Buzz
We've all had our moments—tripping over nothing, spilling coffee, twisting an ankle, or dropping a pen in the middle of an important meeting. If you think of yourself as clumsy, though, these aren’t just rare mishaps—they seem to happen all the time. While being clumsy might feel like an ingrained part of your nature, it’s not set in stone. In fact, you can take action to stop constantly bumping into things.
Understanding Why You're Clumsy
Do you frequently bump into objects because you’re always in a rush? Is your vision slightly off due to outdated glasses? Are you distracted? Or perhaps your balance is off? There are many potential reasons for clumsy behavior, and it’s important to pinpoint the root causes to start improving.
Jason Harrison, a strength coach and the co-owner of Present Tense Fitness in Dayton, Ohio, explained that clumsiness can come from poor balance, bad eyesight, or even an underlying medical condition, so before he works with someone who describes themselves as clumsy, he asks them a series of questions. It’s important to think, too, about whether this is new for you or not, as a recent bout of incoordination could point more easily to a certain cause.
If you can’t figure out the cause easily, there’s no shame in bringing it up to your doctor, especially if the clumsiness is new to you.
Try strength training
There are a lot of benefits to training and exercise, and while you might associate most of those with looking and feeling better, your overall fitness will also impact how you move through the world.
“One of the things that we know gets better with good, solid, smart strength training is proprioception, which is essentially our body’s ability to know where it is in space. Depending on the person’s experience with training, they might see a pretty dramatic improvement in their proprioception—and a lot of times this can happen pretty quickly,” Harrison said.
Connect with Your Body’s Unique Rhythm
Harrison explained that there are two main types of obstacles to purposeful movement: organizational and emotional barriers, or skill-based barriers.
“From an organizational and emotional standpoint, people often face barriers to purposeful movement that are linked to how they perceive their own bodies,” he said, citing examples like feeling uncomfortable in front of mirrors at the gym, or past experiences of being labeled as “not athletic.”
Regarding skill-building, he recommended working with a trainer or coach one-on-one. Even if you're not a fan of fitness or strength training, he emphasized that you'll gain valuable insights into body efficiency—and that knowledge will stay with you in the real world, even after leaving the gym.
Give These Exercises and Practices a Try
Stephanie Weyrauch, a physical therapist from Connecticut, recommended the following exercises for anyone looking to reduce clumsiness:
Single-leg balance. This is an excellent exercise for improving balance. Stand with your feet together and hold onto a stable object, such as a bar or chair. Lift one foot off the ground without letting your legs touch, and focus on lifting the arch of your foot while squeezing your glutes together.
Diaphragmatic breathing. This exercise can help you become more aware of your body, Weyrauch explained. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen. Breathe in through your nose, keeping your chest still, while your abdomen rises. Then, forcefully exhale through your mouth, as if blowing out a candle. Repeat this cycle.
“Tripping can often be caused by weakness in the ankles and hips,” she noted. “These exercises are designed to enhance muscle coordination and joint awareness.”
