Why do figure skaters lean back & still don’t fall?
Why can people lean backwards like that and not fall over? It turns out practice builds new neural maps in the cerebellum. The map fires neurons to cancel out normal reflex signals. Something similar goes on when they spin. Spin around on a chair, stop suddenly and try to get up. There’s fluid in your inner ear that’s still moving and your brain does that calculation and claims you’re still spinning. One of the feedbacks is to make your eyes move to compensate for the now non-existant motion and the mismatch makes you dizzy. Try and get up and see how that works. With practice skaters build up and spin resistance neural map – also in the cerebellum – that precisely blocks the sense of motion at the end of the spin. As a result their eyes don’t move and they don’t get dizzy.
Things I learn on my friend Steve’s blog are amazing.