Increase Peripheral Vision & Hand / Eye Coordination While Walking
When we stop using our peripheral vision, we restrict our vision and start to lose our ability to see outside of our narrow focus, kind of like the dog in the picture.
As we age, many people start to look down at the ground in front of them more frequently, and several have told me they need to do this to make sure they won’t trip over something while walking.
When we’re walking on pavement, we do need to know what’s in front of us, but we can do that by looking a few feet in front of where we are walking, rather than at the space right in front of our feet.
By looking at the ground in front of us, we have to use more of our peripheral vision to be aware of our surrounding and this helps to improve our vision by expanding our view and changing the way we’re using our eyes.
We spend so much time in “narrow view”, on computers, phones and other screens, that we sometimes forget how to access our wider range of vision.
If you’re walking alone on pavement, I have a fun game for you that will not only increase your hand-eye coordination, but will also help to improve your posture and vision by teaching you to use more of your peripheral vision.
Start by taking a soft “pinky’ ball out on your walk. Periodically bounce and catch the ball as you walk and allow yourself to look at the boll as you catch it.
Get good at doing this with both hands and then go back to your dominant hand and try to bounce and catch the ball while walking and using your peripheral vision. This means that you’re looking at the road a few feet in front of you while also trying to increase your periperheral vision to the side / front of you.
It’s pretty challenging if you don’t give yourself enough time to make sure that you have good coordination catching the ball while looking at it first.
If you can’t catch the ball easily while looking at it, don’t move on to trying to walk, bounce and catch a ball without looking directly at it. Just practice occasionally bouncing and catching the ball during the course of your walk. Do experiment with doing this with both dominant and non-dominant hands though.
When you get back home, try using your peripheral vision to catch the ball from a stationary position. This takes away one of the moving variables and lets you concentrate more intensely on your task. It also means less chasing a ball down the street while walking!
Have fun with it and notice how quickly both your coordination and your vision shift when you practice it a few times.
Action Step:
Find a soft bouncy ball in your home that fits easily into your hand or pick one up at a Dollar Store.
Practice bouncing and catching the ball in each hand while at home, first while looking at the ball and then using more of your peripheral vision.
When you feel pretty competent, take your ball out for a walk and enjoy improving your new skills.
