for a leg cycle at first and add one second every fifth day. He describes reaching 10-second cycles after 35 days; this is a suggested progression, not a guaranteed result.
Should beginners close their eyes during the drills?
No. Culp lists briefly closing the eyes as an optional challenge, but the report provides no safety screening for it. Beginners or anyone who feels unsteady can keep their eyes open and use a stable support nearby.
Do the drills have proven fall-prevention benefits?
The supplied Fit&Well report does not cite research showing that these specific drills prevent falls or quantify their effects. It presents them as coaching exercises for practicing balance, not as a proven fall-prevention treatment.
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