Balance and Coordination - Level 1

Step 1: Determine your dominant eye. Pick a small object about 10-20 yards away, street sign, exit sign etc. Stretch out your arm and make a peep hole (see figure to the right) using your thumb and first finger. Keep both eyes open and look through the peephole at the sign. The sign should be in the middle of your peephole. Now close your left eye. The sign will either disappear or stay in the peephole. If the sign stays in the peephole your right eye is dominant, if it disappears your left eye is dominant. Make note of your dominant eye.

Step 2: Determine dominant hand and dominant leg. Your dominant hand is the one you write with. If you do not know your dominant leg it is usually the one you kick a ball with. If you don't kick a ball take a large leap forward and your dominant leg will lead and land first.

Step 3: Warm-up exercises. Find a partner and stand about 12 feet apart. Using your dominant hands throw the tennis ball back and forth using underhand. Repeat 8 times. Then perform the same drill in the following sequence (see figure to the right):

1. Non-dominant hand
2. Dominant hand standing only on dominant leg
3. Dominant hand standing only on non-dominant leg
4. Non-dominant hand standing only on dominant leg
5. Non-dominant hand standing only on non-dominant leg

At this point you will notice increased difficulty in throwing with your non-dominant hand and further difficulty on your non-dominant leg. Already you are seeing balance and coordination improvements as you must focus more to track the ball successfully!

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• Strength, Balance and Coordination - Level 2
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