V.6.3. Development of balancing skills

We can mention 3 important phases in the development of balancing skills. The first phase is the age group between 4-8 years, when only slow progress can be observed. Later, the second phase for girls is between 8-12 years and for boys is 8-14 years. At this time there are no gender differences, so the performance of boys and girls are equal. This equality ceases at 12 years, when the performance of girls decline. This situation improves only later, after puberty. This characteristic can be observed with children 6-17/18 years.

The girls’ balancing performance also shows a downward trend between 12-14 years. The girls’ growth in width may be in relation to this systematic decline. The widening of the hips interrupts the biomechanical conditions and this can play a role in the deterioration of the balancing ability. The subsequent upward trend, which occurs after 14-15 years, also means the end of puberty and the development of the permanent structure. Finally, the third phase follows, when the boys perform better than at the age of 18.

The performance changes the most at 8-10 years, but important and significant changes occur between 11-12 years. The development reaches 50% by 9-10 years, then 75% at 11 years and by 12 years it reaches 90%.

The long evolution of our balancing ability does not end with young age, it lasts all the way to adulthood and like other motor abilities, the best performance happens between 20-30 years. Later, the balancing ability remains at the same level until 50 years, then it shows decline which is caused by the decrease in fine coordination (Farmosi, 2011).