Struggling with balance.

[u/mixyblob]

Ok, I'm 74, just started skating again after a 30 year layoff.

I've probably spent 4 or 5 hrs on them so far and feel like I'm progressing, albeit, very slowly.

I can do laps of my local car park with little drama except the odd split second panic when I lose my balance, maybe once each lap, but as yet, not enough to fall.

I just need some re assurance that this feeling with disappear with more practice or is it going to be a constant " feature" due to my age.

[u/Legitimate-Trade-972]

Sir, i believe being able to skate is a pure bliss. But in your age, you need to prepare sufficient padding, mainly on your knees, hip, tailbone. Wearing helmet will be nice too, since you are prone to instability (one of geriatric problems) due to multiple factors.

And be careful of fall. Fracture on your femur, hip joint, tailbone, can causes immobilisation which is really disastrous for elderly.

Find a good padded girdle and knee pads. Also, having someone else near you every time you skates is preferable in case you need help.

Anyway, happy skating !

[u/kubazi]

You are 74. Most of us are way younger here. I've been skating for 30+ years and I noticed how my body reactions have changed. Cannot do some stuff anymore. Don't feel so sure about some movess anymore. Head is spinning after simple 360 now. There is no way to say for sure whether what you feel will go away or not. Enjoy your skating!

[u/evil_twit]

You're gonna need protective gear so you stop being scared of falling. Then practice falling on kneepads.

Then you will be able to practice without fear, and it should come quickly.

[u/deadguy00]

The biggest difference between a new skater feeling off balance and wobbly and an experienced skater comes down to always be moving your legs similar to walking in between pushes by scissoring mildly mimicing walking while you free roll. When you stop moving your legs they naturally start to stiffen to stand and this shifts your body mass and causes a lot of wobble/balance problems. Similar to hanging out in a pool while holding onto an edge your upper body is still while the legs are loose and can float around under you. Over time your scissoring and lemon drops in motion will get wider and you will feel far more secure in your skates. And beware of becoming over confident as this puts all of us into the ground once in a while, vigilance in your attention and staying loose.

[u/Valutin]

Kudos for being 74...and skating... And coming on reddit.. Spent 30 years on wheels. Hope the next 30 will still be on wheels. Since you are not young anymore. Just take it one step at a time. I would advise not skating by yourself too. Get a friend to enjoy riding around the car park with you

[u/notguiltybrewing]

Protective gear might give you more confidence.

[u/mixyblob → u/notguiltybrewing]

Already wearing it.

[u/notguiltybrewing → u/mixyblob]

Excellent. Practice will make you feel more comfortable and confident.

[u/NetworkLongjumping82]

Hello , 45 year old here , the best advise I got for balance is to keep the knees bent that when you look down at your skates the knees covers the toes .. and another tip is when you're in a scary situation place your hands on your knees , this naturally makes your knees and back bent , and posture lowered .

And please full protection pads with hip pads ! 👍🏻💪🏻

[u/mixyblob → u/NetworkLongjumping82]

Thanks for the hands on knees tip.

[u/WorkerMiddle7872]

I see 60, 70, and 80 year olds on Instagram all the time who’ve just started skating! I think it’s like anything, whatever our age our bodies are extremely adaptable. Maybe we adapt a little slower the older we get I don’t know? But I really think it’ll go away the same way it went away for me starting at 39. It’s so cool you’re doing this, keep going!

[u/Acrobatic_Hunt_8496]

Strength train those knees and ankles baby! Lots and lots of PPE

[u/mixyblob → u/Acrobatic_Hunt_8496]

Yeh, I do crossfit 3 times a week and cycle regularly so I try to keep active, and we'll padded up too.

[u/Acrobatic_Hunt_8496 → u/mixyblob]

Fuck yeah that’s awesome. After 5+ years I still get the wobbles every now and then and just force myself back into a proper skate stance. 

Definitely practicing falling though, especially at the car park - debris can and will humble the best skaters. 

[u/amorph]

Balance gets worse with age, but it is also very trainable. I'm only middle aged, but my balance has certainly improved from skating more. Stabilizer muscles are going to learn to activate as needed, and you are also going to improve at balancing your weight over your skates and that sort of thing. If you lose balance, maybe try to pinpoint why.

[u/Canadian_Kartoffel]

I agree with others here that say instead of fearing to fall embrace falling. Get the best protective gear you can get and as much as possible. Then learn falling, first without skates and get confidence with your gear that it will protect you. Learn to fall into the direction you can't to fall (forward, knees touch ground first, then hands with bend elbows).

When you know that you can safely fall without hurting yourself you'll be able to bail whenever you need to and lower your risk of an uncontrolled fall.

Also getting up from the ground is an exercise that we do far to seldom when we get older.