Either they have rhythm or they are clumsy. This is often reinforced by the feedback we get from peers or parents in our early years. But the truth is, coordination is a learnable skill. And it is one that is worth pursuing. So let us address what coordination actually is. It is the ability to use different parts of the body together smoothly and efficiently. And improving coordination can benefit you in ways that go beyond the purely physical. Coordination exercises utilise an area of the brain known as the cerebellum.
It is linked with the ability to think and also how fast you can process information. It seems that exercises that require coordination can help to make you smarter and give you better self-control. There are some obvious choices for improving coordination. Dancing of all varieties will improve coordination. It has additional benefits for your social and psychological well-being too. Other clear-cut favourites would include swimming and of course racquet sports. But there are three options that may be less obvious, Tai Chi, Pilates and yoga.
Each of these last three get to the heart of what is involved in learning to coordinate movement. It could even improve your confidence and mental health as you will feel more at home in your own body and more in control of your life. So do you want to be able to execute an awesome catch when your friend throws you something or move with more confidence? Try the following exercises to improve your proprioception and see if it could help improve other areas of your life too.
Have you ever noticed that balancing on one leg is much harder when you close your eyes? When you close your eyes, you lose the visual cues that your brain is used to so it has to work harder to balance. With your eyes closed, you are forced to become more attuned to your surroundings and you will be able to practise controlling your body and your movements. If you practise daily tasks with your eyes closed sensible options only please, no cutting or chopping with sharp knives in the kitchen!
Dancing is one of the best ways to improve your coordination and proprioception because it involves the entire body and requires the brain to coordinate every muscle group at once in a required sequence. The learning process can be slow, involves a lot of trial and error including failure , and usually evokes a mix of frustration and enjoyment. So when you do a new movement or activity, be patient and give yourself ample time to get the hang of it.
Then actually slow the movement down think The Matrix. Paying attention to details and differences is how you and your nervous system learn. Are there parts you skip over? Are you using more muscular effort than necessary or unintentionally doing something that interferes with the movement like tightening your jaw or throwing yourself off balance?
After doing the movement slowly several times, being curious about the details, pause and let it all go. This way to improve coordination seems obvious but is often overlooked: Break the movement into pieces and practice one piece at a time. For example, movements in dance and sports usually involve doing something with your arms and with your feet. In this case, first do just the arm movements several times.
Keep your feet still or just shuffle through letting your feet do whatever they want; just focus on your arms. Next, practice moving your feet and legs, letting your arms rest. Pay particular attention to where the movement starts, the direction and path of your hand, head, pelvis or other part through space, the changes in your shape, and the sequence of the movement.
A great trick to improve the ease and fluidity of the movement in actuality is to clarifying the image of what you want. Another option to improve your hand-eye coordination is to throw objects through an opening. You can use hoops, rings, or items with small to large openings as your visual target. They may look simple, but juggling and dribbling are hand-eye coordination drills that help develop your control, rhythm, and timing. When juggling, begin with just two balls and motioning slow circles.
Similarly, dribbling will train you to concentrate on the ball, maintain your speed, and keep the right angles. You have many options to try — dribbling with one hand, two hands back and forth, various speeds, further or closer to the ground, and other tricks you may know. While this requires a good amount of time and practice, this coordination exercise helps improve your hand-eye movements.
Ready to take your coordination training up a notch? We can help. When paired with coordination exercises and workout programs, it can enhance your performance and support recovery. It forces muscle contractions that increase blood flow and nutrient distribution, speeding up recovery, improving performance, and reducing injuries. All Rights Reserved.
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