At-Home Balance Exercises for Vertigo

Posted on by ENT & Allergy Specialists - Ear Nose and Throat Physicians and Surgeons

Vertigo is a frustrating and sometimes debilitating condition characterized by extreme dizziness. You may feel like you’re spinning when standing still or have trouble discerning up from down. It can be a common symptom of balance disorders like Meniere’s disease or benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).

Couple doing balance exercises in their home.

You can strengthen your sense of balance by performing simple balance exercises. This will build up a tolerance in the brain to overcome dizziness.

The Exercises

For each of the following exercises, start slowly and have someone present for safety. Practice one or more of these moves every day. Over time, you may gradually do them for longer, for more repetitions or with your eyes closed.

Stand in a flat place and have a chair or surface (like a table or a counter) in front of you. This will give you stability when you feel dizzy. You should also have a wall behind you to prevent falling backward. These supports are especially important if you’re practicing on your own.

Romberg Exercise

  1. As mentioned above, stand on a flat surface with a table or chair in front of you and a wall behind you.
  2. Stand with your feet together and your arms at your side.
  3. Hold this standing position for 30 seconds.
  4. Once you feel comfortable holding the pose, try doing it with your eyes closed.

Standing Sway Exercise

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides, the wall at your back and the chair or surface in front.
  2. Gently lean forward, then backward. Do not bend at the hips and do not lift your heels or toes.
  3. Repeat this back-and-forth sway 20 times.
  4. Turn to the side so the wall is on one side of you and the chair is on the other.
  5. Gently lean to the left, then to the right.
  6. Repeat this side-to-side sway 20 times. 

Marching in Place

  1. Stand with your feet a comfortable distance apart and your arms at your sides.
  2. Lift one knee up to the ceiling, as if taking a step. Lower your foot back down.
  3. Repeat on the other side.
  4. Take 20 “steps” in place.

Gaze Stabilization

You can do this exercise sitting down, so you don’t need the chair and wall setup of the previous ones. If you wear glasses, wear them while doing this exercise.

  1. Hold an object in your hand and hold it up in front of you, about two or three feet from your eyes. It doesn’t matter what the object is, but make sure you can hold it up for a time without it getting heavy (like a playing card or button).
  2. Fix your eyes on the object. Focus on it, don’t let your vision blur. Hold for 30 seconds.
  3. Move your head up and down slowly, still focused on the object in your hand, for another 30 seconds.
  4. Hold your head still and move the object side to side, keeping your eyes fixed on it. Do this for 30 seconds.

If you have any questions about vertigo, balance disorders or vestibular rehabilitation, contact our balance experts at ENT & Allergy Specialists – Ear Nose and Throat Physicians and Surgeons.

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