Cognitive Agility Letterball For Improved Balance

Not all brain fitness training, or cognitive agility needs to be running around. Cognitive agility is what we call all the neuromotor, balance, reaction, agility category of skills that we can do that will either combine these elements or make them ‘sensory-rich’, or using multiple senses. Today we a simple tool-the letterball.

I’ve written different letters on a beach ball here. The smaller the ball the harder it is. The letters are in different orientations on purpose. For this brain training drill with the letterball we’ll use it as a balance challenge.

Vision is a critical component to balance, and the two are very closely linked. To be the most stable, it helps to look/focus on something that isn’t moving, and with vertical lines. With letterball, you’ll be focusing on something that is moving-which will really challenge your ability to stay balanced. If that wasn’t enough, you’ll have to use your hand-eye coordination to catch and throw. You’re eyes/visual cortex will also be working overtime to process and in many instances re-orient the letters to call them out.

Letterball Reps

I like to keep the reps here fairly low. 10 reps a leg if you’re catching with both hands. If you’re advanced and can catch with just 1 hand-I recommend doing 5 catches each arm/each leg.

Letterball Variations

• Stance. You can be in a slalom or staggered stance or advance it to standing on one leg. You can even kneel on one knee too!
• Bouncing. Easiest is to bounce it off the floor. Harder is bouncing off a wall.
• Ball spin. The less spin the easier. More spin-harder.
• Ball direction. You can throw it forward which is easiest. Or you can throw it to the side which will be harder.

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