Improve your balance with these exercises
What's the story
Vertigo can be an unsettling experience, leading to dizziness and balance challenges that may affect daily activities.
Fortunately, there are specific exercises that can help manage these symptoms effectively.
This article features five such exercises that are easy to perform and require no special equipment, making them accessible for anyone experiencing vertigo.
Balance basics
Standing on one foot
Stand behind a sturdy chair, holding onto the back of it for support.
Raise one foot off the ground, and try to balance on the other foot for 20 to 30 seconds.
Repeat this five times with each foot, two times a day.
Once you get better at balancing, you can try it without holding onto anything for support.
Precision walking
Walking heel to toe
Imitate a tightrope walker by positioning your right foot directly in front of your left, with the heel touching the toes.
Step forward with your left foot, placing it directly in front of your right.
Repeat this process with slow, deliberate movements for 20 steps, twice a day. This exercise improves coordination and balance.
Strengthening sides
Side leg raises
Side leg raises strengthen the hip abductors, which are essential for lateral balance.
Stand behind a chair, holding it for support.
Slowly raise one leg to the side while keeping your back straight and toes pointing forward; resist the urge to tilt your hips.
Pause for three seconds, then slowly lower your leg.
Do 10 reps on each side, once a day.
Focus training
Eye tracking movements
Eye tracking exercises improve your vision's stability during head movements, which can help minimize vertigo symptoms caused by sudden changes in perspective.
Hold an object with text at arm's length directly in front of you, at eye level.
Keep your head stationary, moving only your eyes to follow a line of text left to right and then up and down.
Repeat this exercise for two minutes, twice daily.
Mobility enhancement
Head movements
Head movement exercises help decrease dizziness by training the brain to get used to quick positional changes.
Sit up straight on a chair; begin by slowly turning your head from side to side twenty times; then nod it up and down twenty times as well—do these movements two times a day.