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.)
- 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.)
- Walking close to a wall for support if needed, walk along it heel to toe.
- 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!
