PSAs on the merits of balance inevitably invoke fall risk among seniors. And it\u2019s true: old folks often have a hard time getting around. Regular falls cause injuries and can be crushing for their independence.<\/p>\n
But balance also starts to slip away earlier than you\u2019d think. In one standing-leg study<\/a> out of Japan, researchers found that eyes-open balance seems to peak at the age of 30, and eyes-closed balance peaks at 28. At 31, does that really mean I\u2019m already on my balance back nine? Fortunately, other research pinpoints tangible decline<\/a> to age 50, which is a bit more palatable.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Balance Is Body Control<\/p>\n Maybe we don\u2019t need an exact birthday to circle. Clearly, balance goes off a cliff at some point and it\u2019s worth some proactive tinkering.<\/p>\n Maybe it helps to sub in a sexier synonym here, like \u201cbody control.\u201d Balance is a full-body enterprise: muscles and joints work with the eyes and inner ears, putting the mysteries of proprioception<\/a> to good use. Better body control can help you play sports longer<\/a>, walk faster<\/a> and strengthen your ankles<\/a>, all healthy aging markers in their own right. Balance exercises also have a habit of strengthening the core and improving range of motion \u2014 two other \u201cmargin\u201d wellness components I\u2019m perpetually looking to sharpen.<\/p>\n And not for nothing: the more you pay attention to your balance, the less you take it for granted. On a commute the other day, hurriedly switching trains, I skipped a step and planted my foot on the fly. My body faltered for a second, but righted itself, and I went on with my day. Normally I wouldn\u2019t have given that millisecond a single thought. But in the aftermath I felt grateful. I still got it. What can I do to keep it? I might\u2019ve found the answer with an unexpected fitness toy.<\/p>\n Tanner Garrity<\/p>\n Consider the SlackBoard<\/p>\n Not to toss Canyon Ranch a stray \u2014 I had a restorative wellness sabbatical<\/a> at the New England clinic once \u2014 but that\u2019s the last place that taught me how to test for balance. The drills there were super boring and the equipment (cones, taped lines, etc.) was the same stuff you see at your local physical therapy.<\/p>\n Thank god for the SlackBoard<\/a>. Gibbon, the godfather of the slacklining industry, now sells a portable slackline. It\u2019s a plank of American maple, hewn like a snowboard, with slots for the slackline to stretch taut a few inches above the surface. Gibbon sells the boards with one or two lines; as you can see in the photos above, I chose a board with two.<\/p>\n As you can also see in that photo, this thing just hangs out in my living room. When it first arrived at the apartment, I promised my confused fianc\u00e9e that I\u2019d slide it behind the couch or in my closet. I\u2019m yet to put it away. The problem is every time I walk past it I want to hop on for a bit. If you\u2019re on the phone, or have the game on, you can literally forget how you even got up there. <\/p>\n You can do squats on it with both feet. Lunges with one foot. Walk forward on it with both feet. Walk backwards. Kick the prow into the air and balance on the back. Or tiptoe like those slackliners I see in McCarren \u2014 minus the setup or fear of a public wipeout.<\/p>\n I\u2019m not going to call this a must-own. (I\u2019m as tired of hyperbolic wellness branding as you are.) It\u2019s also not cheap, at $230. But the SlackBoard is random, effective and wicked fun. I can\u2019t think of a simpler way to get invested in balance training. Gibbon has a whole library of exercise suggestions<\/a>, but I\u2019ve been going rogue, timing eyes-closed stands. So far, it\u2019s been a fitting way to address a longtime blind spot.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\tTanner Garrity<\/p>\n Tanner Garrity is a senior editor at InsideHook, where he\u2019s covered wellness, travel, sports and pop culture since 2017. Beyond the newsroom, he can usually be found running, skating, reading, writing fiction or playing tennis. He lives in Brooklyn.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tMore from Tanner Garrity \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tMore Like This<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"Lie](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/LongevityChamber-Hero-New-1.jpg\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/slackboard-1.jpeg\")
Who needs two trees when you\u2019ve got your living room?<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/slackboard-2.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Tanner](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Tanner_headshot_circle.jpg\")
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