Crawling patterns are nothing new. I started noticing significant comments about primal movement patterns like crawling over 15 years ago from Physical Therapist Gray Cook, the creator of the FMS-Functional Movement Screen we now use in corporate to prevent injuries by spotting movement compensations that need correction. Now? Primitive or “natural” patterns like crawling are getting quite popular from a restorative standpoint—or more specifically—as a neuroplasticity strategy for re-wiring your brain to move the body better with less compensation and more efficiency. We do a lot of crawling and rolling patterns now and people are really getting better, dramatically reducing or eliminating pain, plus having fun learning, or rather, “re-learning” movements. Crawl well before you walk excessively. Walk well before you run—good preventative strategy especially for adults that sit most of the day.
This is a simple video explanation of crawling and your brain by Dr. Kathy Dooley. Dr. Dooley is involved with NeuroKinetic Therapy-NKT which is another neural program I have been watching the last two years. Amazing progress is being gained by NKT practitioners from a neural reset perspective. The idea is that often the body can heal itself with the right input. NKT is one of the best at this method. Dr. Dooley is also a certified StrongFirst kettlebell instructor. She will reference methods we are using to improve movement and reset the dysfunctions created by extended sitting.
Dr. Dooley posts one video health tip per day on her YouTube channel. I really enjoy her health tips. They are focused on structural corrections and some neuroplasticity reset drills. Fun to learn—and do simply. If you follow our exercise programming, you will recognize many of them because we also use many of these exercises to help people decrease pain and move better. 🙂
Crawling & Your Brain:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6yTiO5ThU&feature=share&list=UUZUlu9LN9yGzs06bMzL6p6A
What about all this sitting? Here’s a technical review of the problems being created by extended sitting by NKT practitioners. We see this daily—and our exercise programing seeks to correct this as much as possible…especially with the crawling drills. *Pay careful attention to the spinal “compression” comments then think about my comments lately about spinal decompression with the pull up bar work and inversion exercises whether it be an inversion table, boots, strap, primitive/natural movements systems, and Yoga.
http://www.youtube.com/watchv=YrdJ5BC0Q0Q&list=UUZUlu9LN9yGzs06bMzL6p6A
About Neurokinetic Therapy-NKT: I have met and worked with NKT creator David Weinstock. One of the smartest people I have met in the corrective world. I plan to go through NKT training in 2014 and bring this back to Lean Berets Basecamp so we can all benefit.
http://neurokinetictherapy.com
About Dr. Dooley:
