How to do it
You need: A flat, even, familiar walking route, A helper or a wall alongside for the first few tries.
Choose a flat, familiar, uncluttered route where you already feel safe walking on your own. Have someone with you, or a wall alongside, for your first attempts.
- Start walking at your normal comfortable pace.
- Once you are settled, begin a simple thinking task out loud - for example counting backwards from 100 in threes, or naming animals.
- Keep both going together, walking and talking, without slowing right down or stopping.
- If you feel unsteady, stop the thinking task first, then steady your walking.
Form cues
- Your walking stays smooth and your step length stays even while you talk.
- You can keep the mental task going without coming to a halt.
- You notice which one slips first when it gets hard - that is useful to tell your physio.
Common mistakes
- Starting the mental task before your walking feels steady.
- Trying this on a busy street, on uneven ground or on an unfamiliar route.
- Pushing on when you feel your balance going instead of dropping the task.
Safety: Stop and message your physio if you have a fall, a near-fall, or new dizziness or leg weakness.