Practice: Balance Training For Fall Prevention

Trent McEntire 

Hi. I'm Trent McIntyre. In this session, I'm gonna teach you how to have better balance and prevent falls. We're using the brain speed ball today to teach you a simple game that has powerful effects and how your brain works, how you process information, keep you feeling steady and sturdy on your feet and secure as you navigate the terrain around you. So when we talk about balance and fall prevention, there's 2 key things we have to consider and these are the senses that give the brain information. So the 2 key senses that we're gonna be dealing with today are your eyes or your visual sense and your inner ear or your vestibular sense. So your eyes and your inner ear are 2 sensory systems that work together with eye movement and head movement to tell your brain where you are in space, to tell you where the horizon is so you can navigate in safe and secure way. So the game is about tracking the ball so we can then combine eye movement and head movement together into one game. 

Now I'm showing the game solo today, but I highly encourage you to play with a partner, a loved one, a coworker, anybody that also would like to benefit from the game and prevent falls and have better balance. Remember, this is meant to be fun. So make it challenging, but not so challenging that you get frustrated or you feel like you can't do the game. So let's start with the basics of the game. It's just tracking the ball as it moves through the air. So just tossing it a small toss either to yourself or hopefully to a partner and just watch the ball as it comes into your hands. At this point, you really don't have to find something specific on the ball, just the orange ball itself or whatever ball you have. And if you don't have a brain speed ball, you can always make one yourself. 

My ball has a through z and 1 through 12 printed on it. It just makes for nice targets that we'll get to in a second. So just basic catching, making sure you kind of vary where you throw it. It doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't have to go to the same spot every time. Just and showing yourself that you're able to catch the ball. Perhaps it's been a minute since you've thrown a ball or caught a ball. Especially when you're playing with a partner, it's a little harder to know where the ball's going, so your reaction time might be challenged a little bit. 

And that's okay too. If you drop the ball, just pick it up and keep playing. I actually encourage you to drop the ball once in a while. That keeps it more and. You don't get so serious about it having to be perfect or feeling like you're passing or failing the game. So once you have a sense of being able to catch the ball, the next thing you're gonna do is spot something specific that's on the ball. So I'm gonna look for it when it's in the air and as it comes into my hands, I'm gonna spot it and I'm gonna say it out loud. So if I was playing full out, it would look and sound like this. 

X x. 2 in a row. Right. T 584l o z. So that's a basic level where you're spotting a specific target. My head is moving a little bit because the ball is going up and down so that's going to support a little bit of vestibular challenge, that inner earpiece, And my eyes are traveling because I'm tracking the ball as it comes up and down. So my visual sense is getting that combination with it. But I wanna help you increase how much head movement you have as you're able. 

So if that level of the game was just the right amount of challenge for you, that's great. Stick with that one. But as that becomes more comfortable and feels less challenging, here's the next set that you would do. So you throw the ball and catch it. Wherever you catch it, you're gonna spot that. I have a 3. Now I'm gonna hold the ball still. And while it's still, I'm gonna keep my eyes locked on the 3, and I'm gonna turn my head to the right and to the left just a few times each direction and then back to center. 

And I'm gonna take a break for a second because this can be new for you. So at first we're moving your head and your eyes and then we're gonna hold your eyes still and only move your head. Again, it looks like this. N. Just the head, keeping the eyes locked on. I can see and n, it's not blurry, it's clear, and I'll throw it again. I caught it up here this time so it's a little different angle. My head's up a little bit higher and that's great. 

I have an o. I'm gonna go sideways. E. But I got a little close. If it gets too close, just move it away from your face and make sure eyes cross. That's okay. Alright. Now I'm gonna show you how to make this same game a little bit slower, a little bit easier. 

So small toss and catch, I have a t. I'm gonna keep my eyes locked onto the t and just move to the right and back to center. And the left and back to center and then toss it again. 6, just to the right real simple, and center, little pause there, left, and center. Good. Remember the combination of your eyes and your inner ear working together is where the magic happens. It's where it's powerful in improving your balance. So you don't wanna make it so fast that it makes you dizzy. 

If you're feeling dizzy or you're feeling disoriented in any way, slow down, make the game simpler. Remember, it's a fun game. So feeling dizzy isn't fun. So if you feel that, you wanna make the game fun and keep it at a level that feels like it's challenging but doesn't become a problem for you. And it might take a couple tries to feel like you get your zone of really where that game works best for you. And that's okay. So let me show you another head movement. Same kind of toss and catch. 

I have an l. This time I'm gonna go on the vertical line, so my nose is gonna go down and my nose is gonna go up. Doesn't have to be too fast, just kind of a medium speed. My eyes are locked on to the l, just my head moves. I'll toss it again. S. Oops. I went side to side. 

How about that? Up and down. You can always combine them, make it even more challenging. And more like this, v. Good. Now I'm gonna get close so you can see my eyes a little bit better. You might not see the ball as well, but I want you to see how my eyes are locked on and just my head is moving a little more clearly. So a little toss, I have an m, eyes are locked on. and. 

Vertical line. Alright. So you get a sense of having your eyes and head move together when you're tossing the ball and then holding your eyes still while your head moves. And that combination is really powerful for your balance improvement. Now, what I want you to do is to feel like you have the ability to test results. And so here's a couple of ideas for you to test before and after. And this is all based on your abilities and your comfort level, and what you feel safe doing. Sometimes just walking can feel unsteady. 

And if that's the case for you, you might feel like you just walk a short distance, and get a feel for what that feels like, how steady or unsteady that might feel. You might reach up into a cupboard a couple of times or reach down low a couple of times, see what that feels like, and then play the game. And the game lasts between 1 and 5 minutes. And once you've played the game for 1 and 5 minutes, then you're gonna retest. Take that same walk the same distance you did before, reach into the cupboard the same way, reach down the same way, and see if you can notice some changes. The changes can vary from very subtle to very profound. I've seen the whole spectrum happen in 1 to 5 minutes. So this isn't about having an expectation that's unrealistic for yourself, but it's also knowing that start  to tune into the awareness of what's happening as a result of the game is part of the game. 

Because the more awareness you have, the better you can realize where your balance is improving. And that's part of helping your brain be supported in this whole process. Remember, this is all about brain. It's all about your eyes and your inner ear feeding your brain information so it can better process where you are in space. So if that's the case, I want your awareness to be a part of this because the more awareness you have of before and after, the more improvements you can make in how your brain processes. So that's a and of a fun side effect. Alright, now, when you're playing with a partner, it's fun for you both to play at the same time. Remember, and person isn't the instructor and one person as the sort of patient. 

You're both playing a game to have fun. And that's an important thing to remember. Laugh with each other, keep it social, and make sure that you're playing in a level for each of you. Right? Sometimes it can I can fee you can feel like it gets a little competitive, you know, it's like you wanna you and like up the ante for them and make it extra challenging? And that's fine as long as you both are safe and secure in the process. And again, I'm showing it standing, but seated is quite nice. Really close together can be possible, just a couple of feet. But also, 6 to 6 to 10 feet apart is also very nice. Remember your brain loves fun. 

If you keep it fun, your brain stays curious. It stays interested and what's coming next and kind of open to learning. So start with a level that feels really easy for yourself so that you can build a practice you can rely on, that it doesn't make you feel afraid or scared to try the next level. Remember if you feel dizzy, if it feels like it just is just a little too much for you, make it simpler. Make it smaller, make it slower, and keep it fun. And the bottom line here, again, if you don't have a brain sweep ball, you can make your own. But I would highly encourage you to bring your eye exercise and your head movement exercise into your practice on a regular basis because when you make it a regular practice, at least daily, it's gonna support your balance and fall prevention in a much more powerful way. So have fun. 

We'll give it a try. See you next time.