Vanderbilt Chiropractic

Week 4 Balance Exercises

Exercises to increase balance and decrease motion sickness

All of the motion sickness exercises should make you slightly dizzy or nauseous. While this does not sound fun, remember the saying, no pain no gain. Unless you push your brain past its comfort point, no rehabilitation can be gained. Most people will feel the effects for 5-10 minutes after finishing the exercises. If you continue to feel dizzy or nauseous after an hour, decrease the amount or speed of the exercises for next time. Remember, start slowly and don’t overtax your system. This is a marathon, not a sprint. You can begin by trying out all of the new exercises on the first night or by choosing to only do one or two new ones a night and spreading them out throughout the week. Continue adding on to the previous weeks’ exercises and switching them up every night so that your body doesn’t adapt to one move only!

When attempting these exercises, always make sure to be holding on to something stable or to be near something stable that you could easily grab if you begin to lose balance. If you start feeling overly nauseous or dizzy, take one hand and press down on the top of your head for a few seconds or make a pair of binoculars with your hands and look through them at the ground.

Week 4:

Motion sickness: Alright, time to step things up a notch this week with wall rolls! Stand with your back against a long wall with nothing else on it. Take your right shoulder off the wall and turn to the left until facing the wall. Next, take your left shoulder off the wall and turn to the left until your back is again up against the wall. Repeat until you get to the end of the wall or try to at least get 8 full rolls in. Reverse the process to get back to the starting point. You can perform this exercise with eyes open and then eyes closed.

Balance: Begin by standing with feet together and arms holding onto a chair either in front of you or to the side. Next, you are going to bend over at the waist while beginning to lift one leg up behind you. The goal is to keep your body as straight as possible and to get into a T shape. One leg is on the ground with your upper body and the other leg is in a straight line. Try to hold this pose for 20 seconds. When you begin to feel more comfortable with this pose, try attempting it without holding on to the chair. Once you have mastered that part of the exercise, try closing your eyes or moving your arms around while still holding the pose!

Good luck!

Week 3 Balance Exercises

Exercises to increase balance and decrease motion sickness

All of the motion sickness exercises should make you slightly dizzy or nauseous. While this does not sound fun, remember the saying, no pain no gain. Unless you push your brain past its comfort point, no rehabilitation can be gained. Most people will feel the effects for 5-10 minutes after finishing the exercises. If you continue to feel dizzy or nauseous after an hour, decrease the amount or speed of the exercises for next time. Remember, start slowly and don’t overtax your system. This is a marathon, not a sprint. You can begin by trying out all of the new exercises on the first night or by choosing to only do one or two new ones a night and spreading them out throughout the week. Continue adding on to the previous weeks’ exercises and switching them up every night so that your body doesn’t adapt to one move only!

When attempting these exercises, always make sure to be holding on to something stable or to be near something stable that you could easily grab if you begin to lose balance. If you start feeling overly nauseous or dizzy, take one hand and press down on the top of your head for a few seconds or make a pair of binoculars with your hands and look through them at the ground.

Week 3:    

Motion Sickness:   (More detailed explanation below)

  1. Hold a business card an arm’s length away and turn your head from side to side and up and down while focusing your eyes on the card.
  2. Continue to hold the business card an arm’s length away, but this time when turning your head from side to side and up and down, bring the card side to side and up and down as well.

Start with a business card or some other small object that you can focus on when holding it an arm’s length away. Focus on the target while turning your head from side to side for at least one minute. Repeat the exercise while moving the head up and down.

Now, when turning your head from side to side move the business card side to side as well in the same direction as head movement, and then up and down. Finally, repeat this exercise while moving the business card to the opposite of side of where you are looking, but make sure to stay focused on the business card at all times.

Balance:

This week we are going to work on ankle sways. Stand with feet shoulder width apart and arms at side looking straight ahead. Slowly shift your weight forward to your toes and then backwards to your heels for one minute. All movement should come from the ankles, there should be no bending at the hips. Next, shift your weight from side to side.

Start this exercise with eyes open and then try eyes closed. To train different parts of your brain, you can try practicing this exercise on a foam pad or cushion as well.

Good luck!

 

Week 2 Balance Exercises

Exercises to increase balance and decrease motion sickness:

All of the motion sickness exercises should make you slightly dizzy or nauseous. While this does not sound fun, remember the saying, no pain no gain. Unless you push your brain past its comfort point, no rehabilitation can be gained. Most people will feel the effects for 5-10 minutes after finishing the exercises. If you continue to feel dizzy or nauseous after an hour, decrease the amount or speed of the exercises for next time. Remember, start slowly and don’t overtax your system. This is a marathon, not a sprint. You can begin by trying out all of the new exercises on the first night or by choosing to only do one or two new ones a night and spreading them out throughout the week. Continue adding on to the previous weeks’ exercises and switching them up every night so that your body doesn’t adapt to one move only!

When attempting these exercises, always make sure to be holding on to something stable or to be near something stable that you could easily grab if you begin to lose balance. If you start feeling overly nauseous or dizzy, take one hand and press down on the top of your head for a few seconds or make a pair of binoculars with your hands and look through them at the ground.

Week 2: Doing great!

Motion Sickness:   (More detailed explanation below.)

  1. Sit on a chair placing a fist on each knee. Bend down until your head touches the right fist, or as far as it can go, and then come back up. Next, switch to the left fist. Continue alternating for up to one minute, but don’t push yourself too far.

This exercise is called Face to Knee, and it’s just like it sounds! Sit in a chair with feet about shoulder width apart and place each hand, in a fist, on each knee. Bend down until your forehead touches your right fist and sit back up. Do the same to the left. Continue to alternate for one minute. If you are feeling light-headed or dizzy, rest a moment or stop the exercise here. If you are still feeling okay, go on to the next pattern. Bend down until your forehead touches your right fist, then touch your forehead to your left fist before coming up. Do the same starting left and then going right. Continue to alternate for one minute. After practicing a few days, see if you can begin to speed up the movement.

Balance:    (More detailed explanation below.)

  1. Walking close to a wall for support if needed, walk along it heel to toe.
  2. Again walking close to a wall for support, go up and down along the wall doing the grapevine.

Today we will practice some walking exercises. Start in a wide open area that allows you to take at least 12 steps in a direction. If you are worried about falling, try to do these exercises along a wall. First try walking heel to toe. Place your right foot down and then place your left heel right up against the front of your right foot. Walk in a line for at least 12 steps and then turn around and come back. Next is the crossover or the grapevine. This will require you to face sideways. Start by putting your right foot out and then cross your left foot in front of your right foot. Then move your right foot out again and cross your left foot behind you right foot. After you have done this at least 12 steps, come back starting with your left foot this time.

When you feel that you have mastered these walking exercises, try setting up a line and seeing if you can stay on it, and finally you can try and close your eyes while doing the exercises.


Good luck!

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