Improving coordination – exercises
Many of us have one side stronger than the other, we kick or catch with one side of our bodies easily, but fumble or miss on the other side, and when we exercise this doesn’t just inhibit our performance, it can cause injury as we try to force or weaker side to do the things the stronger side does naturally.
Much of this weakness is about hand-mind-eye coordination and there are very specific exercises that can help us overcome the problem. They may seem rather low-key to you, but persevere, remember you are training your brain, not your body, and the brain is the biggest organ you have, so you need to teach it thoroughly!
Cross Crawl
Stand with your feet slightly apart, arms at your sides. Lift your right knee towards your chest as you cross your left hand over the midline of your body, placing the hand, palm open, to the outside of the right knee. Return to the starting position, and repeat with the right hand and left knee to complete 1 set. Do at least 12 sets. You can perform this move quickly and rhythmically to build energy, or very slowly to emphasize balance. This synchronises both brain hemispheres, and promotes balance.
Hook Up
Stand tall and cross your right ankle over the left. Then cross your right wrist over the left and link the fingers so the right wrist is on top. Bend the elbows out as you gently rotate the hands under, turning the fingers in towards the body until they rest on the chest. Breathe evenly in this position for a few minutes. You'll feel noticeably calmer when you finish. This calms the mind, relieves stress, and improves concentration.
Cross-Crawl Crunch
Lie face up on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your fingertips, unclasped, behind your head. Pull your abdominals in so your spine is in contact with the floor. Bend the left knee in toward your chest as you cross your body's midline to bring the right elbow toward the left knee. Lower the left foot to the floor, and repeat on the opposite side (left elbow to right knee). Continue alternating elbow to knee rhythmically for 30 seconds to a minute. This synchronises both brain hemispheres, and tones the abdominal oblique muscles.
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