← EXERCISE LIBRARYBalance
Heel-To-Toe Line Walk with Head Turns
Tandem walking with deliberate head turns added. Forces the balance system to keep working while the visual reference moves, which is what happens when you look around while walking.
- 01Set up along a wall or counter you can trail with one hand for the entire length of the walk.
- 02Walk four heel-to-toe steps looking straight ahead to establish the rhythm.
- 03On the next four steps, turn the head slowly to the right and back to centre, one turn per step.
- 04Repeat four steps turning the head to the left, then four steps looking up and down.
- 05Regression: perform the head turns standing still in a tandem stance with both hands on the counter.
- 06Progression: increase to two full head turns per step, then release the wall hand between turns.
- 01Turn the head slowly — this is not a look, it is a slow sweep.
- 02Keep the hand on the wall while the head is moving.
- 03Stop and reset if the room seems to move.
- 01Turning the head quickly — the balance system is overloaded all at once and the client lurches.
- 02Letting go of the support during the head turns — that is the exact moment stability is lowest.
- 03Pushing through dizziness — the drill should be paused and restarted from the regression instead.
Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.