Is your age impacting your balance?
Does balance decline after 50? Yes. Is there anything you can do about it to maintain good balance for skiing well into retirement? Yes.
Sad to say, I've just learned that balance deteriorates with age...for everyone. Here's the sad truth. By age 50, chances are your balance already isn't what it used to be.
Sure, I know plenty of people who have challenges with balance. But I consider myself relatively healthy, with no health issues that affect balance. So I was a little disheartened to learn my stability may already be compromised. But don't worry—because if you're also disheartened, I'm also going to share good news as well.
We rely on the vestibular system in our ears to help with balance. According to Dartmouth Health - little hairs in your inner ear that give your vestibular system feedback as you move, start to break down in your 40s, which has implications for your balance. Never thought ear hairs was something I had or wanted. Apparently these little ones are important!
Pile that change on top of the fact that muscle mass starts breaks down as we head into mid-life. Heck, response time slows down as we age too.
So let's add it all up: You ski over some unexpected and unstable snow surfaces. First, there's less feedback to the balance center as you move across that surface. Then, you also have less muscle mass to help stay the course as you encounter changes underfoot and you react to the whole thing slower. Yes...that's all sounds like a recipe to knock you off kilter.
As skiers, we all want good balance. So...do you have to just accept this?
The Good News
There's plenty you can do.
You can work on your balance. Perhaps you never had to when you were younger. But you can work on balance drills in your fitness routine, your every day life and your skiing.
You can work on your strength and muscle as well as your response time.
The one thing you can't do - take it for granted that your balance doesn't need maintaining. If you want to be the skier who's filling retirement with ski days, then make good balance something you work at.
Next week we'll be sharing our first Podcast, with Dr. Leslie Desrosiers, PT, OCS, CSCS and founder of ACL Strong. We'll talk injury prevention, training and yes, balance. Watch for news as we launch the podcast.
Obligatory disclaimer: We do our best here at Gold Skis to consult experts and reputable resources to bring you useful information. Gold Skis not a medical site. So do the right thing and run any health concerns past your own doctor and check with them before starting new fitness routines.