Vision exercises to help improve your balance
How to use your eyes to help your balance
Our visual processing can take up as much as 2/3 of our brain’s electrical activity when our eyes are open. 1
When combined with the vestibular and proprioceptive systems, our eyes are very powerful when it comes to helping us maintain an upright position and to reduce falls. Challenging your visual system can be more effective in helping to improve your balance when combined with vestibular, or inner ear, exercises.
The exercise ideas presented here are not intended to be medical advice. Please reach out to your medical provider for definitive diagnosis.
Let’s start with gazing forward and noticing objects within your field of view. Notice and name as many things as you recognize and see without moving your eyes to scan your environment
Standing on one leg, gaze straight ahead and focus on a target. Keeping your eyes focused on a stationary target, turn your head nodding side to side and then up and down. Practice standing on each leg and doing this
Holding a target at arm’s length, move the target and follow with your head and eyes with your head and eyes moving together to track the moving target
Look at a target that is across the room or down the street from where you are. Focus on the far away target for a few seconds. Then, find a closer target and focus on that target for a few seconds. Alternate your focus between the far away and the close up targets
Standing on one leg, pick a target in front of you. Look quickly to the right and come back to center and focus on the target. Repeat to the left, up and down.
If you are at a computer or looking at a mobile device for periods of time, orient yourself to your space by looking away from your screen and scanning your environment.
Holding a pen at arm’s length, practice bringing the pen toward your nose and back out to arm’s length. Keep the pen in focus and stop bringing the pen closer to your nose when you start to see double, or two pens.
Pick two targets at around eye level and arm’s length distance away from you. Practice quickly looking back and forth between the two targets. Use a metronome to practice doing this at varied speeds. Your head stays still with this and only the eyes are moving.
I would recommend practicing these activities for several minutes throughout your day as your eye muscles can get fatigued if you aren’t used to this type of practice.
Give yourself time and consistent practice to feel changes with your balance. Seek out rehab specialists to help you with these especially if you have been falling or if you have been experiencing dizziness. Please be safe as you attempt these and have someone helping you to avoid injury.
Take good care,
Sharon