Corey Emberton

Peripheral visual cues can be game changers, and they are often a missed opportunity to help us understand where and how our body is moving through space and time.

For me, I used the rod to better understand where my body was in space and referenced it to the foam rollers in my peripheral vision. You’ll notice that as I shift, I tend to teeter downward on the opposite side. I used that as feedback and then cued myself to keep the same vertical distance between the rod and the foam roller. Thus improving my stacked position during my weight shift and single leg.

Education

Large amplitude movements are great for those living with Parkinson’s. Instead of just trying to make the movement bigger and bigger, let’s add a visual warm-up to create control and stability, which could actually lead to a bigger movement!

Reasoning: The warm-up can integrate our eyes into our movement which helps with getting more than one balance systems involved.

Visual Warm-Up 1️⃣: also known as a VOR

This helps keep your eyes steady on a target while your head moves in space. Fun thing about it too is that even though the eyes are starring at a target, your eyes track left and right due to head movement.

Visual Warm-Up 2️⃣: also known as saccades

This helps set the eyes on targets and can assists with direction when moving.

Note: one might be better for you, so try both of them. If neither works, you may need a different visual warm-up, or not one at all.

Remember, sensory cues should be specific — keep that in mind.

DM me if you need help finding a different one!

✋🏻 Rushing can affect many symptoms — and for me, that’s my essential tremors.

🏃🏽 When I rush, I push myself into a fight-or-flight response.

🧠 That signal can make my brain feel unsafe, which increases my tremors.

🤯 If that’s the first thing you do in the morning, it can shape the tone of your entire day.

😵‍💫 Rushing can also put your thoughts in one place and your body in another.
When the brain and body aren’t aligned, it creates confusion — and that can increase symptoms.

☀️ The next time you wake up:
Don’t rush to grab your phone.
Don’t rush out of bed.
Don’t rush through breakfast.

🧠 🧍🏻 Take a moment.
Let your brain and body adjust to the morning.

When a client post-stroke has difficulty understanding where their limb is via proprioception, add visual feedback to the task.

Using a laser gives the brain real-time information.

It can help:
• Create movement
• Maintain limb position
• Increase awareness of where the limb is in space

Sometimes it’s not about strength — it’s about better input.

Ataxia can create a disconnect when it comes to movement and coordination. The brain often needs a little more information to understand where the body is in space and time, and we can use peripheral vision to help with that.

⭐️A little education: peripheral vision is what you see outside of your direct line of sight. It’s the visual information your brain takes in from the edges of your visual field while your eyes stay focused on something straight ahead.

In this video, the peripheral cue I use is my elbow to help educate my brain about what else is moving while I swing my opposite arm.

I noticed my elbow getting closer to my visual target. It wasn’t actually my shoulder, elbow, or wrist moving. My spine was laterally shifting, which caused my elbow (in my peripheral vision) to drift toward the target.

I then used that information and cued myself not to let the elbow get closer to the target to see if my brain could make the correction.

This is the power of peripheral vision: it gives the brain more information about where the body is in space and time, helping it detect what else might be moving or unstable while you’re trying to isolate a limb.

📖

A forward head posture can mean a lot of things, but sometimes it’s a sign that the eyes are having difficulty tracking downward.

Think about it this way:
If the eyes can’t comfortably look down, the body will recruit other strategies—like bringing the head forward—to get the job done. At the same time, the toes may start to clench as they respond to the forward weight shift, trying to keep the body from tipping forward.

Our goal?
👉 Show the brain that it’s safe to let the eyes track downward, so the head and body don’t have to work overtime.

Two simple ways to start:

🔹 VOR (Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex)
Move the head in one direction while the eyes move in the opposite direction.

🔹 Smooth Pursuit
Use a visual target and slowly track it with the eyes.

Both can help by letting the brain know, “We’ve got this.”

✨ When the eyes feel safe to move, the rest of the body no longer has to compensate—and movement becomes easier.

Education

Want more stability during leg exercises? Try this 👇

Using a scrunched-up towel under your foot gives extra sensory feedback — the texture and pressure points help your brain pick up more information than a foot flat on the floor.

First, observe:

⭐️Do you feel more pressure or changing pressure in one area of your foot when doing the exercises?

⭐️Do parts of your foot make more contact than before during the exercise?

‼️Then, use that sensation you noticed for motor correction:

For example, if you notice your weight rolling to the outside of your foot during a curtsy lunge, use the towel as your cue to adjust and create a better foot-to-brain connection.Simply think about not increasing the pressure into that area of your foot/hand towel as you continue with the exercise.

Small sensory input → better awareness → better movement

Education

✨ 3 Simple Neuro-Walking Tips ✨

In honor of Moving Day Chicago tomorrow, I’m sharing 3 easy ways to help your brain and body walk with more ease and confidence.

👣 Tip 1: Make One Foot “Heavier”
Instead of thinking about taking a step, try shifting pressure into one foot to make it feel heavier. This sends signals to your brain through your foot receptors, helping your body naturally shift weight and prepare for the next step.

👀 Tip 2: Turns & Brain Safety
When turning, point your eyes and nose in the direction you want to go. This shows your brain where you’re headed and opens up your visual field, helping your body feel safer and more stable.

🧍‍♂️ Tip 3: Head-to-Foot Alignment
Think of stacking your whole body—head, shoulders, hips—over your stepping foot. This gentle awareness can improve posture and balance with every step.

💙 Walking is about more than muscles—it’s about teaching the brain safety, balance, and confidence. Give these a try tomorrow at Moving Day Chicago or on your own walks!

More info for the event:

https://movingdaywalk.org/event/moving-day-chicago/.