Development of Balance System as a Child and Fall Prevention as an Adult

As "The Fall Prevention Lady", a Balance and Mobility Specialist who teaches older adults how to improve balance and prevent falls, the vestibular, or inner ear equilibrium, system fascinates me.  The more I learn, the more I want to help people learn how to maintain upright position and improve daily balance.

Balance is ongoing communication between the brain and the body and  the first neural system to develop in the embryo; even an unborn fetus needs to know which end is up! ⬆⬆  Your vestibular system and reflexive balance skills continue to develop during the first five years of growth and your “reflexive” stability is proportionate to the amount of movement you did or did not do as a child. 

Think about your youth; did you play, jump up and down, spin on a merry-go round, do gymnastics or some type of flipping and flopping, rolling and tumbling on the ground?   I remember doing cartwheels, front and back bendovers, walkovers, and handsprings in the grass with my friends.  

I also clearly remember by mom, old to us then but only in her late 20s, walking outside to check on us and doing three to four back handsprings in a row when asked!  No stretching, no warm-up; she’d walk out and flip flop backwards as long as the yard allowed! 

I thank God I grew up in a time when kids played outside, tumbled, rolled, played on swing sets, ran up and down hills, jumped on trampolines and swam in lakes.  I didn’t know it at the time but I was developing my inner ear balance system and the ability to react timely and efficiently to life’s imbalances. 

Kelly Ward, aka
The Fall Prevention Lady

Of course I fell down but I was a kid and falling wasn’t a big deal; it was expected! That what kids do.  I felt dirt on my feet, the grass between my toes, the heat from sidewalks and the cold from ice and snow.  I smelled mom’s cooking, I smelled the neighbor’s cooking.  I smelled country air. 

I stimulated my sensory systems, which activated different parts of the brain which resulted in healthy neural development.  Being active as a child, I stimulated my vestibular system regularly and as a result, my balance and sports skills were exceptional.  

I went on to become a three-sport Varsity athlete (field hockey, basketball and lacrosse) and earn a full basketball scholarship.  Today, my balance is better than ever because I am “The Fall Prevention Lady” and I practice balance drills regularly!

My question to you, “what was your childhood like”?  Did you play outside?  Did you play inside?  Were you active or sedentary?  If you read a lot and did not get much physical activity, your “balance system” may not have received much activation.  Poor activation results in decreased brain function due to weak input signals.

Does that mean it’s over for you?  Does that mean you have to accept it and deal with it?

NO and NO!  It’s never too late to improve your balance.  There are very specific drills you can do, at your own pace, to train your balance and improve stability.  

I offer Skype (online) training sessions and private sessions within a 45-mile radius of Fair Oaks California.  I also offer partner and small group training and Brains and Balance Training classes.  

You don't have to accept and live with a disorder; you can train your brain to improve balance, vision and movement.  Movement is life.  Time to start living!