I bet you’ve never given your vestibular system a second thought. Your muscles, your nerves, and even your digestive system, sure, but your vestibular system? Probably not.
What is it?
It is located in the inner ear, about the size of a pencil eraser, and relays information about the head’s position to the brain, helping coordinate voluntary movements. It combines with the eyes to prevent objects from blurring when your head moves.
Its primary function is to maintain awareness of your body’s position in space, known as proprioception.
Here, I’m diving into all things vestibular system, then diving in with four exercises to improve it.
3 Benefits Of a Healthy Vestibular System
For a tiny system, it plays a vital role in your health and well-being.
Better Balance and Fewer Falls
It allows the brain to understand better where your body is in space. Whether you’re walking, running, or lifting weights, you’ll do so with better balance and fewer falls.
Improved Coordination and Movement
This system works with your eyes, muscles, and joints to keep you upright and moving smoothly. When it functions properly, exercises feel more coordinated, your reactions improve, and you are less likely to move like a newborn giraffe.
Greater Confidence
Experiencing unsteadiness can hinder your movement, whereas a healthy vestibular system enhances your sense of stability. This improvement allows you to train harder, move more effectively, and manage daily activities with increased confidence.
Vestibular System Inputs
Here’s how your muscles and nervous system combine with your vestibular system to keep you operating well.
The Musculoskeletal System
Skin, muscles, ligaments, and tendons provide feedback to the brain through the nervous system, making you aware of changes in your environment.
For example, the ankle’s role is to detect and respond to changes in your environment. As the joint closest to the ground, it is the first to sense what is happening and sends signals through the nervous system to the brain for a muscular response. (1, 2, 3)
The Neuromuscular System
All feedback travels through the central and peripheral nervous systems to respond to environmental changes.
For example, the vestibular labyrinths detect head position relative to gravity with great accuracy, about 4–5× better than your eyes. The vestibulocochlear nerve communicates with the cerebellum for rapid adjustments, helping maintain balance and keep you upright.
How Strength Training Improves Your Vestibular System
The vestibular system is the first sensory system to develop, and all other sensory systems depend on it. The ability to hold your head up, stand, and move influences how it functions.
For example, hunching forward over time can lead to forward head posture. For every inch the ears are forward of your shoulders, the weight of the head on the spine increases by 10 pounds. If the vestibular system is not functioning properly due to forward head posture, it can affect balance and proprioception. This may subsequently impact strength, as poor balance can hinder performance. (4) & (5)
Next are four exercises that put this system on high alert.
4 Exercises to Enhance Your Vestibular System
These four exercises focus on promoting good posture, which helps improve the input to your vestibular system and, in turn, enhances your overall balance and posture. Whether you are young or old, it’s never too early or too late to make adjustments for better balance and posture.
Front Racked Kettlebell Bulgarian Split Squat
The front-rack kettlebells reinforce better posture, strengthen the upper back, promote better breathing, and double as a great core-stability exercise.
Why it’s good for the Vestibular System: If you do it wrong, you’ll know. Any flaws in your form will cause you to lose your balance or your grip. Improving thoracic extension, upper back strength, breathing patterns, and core strength under load is all great for your vestibular system.
Programming considerations: Perform as an accessory movement after your main strength move. Pairing it with a single-arm row variation works well.
For example,
1A. Front racked kettlebell Bulgarian split squat 12 reps per side
1B. 3-point dumbbell row 12 reps per side
Overhead Barbell Carry
The overhead barbell carry engages every muscle from head to toe, making each step feel like walking on a tightrope. It enhances balance and promotes good posture because anything less could cause the barbell to hit the floor.
Why it’s good for the Vestibular System: Overhead carries strengthen the upper back, which is essential for improved shoulder mobility and posture, both of which provide better input to the vestibular system.
Programming considerations: These are hard, so program these near the start of your training. Pairing the overhead walk in a superset with an upper-body exercise works well.
For example:
1A. Barbell Bench Press.
1B. Overhead Barbell Carry 20 steps forward, then 20 steps back.
Suitcase Carry
Suitcase carries train the oblique muscles, improving posture, and strengthening the lower back.
Why it’s good for the Vestibular System: A lot of us lean to one side, leading to strength imbalances in the obliques and grip strength, and to poorer posture. Carrying a heavy weight in one hand helps iron out those strength imbalances to improve posture and balance.
Programming considerations: Pair these with a movement that doesn’t require much grip strength.
For example:
1A. Bench press variation
1B. Suitcase carry 40 yards per side
Pullover Deadbug
The standard deadbug does wonders for your breathing, posture, lower back, and core strength. Adding a weight further improves these benefits while strengthening the upper back and chest.
Why it’s good for the Vestibular System: The pullover deadbug helps counteract low back extension during overhead reaching and stretches the lats, preventing a rounded-shoulder appearance. Your improved posture and awareness will only help your vestibular system.
Programming considerations: Superset with an exercise where neutral spine and core stability are essential. For example:
1A. Squat Variation
1B. Pullover with deadbug –12 reps (six on each leg)
Wrapping Up
Focusing on the vestibular system does not require many changes to your routine. A small tweak here and there with these 4 exercises will maintain a healthy vestibular system without sacrificing gains.
Standing up tall will be your new best friend.
References
1. Christiansen, C. (2012). Geriatric Physical Therapy, Impaired Joint Mobility. Chapter 13, pp. 248-262, Mosby Elsevier.
2. Gaur, K., & Davinder, A (2014). Comparison of ankle joint range of motion on balance score in healthy young and adult individuals. Journal of Exercise Science and Physiotherapy, Vol. 10, No. 1, Jun: 25-30.
3. Spink, M.J., et al. Foot and Ankle Strength, Range of Motion, Posture, and Deformity Are Associated With Balance and Functional Ability in Older Adults. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, January 2001 Volume 92, Issue 1, Pages 68–75.
4. Kapandji, Physiology of Joints, Vol. 3
5. Kenneth Anderson 1, David G. Behm. The impact of instability resistance training on balance and stability. Sports Med2005;35(1):43-53.doi: 10.2165/00007256-200535010-00004.
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