Eye forward, toes forward, smile, hands up and loose, smile
Transcript
Did you know that falls are the leading cause of fatal injuries in people over 65? Your balance gets worse as you get older. Studies have proven that balancing on one foot can help.
Here’s a fun way to improve your balance that your whole family can enjoy. Can you walk a straight line, heel to toe? If you can, then slack lining might be for you!
It’s bouncy like a trampoline. It’s fun and you’ll improve your balance. If you’re ever on Survivor, this will come in handy.
First, get yourself a 50 foot slack line for $50 and up. Find a safe place to rig it.
Make sure there’s nothing hard to bang your head on, over grass, sand or water is ideal. No sticks, stones or broken glass. I promise you, you’ll be falling off it a lot, so fall safely.
I’m anchoring to a couple of trees that are about 15 paces apart and at least a foot wide. Anything solid will do. Wrap the tree in a towel to protect it. Keep your line rolled up, wrap it around the tree and then shove the line through loop. Mount it at least high enough that it won’t touch the ground when you are on it. For me, that’s about knee high. Then toss the line out.
On the other side is the winch, loop it around the tree. Put a half twist in it so that the line is flat. Shove the line through this slot and make sure the ratchet is on top. Pull the line tight and ratchet it tighter. The shorter and tighter the line, the easier it is to walk. It’s a cinch with a winch.
Get on in the middle of the line. If you go slow, you’ll shake more. Hop up and Bobs your uncle. Find your balance, knees slightly bent, chin up and pick a spot on the tree at eye level to focus on. Keep your hips and shoulders above your feet. Keep your head over the slack line. Record yourself from the side and watch it to see what you are doing. You’ll learn faster and you’ll get some funny videos.
Keep your toes on the line, take it one step at a time. It’s a cake walk.
There’s a lot of tension on the line, when you start to fall, jump off.
It’s as easy as falling off a log.
Take your time, it’s not like you’re going anywhere.
After your first 5 minutes, you may feel like giving up. Don’t give up! Build your confidence by having a shoulder to balance yourself, ski poles or crutches.