Relation between bimanual coordination and whole-body balancing on a slackline

To reveal the fundamental skills involved in slacklining, this study examined a hypothesis regarding single-leg standing on a slackline. In the field of practice, instructors teach learners how to maintain balance on a swinging flat belt (slackline), such as by moving their hands in parallel. We hypothesized that bimanual coordination in the horizontal direction might contribute to dynamic balancing on a slackline. In our pilot study, two participants at different skill levels were asked to maintain their balance on a slackline as long as possible. The dynamic stability of bimanual coordination was assessed by a nonlinear time series analysis (cross recurrence quantification analysis), then compared among the participants. Bimanual coordination stability was higher in the experienced player than in the novice player. The results suggest that the single-leg standing skill might be correlated with bimanual coordination stability. Further investigations are expected to clarify this notion in the future.