Figure skaters do get dizzy, but years of training change how their brain and balance system react, so they recover so fast it looks like they don’t.

How Do Figure Skaters Not Get Dizzy?

The Quick Scoop

  • Their inner ear (balance system) adapts after years of spinning practice, so the brain “downplays” dizziness signals.
  • They practice spins gradually so their body learns to tolerate more revolutions with less discomfort.
  • Technique matters: centered spins, smooth speed, and how they look or blink afterward all help them regain balance quickly.
  • Most skaters still feel some dizziness, but they learn to skate through it and recover in a second or two.

What’s Going On Inside Their Head?

When you spin, fluid in your inner ear (the vestibular system) sloshes around and tells your brain you’re moving, which creates that “whoa, I’m dizzy” feeling. Over time, skaters’ brains adapt and stop reacting as strongly to those repeated spinning signals, so the same motion feels less disorienting.

A study mentioned in sports science reporting found that about 12 weeks of regular spin practice measurably reduces how dizzy people feel after spinning. Olympic coverage has also highlighted research showing that elite skaters can partially “shut off” or ignore some balance signals, letting them stay coordinated after long spins. In simple terms, their brain has been trained to treat spinning as “normal.”

Training Tricks Skaters Use

Skaters don’t just rely on biology; they use specific techniques to manage dizziness.

1. Gradual Spin Training

  • They start with slower, shorter spins and add speed and revolutions over time.
  • Consistent practice teaches the brain and body that spinning is safe, so panic and nausea decrease.

2. Smooth, Even Spins

Olympian Karen Chen has described how keeping a spin smooth and at a steady speed helps her stay oriented and less dizzy. Sudden changes—like jerky entries or abrupt stops—make dizziness worse, so skaters train for clean, controlled rotations.

3. Centering the Spin

Bradie Tennell has explained that staying in one spot on the ice (a well- centered spin) feels more stable. When the blade moves all over the place, the body experiences more uneven forces, which can amplify the dizzy sensation.

Vision Tricks: What They Do With Their Eyes

Skaters can’t “spot” exactly like dancers (snapping the head around every turn) because their spins and jumps are too fast and the forces are too high for the neck. But they still use vision smartly:

  • Glazed focus during the spin: Many skaters keep their eyes open but let their vision go slightly unfocused, so they’re not tracking the room whipping around them.
  • Fixing on a landmark afterward: As they come out of a spin, some quickly fix their eyes on a stationary object (like a mark on the boards) to help their brain reorient and stabilize.
  • Rapid blinking after spinning: Tennell has mentioned that blinking quickly after spins helps her “snap out of” the dizzy feeling, likely by helping the visual system reset.

Forum skaters and coaches often mention similar tricks—keeping a relaxed gaze, avoiding closing the eyes, and choosing a reference point to find their direction again.

Do They Still Feel Dizzy?

Experts and skating coaches have emphasized that this is a bit of a trick question: skaters do get dizzy, especially when they’re learning. The difference is:

  • With practice, they recover in a second or two instead of stumbling.
  • Their routines are choreographed so they have a moment of gliding or skating in a different direction right after a big spin, which helps them reset.
  • They build not just tolerance, but also strategies—how to breathe, where to look, and how to time movements—to hide any wobble from the audience.

A popular explanation in “explain like I’m five” discussions sums it up: the feeling doesn’t vanish, the brain just gets really good at handling it so it doesn’t throw off coordination.

Mini Example: Learning Not to Get (So) Dizzy

Imagine a new skater learning their first scratch spin:

  1. At first, 2–3 turns make them wobbly and they have to stop and stand still.
  2. Over weeks, they practice short, smooth spins a few times each session; the dizzy feeling shrinks and they can skate out afterward.
  1. Months later, they can do 10+ revolutions, blink a few times, fix their eyes on a spot by the boards, and go straight into footwork with barely a hint of wobble.

Same inner ear, very different training.

Forum & “Trending Topic” Angle

Whenever big competitions or the Winter Olympics roll around, questions like “how do figure skaters not get dizzy” spike on Q&A forums and Reddit threads. Common replies from skaters and dancers there echo what science and pros say:

  • “You just get used to it” (long-term vestibular adaptation).
  • “Practice, practice, practice” (gradual exposure).
  • “We use spotting-like tricks and landmarks to reorient ourselves,” though not the classic slow ballet spotting during fast spins.

This mix of science, coaching tips, and lived experience keeps the topic popular every time a viral spin clip circulates.

TL;DR: Figure skaters do get dizzy, but years of spin practice train their inner ear and brain to react less, and they use smooth technique plus visual tricks so they can recover almost instantly and keep performing.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.