Balancing Act: Improve Motor Skills Now for the Future

As we get older our sense of balance tends to drift. In the elderly a loss of balance can lead to a fear of falling and resulting dread of going out or living alone.

Many doctors have come to the conclusion that balance is a skill to be learned and mastered. Through practice, balance can be improved and this commitment can reduce the loss of balance later in life.

In a recent study conducted by the Center for Disease Control 5.8 million adults over 65 were found to have fallen within the previous 3 months. Falls are the leading cause of injury for the over 65's and the leading cause of injury deaths. The good news about all this is that it can be prevented. Balance is a skill which can be learned, but the best defense against a loss of balance is the thorough acquisition of that skill at an early age.

Equilibrioception is the medical term for "sense of balance." It is the sense we use to keep ourselves upright and a miracle of cooperation between multiple senses. The eyes which tell the brain where we are. The ears which sense acceleration and movement. The body which feels the space around it. All these systems work in concert to create balance.

Balance is developed naturally over time. First we crawl, then walk, then run. We may play sports and develop new skills related to balance, but ultimately age catches up and those skills degrade. However, it is possible to train the body and improve those skills and the early in our development that happens, the better.

A popular tool used across Europe to teach toddler's balance is the balance bike. These training bikes are basically a bike with no pedals, training wheels, chain or sprocket They're half the weight of a traditional bike and the seats usually go much lower than a bike with training wheels. Kids straddle them, feet on the ground and push themselves around. For a 18-month old, this might mean just a walking the bike between their legs, but that doesn't last long. They will quickly learn to propel themselves by pumping their feet and soon are testing and developing an advanced sense of balance.

This activity not only promotes the development of advanced balancing skills at an early age, it's also good exercise. Children often view the activity as playing with a toy, but behind the scenes they are mastering complex motor skills and developing an appreciation for an active lifestyle. These are characteristics that are sure to pay off in the golden years as a safer, more productive quality of life.