Safety is essential for optimizing performance in rehabilitation and sports. Discover how the brain influences movement and safety management.
Welcome to this new episode of the Car Labo podcast, where we explore the importance of safety in rehabilitation, sports performance, and well-being. In this episode, we will define safety and propose practical applications.
As sports and movement professionals, our mission is to meet our clients' goals, whether it's rehabilitation after an injury or performance enhancement. This has led us to question the tools and techniques we use, as well as their application in specific situations.
The brain is at the core of movement creation. It controls and contracts muscles, but its primary goal is survival, not to create efficient movements. For example, when faced with a lion, our brain interprets the situation and decides whether it is safe or not. In survival mode, we have three responses: freeze, fight, or flight.
There is a continuum between survival and performance, illustrated by the threat balance. On one side, we have survival reflexes, and on the other, safety that allows for performance. Unlike survival reflexes, there are no specific reflexes for safety.
Performance goes beyond physical capability. It also encompasses motor, endocrine, immune, and cognitive performance. All of this relies on a safe environment. When in survival mode, it becomes difficult to focus on tasks such as lifting weights or reading a book.
To optimize client care, it is essential to shift from survival mode to safety mode. This can be achieved through neuropostural reprogramming and various techniques. We have developed a model based on the threat balance to explain this phenomenon.
The first step is to ensure that sensory inputs, such as vision and hearing, are of good quality. This information allows the brain to determine whether a situation is safe or not. Motor skills also play a crucial role in this process.
Primitive reflexes are essential for building voluntary motor skills. They map muscles in the brain, thus facilitating their safe use. By integrating these reflexes, we can progress toward optimal performance.
If you have questions about safety, survival, or the threat balance, feel free to reach out to us. Thank you for listening, and see you soon in our next episode!
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