Connecting to Spring Fun–April 23, 2015
Connecting to Spring Fun!
What a fun time we’ve been having the past few weeks. Clients young and not so young have been in to work on a wide variety of sports and recreational skills. Ranging from running, tennis, golf, lacrosse, hockey, soccer, ice skating, ballet, badminton, baseball, and basketball to cartwheels, back bends, and somersaults in gymnastics.
The common element has been the joy of seeing expressions on faces when swings or weight shifts feel smooth, balance is stable, and jumping is bouncy. Being able to move fluently and easily is plain old FUN!
What Do We Assess?
We assess a general set of fundamental core, leg, and arm movements. Balance reactions are also assessed specific to the sport or recreational goals. We discern the holes in the foundational nano-movements and focus of restoring these. Once the layers of coordination are re-integrated, you have an easier time moving and having more fun!
A few specifics about what we assess….
Balance and Symmetry
Most sports and recreational activities need some element of balance for quick reactions or fluent transitions. Symmetry is an aspect we assess which yields clues of specific nano-movements which don’t coordinate as well as they should. When these smaller, differentiated movements coordinate well, your movement just flows!
Visual Integration and Timing
Ball sports especially need fluent movement that tightly coordinates with vision. Most sports have an element of visual integration. We check to see how the movements are linked with vision. Any stresses in this specific area of coordination are what we work on integrating more completely.
What Changes?
As balance integrates more completely with core control and vision, we find our athletes becoming more engaged, including more assertive play especially on defense. We also hear of endurance improving as core function supports better breathing.
A Basketball Player’s Balance, Core, and Integration Improvements
The pictures speak a thousand words. It is a great example of how this athlete’s core integration changed by refining her nano-moves of her head and legs with a single session of Bridging®.
This aspiring basketball player was feeling stressed in her back after a weekend tournament. We worked on lay-ups and guarding stance. She is now a stronger and more formidable opponent, able to stand her ground!
From infants to adults, we restore your nano- and micro-movements quickly returning you to the movements that define your life!
Note from Cara
What a difference a few hours of daylight makes!
As the trees bud, flowers blossom, and birds sing, I notice that everyone, including me, is a little happier and upbeat. Look around…people are outdoors on trails, streets, playgrounds, and parks!
The open spaces in Northern Illinois provide many opportunities to be outdoors. Some of us are beginning to work on goals for the season; my new personal goal is a half marathon later this year. I’m excited and frightened!
Make your day an active one!