Coordination training

Main thing

Coordination training is the practice of exercises and drills designed to improve the ability of the central nervous system to organize the body's muscles to efficiently and effectively perform movements and tasks. The core idea is that by challenging your body with increasingly complex movements, you can enhance your brain's ability to coordinate and control your muscles with precision, speed, and minimal wasted effort.

Examples of coordination exercises include:

• Juggling

• Jump rope variations (alternating feet, high knees, etc.)

• Balance exercises on unstable surfaces

• Agility ladder drills

• Throwing and catching drills

• Multi-directional lunges or hops

Coordination training improves movement quality through several mechanisms:

1. It strengthens the neural pathways between your brain and muscles, allowing for faster and more precise muscle activation.

2. It enhances proprioception, your sense of your body's position in space, which is crucial for balance and agility.

3. It trains your brain to better synchronize the timing and force output of different muscle groups, creating smoother, more efficient movement patterns.

4. It challenges your concentration and focus, as complex movements require greater mental engagement.

5. Over time, it makes complex motor patterns more automatic, allowing you to perform them with less conscious effort.

Terms

• Coordination: The ability to execute smooth, accurate, controlled motor responses through optimal interaction of muscle function.

• Gross motor coordination: Coordination of the large muscles in the arms, legs and torso for activities like walking, running, and throwing.

• Fine motor coordination: Coordination of the small muscles in the hands and wrists for precise tasks like writing or sewing.

• Hand-eye coordination: The ability to process visual input and coordinate the hands to perform a task guided by the eyes, like catching a ball.

An analogy

Coordination training is like gradually teaching your body to perform a complex dance routine. At first the movements feel awkward and clumsy, but by practicing the steps over and over, your brain and muscles learn to work together in sync, allowing you to perform the routine smoothly and gracefully with minimal mental effort. Similarly, coordination drills teach your nervous system to efficiently organize your muscle contractions and movements into useful patterns.

A main misconception

Many people think coordination is a fixed trait you're born with, but in reality it is a skill that can be significantly improved with targeted training. While some people may start with better natural coordination, almost anyone can enhance their agility, balance, and movement efficiency through consistent practice of coordination exercises.

The history

• Pre-1890s: Athletes, dancers, and martial artists incorporated coordination drills in their training regimens. Disciplines like gymnastics, fencing, and various forms of dance inherently developed coordination.

• 1890s: Early neurologists like Sir Charles Sherrington began studying how the brain controls and coordinates muscle movements.

• 1940s-1960s: Theories of motor learning and motor development emerged, laying the foundation for modern coordination training principles.

• 1970s-Present: Coordination training gained popularity in sports and physical therapy. Exercises from disciplines like gymnastics, martial arts, and dance were adapted as general coordination drills.

Three cases how to use it right now

1. Practice juggling with two or three balls to improve hand-eye coordination, reaction time, and concentration.

2. Perform multi-directional lunges, balancing between each rep, to build leg strength and coordination.

3. Jump rope with both feet, then alternate feet, then try high knees or double-unders to progressively challenge your timing and agility.

Interesting facts

• The cerebellum, the part of the brain most responsible for coordinating movement, contains over 50% of the brain's total neurons.

• Researchers estimate it takes 1,000-10,000 repetitions to ingrain a new motor coordination pattern.

• Studies show 10-12 weeks of coordination training can significantly improve balance and agility and reduce the risk of falls in the elderly.

• Coordination drills can enhance cognitive functions like attention and visual processing speed, in addition to physical performance.

• Well-coordinated individuals tend to have better posture, more efficient gaits, and use less energy during movement.