Stephanie Yip is one of our vestibular therapists here at Ladner Village Physiotherapy. In Part 2 of her two part series on motion sensitivity, Stephanie gives some great exercise options for motion desensitization.
If you read my last blog post on what motion sensitivity is, and have now realized that this is what has been plaguing your existence, do not fret! Like I emphasized in my last post, this does not have to be your reality! I am here to share with you 10 easy exercises that you can start doing today to finally get over your motion sensitivity!
Before we start, here are some disclaimers:
As mentioned, motion sensitivity rehabilitation DOES require triggering those icky symptoms. I know, so not fun. However, we only want to trigger mild symptoms that resolve within 3-5 minutes. Therefore, it’s really important that for all of these exercises, you start at a small enough dose that you aren’t making yourself sick for the next several hours. This may mean just trying the exercise for 15 seconds to start, and then gradually increasing the amount of time you expose yourself to the stimulus.
Motion sensitivity exercises work best when individualized to the person. You’ve probably already realized that the way you experience motion sickness is very different from your friends. Some people get really sick riding elevators/escalators but have no issues in the car. Others can’t stand being a passenger in a car, but have never had any issues with those spinny rides at amusement parks. In order for your motion sensitivity rehab to be optimal, the exercises you do should be as similar to your personal triggers as possible. Since this is just a generalized list of exercises, you may find that some of them do nothing for you, while others may make you feel awful.
With this in mind, here are some great ideas of motion sensitivity exercises that are easy to fit in to your day-to-day life!
My Top 10 Motion Sensitivity Exercises
1) Look out the side window of your car next time you’re the passenger
If you are one of my fellow car sick sufferers, you have probably noticed that you feel a lot better if you sit in the front seat and look straight ahead. This is because when you are looking straight ahead, your visual and vestibular systems are in agreement and saying the same thing. On the flip side, if you look out the side window, your visual system is seeing all sorts of quickly moving trees and street poles making you feel like you’re moving while your vestibular system is telling the brain you’re just sitting in your car; a mismatch that creates the icky feeling you get. It may not feel great, but if you start with just 15-30 seconds of looking out the side window, then resume looking straight ahead, settle your symptoms, and repeat – you’ll gradually increase your tolerance until sitting in the backseat will no longer be impossible. All your tall friends will love you for it!
2) Play on the swing set
Next time your kids beg you to push them on the swings, see if you can take a turn on the swings instead! The world around you will blur as you swing through, really messing with your visual system, and really helping you with your rehab!
3) Go on the see saw
Since you’re already at the playground, having a blast on the swings, why not take a whirl at the see saw? This exercise is particularly helpful for those of you who get a horrible lurch in the stomach every time you take the elevator, aka those who can’t stand vertical motion.
4) Play some Mario-Kart or any other video game with a lot of looking around
Ever tried playing a first-person shooter game, tried to look around while walking forward and just felt queasy? If yes, and you need an excuse to play some video games guilt-free, you can now tell the world that you’re actually training your vestibular system and being very productive.
5) Watch the clouds while you walk
Do this one responsibly and do check that your coast is clear first! As you walk, your vestibular system will be telling your brain that you are moving forward, but the clouds floating about will be telling your visual system something totally different. Use this mismatch to your advantage and get training.
6) Log roll down a hill
This one is pretty self-explanatory and is definitely for those looking for an advanced level exercise. Be warned – go slow with this one and build up gradually.
7) Read while walking, as a passenger in the car, in a hammock or while sitting in a rocking chair
If you’re focused on non-moving words on a page, your visual system won’t be able to correlate with the vestibular system which is telling your brain you’re moving. You can adjust how much you move to make this one easier or harder.
8) Play some focused catch
If you watch a ball being thrown very closely, keeping the ball in focus the whole time, the background behind the ball will be both blurry and moving. This can confuse your brain and bring on those feelings of motion sickness.
9) Do some eyes closed yoga or t’ai chi
You wouldn’t expect something as simple as yoga or t’ai chi to really amp up your motion sickness. If you’re a regular yogi or t’ai chi practitioner, this is often a really nice way to slowly start tackling those gross feelings. When you take away your vision and add some movement, your brain really has to work overtime to figure out where you are!
10) Do some chair spins
That office chair you spend most of your day in? Give it a good twirl every once in awhile! Not only can this one be done quickly, you likely can do it a LOT throughout the day without too much effort.
What are your favourite exercises to combat motion sickness? Add some ideas in the comments below!
If you’re suffering from motion sickness, we can help - book online, send us an email or give us a call at (778) 630-8800.
