Dan Metcalfe spent the early part of his life as an athlete, performer and dancer. He played in the soccer leagues of England; before changing careers, performing and touring around the world with Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber West End shows and other theater and dance performances. Dan suffered an injury, during a performance, that took 6 months to recover from. During rehabilitation Dan became acutely aware of the recovery process and how the muscles and brain needed to work together to remap balance and stabilization movements. Inspired after his recovery, Dan has spent much of his life coaching and training others.
“Changing lives for the better has always driven me. I have trained professional athletes from around the world. I get as much satisfaction seeing people improve their quality of life as anything I have achieved. Taking dreams and turning them into reality is a miracle.”
Dan and Bob
In 2014, Dan met Bob Eubanks (then in his late 70s) while coaching Bob’s son in soccer. Dan and Bob forged a friendship. Over time they also became business partners. “Bob has always been a very active and fit person” recalls Metcalfe, “Even in his 70s, it’s was admirable to see Bob's energy and drive.”
In 2017, Dan noticed a changed in Bob. He was now 79 years old. Bob struggled to get out of a chair or go up steps. He stopped golfing and taking walks with his wife around the neighborhood. Like most maturing seniors, Bob and everyone around him had accepted this as a natural part of aging. Most of us do with family members. Dan was compelled to help his friend, so he convinced Bob to come train with him.
The Vision of The Board
Over the course of the first training session, Dan took Bob through basic exercise routines he would use with soccer players and dancers to improve movement, coordination and agility. He felt to improve Bob’s balance above everything else. However, Dan noticed the issue was not Bob's body strength, but rather his confidence and trust of his body to do what he wanted it to. Dan had to create a whole new training program, never done before. It would take a lot of thought and preparation, not sticking to conventional programs. The 60uP Balance Board creation began. The first prototype was all wrong. Dan spent hours re-thinking but the right program and equipment just didn't reveal itself to him.
Dan, like many other trainers, felt that Bob needed to strengthen his hip flexors to lift his feet, and his core to control his body lines. He was wrong on both accounts. Bob had a strong body. What he didn't have was the confidence to lift his feet off the ground for fear of falling and not being able to catch himself before the ground did. That feeling comes from the brain connection to his movement. It needs to be fast and reactive before a problem even occurs. Just as he had always reacted when younger. The problem was not age. The problem was a slowing of the brain feeling to body and sending the right messages fast enough to avoid the fall. Many seniors watch the ground to try to see where they may fall. This is a terrible habit as looking down will pull your weight forward and increase the chance of falling. Even more problematic though is the time for the eyes to see the fall coming, send the message to the brain, have the brain figure the reaction needed and then send the message to the feet takes way too long and ....... hospital is the next destination. Dan had to find a way to reconnect the FEELING so Bob could look up and feel what was happening in time to save his fall.
“I know it sounds cliché, but one night, I dreamt of the board.” Dan reveals. He dreamt of a balance board that could combine all the basic movements needed for everyday life. Increased mobility, coordination, strength, but mostly, how to reconnect the brain to the muscles of the body for better balance. After all, the brain controls the body. Dan woke early that day and ran to the store, excited to build the Balance Board that would change Bob's life. Armed with a limited supply of tools, plywood, screws and glue, Dan got to work on what is now The 60uP Balance Board.
Dan was ecstatic! Within just a few minutes on the balance board, that first day, Dan could see a change in Bob as his brain quickly started to adapt to the routines. Eyes up and FEEL the changes needed. Basic movements, on an ever changing angled surface, activated the brain and remapped it to feel the muscles of the body. Within a few days Bob was not only thriving but his spirit and enthusiasm for life unleashed. Within 3 weeks Dan had Bob running at 6 mph on a treadmill. Incredible. Bob not only changed from dreaming of a future, but to living the dream of a better, higher quality, life.
Dan started to use the board to train others who were suffering from a multitude of immobility, injury, loss of confidence and resulting balance issues. The changes in every person were astonishing. Within just a few days on the balance board, the improvements were truly life changing for each user. For example, Priscilla who wouldn't leave her home safely, within 3 weeks walking the block with her friends, 4 miles a few times a week. Or Rosa, at 81 years of age walking around London for 6 miles through the parks at a pace she hadn't in years. Loving, and enjoying the scenery that her balance had robbed her of for years. And the energy of being around people living life invigorated her.
Creating The 60uP Balance Board and Retraining System
The challenge: If people suffering from balance problems don’t feel stable standing on the ground, how are they going to feel comfortable standing on a surface that rocks side-to-side?
While developing the 60uP program, Dan’s primary goal was safety. First, he added poles for stability. Then he developed over 100 exercises, on the balance board, that builds the users confidence on the board. One step at a time; stimulate the brain, activate the muscles of the body, simulate real life movements and build confidence to not need the board or handles but get back up and outside.
The exercises on the 60uP Balance Board mimic everyday movements. The system retrains the brain and body to perform functions it has done for many years. Simple movements like walking on uneven surfaces, bending down, picking something up or reaching overhead.
As we age, most tend to lose stability. 1 in 4 people over the age of 60 will suffer a crippling fall*. That’s a real statistic. Recovering from an injury or surgery, we begin to become unbalanced and start to favor one leg over the other or one arm more than the other. The 60uP System helps the user to feel safe and strong on varying angles of the ground, find their balance, strengthen all parts of the body evenly, and find that the ground that used to be scary was now a solid, safe platform to move around in life again. .
The Results
As Dan continues to train people suffering from balance issues, the most noticeable after-effect was how stable people felt standing on the ground after working out on the 60uP Balance Board. Performing everyday functions like climbing stairs, picking up the groceries and reaching overhead for something start to become noticeably easier. Actually you stop noticing that you are doing them because the movement is, once again, natural.
“Watching people step onto The 60uP Balance Board and work the program, after a short time, the excitement they get of feeling their body again and realizing how strong they really are… it’s what brings out the emotion of why we do this in the first place”. As a coach and a mentor, Dan feels that having the opportunity to help others achieve their best self is what motivates him every day.
Bob is now in his early 80's and celebrating a life he never thought was possible. He plays golf again and tours regularly making live appearances where he shares stories of his life and his vast knowledge of rock-n-roll history. Most importantly though, for Bob, he once again enjoys long walks with his wife.
60uP Program Can Change Your Life
The 60uP Balance Board and program is made for anybody. Whether you suffer from balance problems, want to prevent future issues or just want to maintain your strength and healthy living, it’s perfect for yourself or someone you care about. Ideally, the program is preventative training before balance issues affect your life.
“When we were growing up, we did this naturally. We didn’t think about the steps we took, we just ran, climbed, jumped and skipped. Your body has been there, you’ve done it, you knew how to do these movements. You just have to know that you can do it again, with the 60uP revolutionary balance board and program. You can, once again, build real confidence in you and live life to its fullest!”
Cheering You On!
Dan Metcalfe