How to Get Better Balance If You Only Have One Eye

Your body depends on signals sent from your eyes to your brain to keep you in balance. When you have only one eye, your balance may need improvement. You can practice balance exercises to strengthen your supporting leg muscles. Balance exercises also encourage your body and mind to work together to keep you upright. The National Institute on Aging suggests using levels of progression with the balancing exercises. Begin by holding onto the back of a chair. As your balance improves, place fingertips on the chair, or let go of the support. As you continue to improve, close your seeing eye during exercise.

Things You'll Need

• High-backed chair

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Instructions

• 1

  Stand on one foot. Face the back of a chair. Place both hands, one hand or fingertips on the back of the chair for balance support. Shift the weight of your body onto your right foot and bend your left knee to lift your left foot behind your body. Maintain your balance for one minute and then switch feet. Add progressions, such as removing your hands from the chair, as your balance improves.

• 2

  Stand on your toes. Face the back of a chair. Hold onto the back of the chair with your hands, one hand, or fingertips if you need balance support. Stand tall and then lift your heels to position your body weight on your toes. Contract the muscles in your calves and hold for one second. Release your heels to floor and then repeat eight to 15 times. Add progressions as your balance improves.

• 3

  Walk stairs. Practice walking up and down stairs holding onto the handrail. As your balance improves, use fingertips on handrail and then walk stairs without holding on.

• 4

  Perform straight leg raises. Stand tall with your right hip toward the back of your chair, using your right hand for support. Lift your straight left leg to the front of your body aiming for hip height. Lower your leg. Lift your left leg to the side of your body aiming for hip height. Lower your leg. Lift your left leg to the back of your body to a comfortable height that you can achieve without bending forward. Lower your leg. Repeat the sequence five to 10 times; then do the exercises on the opposite leg.

• 5

  Perform single leg jumps. Imagine the shape of a square on the floor and that you are standing in one corner. Stand on one foot and jump to and from the other three corners of the square. Pause three seconds at each corner. Repeat on the opposite foot.