Think about all the things we do when our eyes and hands work together: cooking, driving, gardening, opening a door, tying our shoes. etc. Such mundane activities actually take a lot of neurological coordination between our eyes, brain, and hands. As we age, eye-hand coordination can weaken due to cognitive decline and as a result, we can lose our independence. Fortunately, healthy eating and physical activity can prevent or delay this decline. Certain low impact physical activities can help maintain eye-hand coordination such as racquet sports (tennis, pickleball, badminton), swimming, volleyball, non-contact boxing and Tai Chi.
Other less intense but fun activities to improve or maintain eye-hand coordination include:
- play catch with a friend
- ping pong
- golf
- bounce a ball against a wall
- cornhole (a beanbag game)
- juggling
- play darts (magnetic darts are a safe choice)
- sew or knit
- painting, drawing
- video games
- frisbee
All of these activities can be modified to accommodate different skill levels. For example, a ball can be blown up into a balloon and tossed between friends, or pickleball can be played instead of tennis, which has a slower, lighter ball and smaller court.
We should get about 150 minutes of physical activity every week for the health benefits. Many of the activities that promote eye hand coordination can also be counted as physical activity. Set a SMART goal for eye hand activities in order to maintain your eye hand coordination and possibly your independence as you age. With SMART goals, you’ll want to find activities that work for you, that are appropriate for your skill level, are fun, and hopeful social too. Check with your YMCA or local Recreation centers for leagues. Pickleball leagues are starting up everywhere. So…
Play Ball!…..or Badminton!…..or Darts!….
Author: Dan Remley, Field Specialist, Food, Nutrition and Wellness. OSU Extension
Reviewer: Susan Zies, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, OSU Extension, Wood County
Sources:
Harvard Health Publishing. Activities to Sharpen your Hand-Eye Coordination. Retrieved on 5/11/2022 at https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/activities-to-sharpen-your-eyehand-coordination?msclkid=a207204ed14d11ec811f2a8feff8715a
US Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Retrieved on 5/11/2022 at https://health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/physical-activity-guidelines
Lobb, J. Start your Year with a Smart Goal. Retrieved on 5/11/22 at https://livehealthyosu.com/2020/01/17/start-2020-with-a-smart-goal/
Live Healthy Live Well 
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