Close your eyes?

[Ghost]

Ghost here,

I've been experimenting with closing my eyes, and keeping them closed. Needless to say everything becomes quite hard.

And then I tried exercises, but doing them with my eyes closed.

The basic pushup is still just a pushup, however I feel I had a deeper feel for the muscles used.

Even when the eyes are closed we are still receiving feedback from our body, telling us where everything is.

You can see this when you close your eyes and touch your nose.

After that I tried balancing on one leg with my eyes closed. It introduced a whole extra level of difficulty.

I became more aware of the minor adjustments that occurred in order to keep me upright.

So I got to thinking about the benefits of training with eyes closed. I can see benefits to coordination and balance,

and the heightened awareness may allow us to better activate certain muscles. Of course this is speculation.

Unfortunately, this is where my part ends. But that just means that it's time for your help.

Has anyone got more information, opinions on the matter?

[Elastigirl]

Wii Fit has you do an exercise where you lift your leg and close your eyes. I was always horrible at it. The Wii Fit told me it was to develop balance. I wonder if with exercises like push ups or squats it helps you to feel more the right muscles to use. Interesting I'll have to try it. But, I'm not trying it with my sledgehammer, and I don't think people should try it while their lifting weight:tongue:

[Raincloak]

Your brain connects visual references to balance. If you close your eyes, this reference is lost and it becomes MUCH easier to lose your balance. Most people cannot stand on one foot for 10 seconds with their eyes closed, for example. It's also easier to balance if you focus your eyes at one spot (eg, a spot on the wall). It is possible to balance using just nonvisual cues, but it isn't easy.

I do not think training with your eyes closed is such a great idea, unless you are purposely planning a ninja kill in the dark or something. It vastly increases your chance to fall down or drop something, and get hurt. I suppose if you practice on soft surfaces and make sure proper safety precautions are in place, it might sharpen your kinetic senses.

[Waldo]

I notice that yoga gets way harder if I close my eyes.

[Piccolojones]

I would think that closing your eyes makes you more aware of things that are already happening in your body. Your brain has less sensory material to sort through, so stimuli that are normally less prominent stand out more strikingly to yourself. At least... that's the thought.

I've also heard that occasionally doing everyday tasks with your eyes closed (like taking a shower) can increase brain activity, help maintain higher memory levels, and stave off mental degenerative diseases like dementia. Unfortunately, it's been so long since I've heard that that I can't remember where I heard it, or who said it.

[Mad Rocker]

Interesting. Probably best not to try it with something like running. I might give it a go for flexibility stuff though, I see the logic behind it.

[Ghost]

For anyone lacking common sense, driving heavy machinery, lifting weights, or running is probably not the best idea to do with your eyes closed.

[Mad Rocker]

Or even light machinery.

[leadchipmunk]

What about lighter-than-air machinery? I really want to fly a zeppelin with closed eyes at least once in my life.

Maybe we should change the disclaimer from "For anyone lacking common sense, driving heavy machinery, lifting weights, or running is probably not the best idea to do with your eyes closed" to "For anyone lacking common sense, it is probably not the best idea to close your eyes."

[Mad Rocker]

Although they may need to be reminded to blink every so often.

[Ghost]

Sight is for wussies, I use the force to sense my opponents.