Balance Training Today vs When You Were a Kid

I was working with my "Boomer Power Hour" group the other day and told them it was time for some vestibular training.  The vestibular system is the inner ear balance system where the equilibrium lives and should be required in every senior fitness training class that says it trains balance.  Without proper activation of the vestibular system, balance suffers.

As he put down the resistance band, 85-year old Don asked, "What is vestibular training and where was it when I was growing up?".  I laughed too hard at this because it's true!

Don is a long-term client of mine who originally came to me with complaints of dizziness with head turns, a sensitive visual system and a fear of falling.  Throughout our training sessions, Don has learned about the vestibular system and how to activate the parts of his inner ear that need more activation.

Not a new concept in balance training, 'vestibular' training is common part of next level balance training programs and an essential foundation in brain-based training. Physical therapists are educated in the vestibular system but only work with it if there is a severe dysfunction.

A problem in the vestibular system directly affects balance because the inner ear receptors tell your brain which end is up and which direction you're going.  Without proper input signals, your brain doesn't know which signals are correct and the result is unsteady, dizzy, nauseous.   A dysfunction in the inner ear system will affect every other aspect of your life.

Similar to the other systems of the central nervous system, the vestibular system functions on a "use it or lose it" perspective.  If you don't train the inner ear balance system, you will lose it.     You can try to stand on one leg all day but if you're not training the inner ear balance system,  YOUR BALANCE WILL SUFFER.

The typical senior fitness instructor is not trained in the vestibular system.  As a Z-Health Practitioner, I am trained in the neuro-anatomy and physiology of the vestibular system.  Z-Health Performance trains the top 1% of fitness professionals and I am proud of the education I've invested in and the services I offer older adults.

The vestibular system was discovered decades ago but it's only now with advancements in functional neurology that we are learning more about how to train the canals and otoliths for better performance in daily life.

IF you've been going to the same fitness class and your balance isn't getting better or your neurologist says there's nothing they can do about your dizziness, find a Z-Health Practitioner and learn what YOUR inner ear balance system needs to correct itself.

The Fall Prevention Lady:  I offer private sessions and small group brain-based training classes.  Please contact me for more information:  info@thefallpreventionlady.com

Time to try something new in fall prevention

Should we do what we've always done?  Maybe?  But, what if they way we had always done it was wrong?  Lee Cockrell, Creating Magic.

Great quote that every personal trainer, group exercise instructor and program coordinator should consider.  Things change.  Research studies unveil new methods that work and explain why old methods don't work. NOTHING IS FOREVER.

Unfortunately, government agencies only accept evidence-based programs for funding.  This is a disservice to older adults everywhere because by the time the program is approved, it's already outdated.  Newer, more efficient methods of balance training and fall prevention exist.

If you've been following the same program for years, or months and you're not getting results, it's time to try something new.  It's time to open your mind and do something different.

Change and growth occur outside of your comfort zone.  Brain-based training is the future of fitness.  Training your vision, inner ear and joint receptors are the future of training.  If your trainer isn't training your vision, ask why not.

I'm not a eye doctor but I am movement specialist.  Your eyes have muscles, six for each eye.  I train the eye muscles for better eye movement and better vision.  You will be amazed at the results you get when you learn how to move your eyes.

Time to try something new.
Brains and Balance Training with Coach Kelly
Balance Training 101 with Coach Kelly.

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!