Question

How does changing your center of gravity affect the way you balance?

Answer 1

There are multiple ways of considering the center of gravity, however the best way to look at it is in my opinion, is by considering the human body as a force diagram. The center of Gravity if the point where all forces at on. So, by chanigng the location of your center gravity you are chaning where the forces on your body act.

For example, if you wear heels, your center of gravity is pushed not only upwards but also a little forward so it is often easier for someone to push you off balance because your center of gravity is no longe aligned with the weight distribution of your body. It is also one of the reasons why women, who have more curves on the bottom half of their body, have an easier time balancing. Their center of balance is lower to the ground which means that in order for them to fall a force must act at their hips( or below the shoulders). One the other hand a woman who is top heavy, will be pushed easily off balance, if someone pushes on her shoulders. This is because the center of balance of these women is a little higher than most.

Another example is squatting down, if you squat down correctly, so that your weight is equally distributed between both of your feet, and have someone push you, will notice that it will be harder to knock you down. Try bending your knees, and seeing if someone can push you off balance, then try standing on your toes and see what happens when someone tries to push you down.

Basically it all boils down to where is the point where your body accumulates all of the forces, and where is the point with respect to your body mass distribution.

Answer 2

Whenever our center of gravity lies directly over the base of support (for example, our feet when standing), we remain perfectly balanced and steady. But every time we move, our center of gravity shifts in response to the change in our shape and the new distribution of mass. This means while standing almost any change in position comes with a risk of falling if our center of gravity shifts too far beyond the base support of our feet. In order to remain upright while doing something as simple as walking, our body must continuously compensate to the changing center of gravity by slightly adjusting our arms, head, and shoulders forward or backward to keep the center of gravity always directly above our moving feet. So there's some complicated mechanics going on even when one takes an easy stroll down the street. Imagine the rapid adjustments the body must automatically make when you try something as challenging as traversing a high wire.