Vertigo: Balance Exercises

Introduction

Many people experience vertigo. If you have Ménière's disease or benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), you may have to deal with vertigo throughout your life. The spinning sensation it causes puts you at risk for falling and can also affect your quality of life if it interferes with your level of activity. You can do exercises at home to help your body get used to the confusing signals that cause your vertigo. Doing these exercises may help you cope with your vertigo.

 What exercises are helpful to improve balance for vertigo?
 Why is it important to exercise for balance?
 How to exercise for balance
 Where to get more information

More information about vertigo can be found in the following topics:

• Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
• Ménière's Disease
• Dizziness: Lightheadedness and Vertigo
• Labyrinthitis and Vestibular Neuritis

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What exercises are helpful to improve balance for vertigo?

Exercises for vertigo often sound very simple. But depending on how bad your vertigo is, you may find them difficult to do. They generally consist of exercises that practice:

• Maintaining balance while standing still.
• Maintaining balance while swaying.
• Maintaining balance while turning.
• Maintaining balance while walking.
• Head movements. Head movements are one of the most common triggers of vertigo. Practicing moving your head may help your body learn how to deal with the problems that cause your vertigo.

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Why is it important to exercise for balance?

If you experience ongoing bouts of vertigo, no matter what the cause, you have a greater risk of losing your balance and falling. The benefits of doing balance exercises may include:

• Having better balance with less risk of falling and hurting yourself and others.
• Improving self-confidence and self-esteem. As your balance improves, you may feel more confident that you can get out more and do more with others.

Within a few days to weeks of consistently doing balance exercises, you may notice a decline in vertigo symptoms.

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How to exercise for balance

Use the following exercises to improve and safeguard your balance. Your vertigo symptoms may improve within a few days to a few weeks.

With each exercise, start out slowly. Over time, you can gradually try to do the exercise for a longer time or do more repetitions. When you first begin, it is important to have someone with you in case you feel you are going to fall. As you progress, you may be able to do some of the exercises on your own.

• Exercises to improve balance for vertigo: Level 1 may help. An example is to simply stand with your feet together, arms at your side, and hold this position for 30 seconds.
• Exercises to improve balance for vertigo: Level 2 may reduce vertigo symptoms. For example, you can stand with your feet together with arms at your side while slowly moving your head up and down and side to side.
  • Tracking chart for level 1 and level 2 exercises can make you aware of your progress. Prepare a list that shows the date, the time you spent exercising, how often your eyes were open or closed, and how you felt during each exercise.
• Walking exercises for vertigo may improve your balance and symptoms of vertigo. A specific start/stop method is used to improve your balance.
  • Tracking chart for walking exercises can help you see your progress. Prepare a list that shows the distance you walked, how often you walked, and how you felt while you were walking.

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Where to get more information

Exercise can be a valuable tool in dealing with vertigo and imbalance. The exercises in this topic are a start. It is also possible to target exercises to your condition. Talk to your doctor about how to do this.

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