Discover how to effectively prioritize neuro work to optimize your training. Explore the fundamentals of the sensory system and the importance of proprioception.
Welcome to the Quarter Hour Neuro, your weekly rendezvous on postural reprogramming. As the excitement of our third cohort is in full swing, many questions arise, particularly about prioritizing neuro exercises. This week, we address a crucial question posed by our new members: how to effectively organize work between visual, vestibular, proprioceptive exercises and archaic reflexes?
The key lies in a personalized approach, based on an individual assessment. There is no one-size-fits-all answer, as prioritization depends on many factors unique to each individual and their goals, whether it’s an athlete seeking performance or someone wanting general postural reprogramming.
To understand prioritization, it is essential to remember the role of your brain. Its primary function is survival. Once this safety is ensured, it can aim for performance. To do this, it collects information from the environment via "small sensory GPS". The three main components of this system are: the visual system, the vestibular system (related to balance), and the proprioceptive system (perception of the body in space).
The brain integrates all this information to make decisions and orchestrate body movements. While these systems can be worked on in isolation, the ultimate goal is to combine them. Indeed, in daily life and in sports performance, all these systems act in synergy. It is rare for a problem to affect only one of these aspects; everything is interconnected.
If we were to establish a work order for a session, the visual component would often be a good starting point, followed by the vestibular, then the proprioceptive, and finally the archaic reflexes. However, this sequence is generic and must be adapted to the reactions and specific needs of each person, identified during the assessment.
The integration of archaic reflexes is particularly interesting. Their work often affects multiple sensory components simultaneously, due to their intrinsically linked nature to fundamental movement patterns. The idea is not to prioritize one component 100%, but to emphasize work on those that need it the most, while seeking to reintegrate them.
In traditional sports coaching, proprioception is already well developed, particularly through mobility work. However, a large part of this work focuses on major joints without always soliciting a deep awareness of movement. For example, cervical proprioception is often overlooked, while proprioceptive receptors are present throughout the body.
It is crucial to go beyond mechanical movements and to be conscious of each action. Exercises like wrist or back work (rounded back/arched back) focusing on joint mobilization rather than just shape can lead to significant improvements. The goal is to enhance the brain's "body mapping" for better mobility and reduced injury risks. The use of tempos and techniques like Dr. Spina's CARs (Controlled Articular Rotations) perfectly illustrate this controlled and conscious approach.
The visual system is a vital information sensor for the brain. Its importance is such that it must be systematically integrated into warm-ups. Often, we work on eye convergence, but this is only one of many aspects of vision. There are other points to develop beforehand, such as the ability to move each eye independently.
The peripheral visual field is a glaring example of its influence. A restricted visual field on one side represents a threat area for the brain, which can impact performance and increase the risk of injuries. As a physical trainer, working on peripheral vision for 30 seconds can be enough to rebalance a person, enhancing stability, strength, and reducing the risk of injuries. Therefore, the assessment is fundamental to identify the visual areas to work on, whether it’s near, mid-range, wide, or peripheral vision.
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