Beyond the Basics: Exploring Innovative Movement Strategies

In the many methods of physical therapy, but also in a large variety of fitness methods such as Yoga, Callisthenics or Primal Fitness, there’s mainly three strategies employed:

  • Strengthening
  • Stretching
  • Sequencing (postures, exercises, sets and reps)

These strategies, over the past 100 years (or so) have been developed to such great lengths, so thoroughly discussed and explored and diversified, that they now cover the needs of most movement-related methods.

However, there’s many more strategies. As inspired by the work of Moshé Feldenkrais, I too use a large variety of practical exercises, movement games and movement explorations to help my clients (and myself) to improve their physical abilities and general wellbeing. My approach, too, is experiential, emphasising self-awareness and self-discovery through movement. Here’s a list of additional, select strategies I make use of:

  • Differentiation (to move parts independently from each other)
  • Constraints (to inhibit or stop parts from participating so that movements and sensations can occur in other parts)
  • Harmonisation (the blending of movement of parts to harmoniously and proportionally contribute to an overall movement such as flexion, extension, reaching with a hand, pushing with a foot, or getting up from a chair, etc)
  • Orientational variability (to experience a movement in different positions and relations to gravity)
  • Pauses
  • Auxiliary movements (movements that at first to not seem to be related but turn out to improve the original movement and how we are able to think thereof)
  • Effort reduction (to move increasingly slowly and lightly so that superfluous effort can be detected, distinguished from essential work, and dropped)
  • Effort substitution (the use of props and postures to take over habitual effort and stiffness, so that it can be re-assessed and replaced by better options)
  • Movement variability (to provide a variety of trajectories, pathways, easing-functions and solutions to one and the same movement task)

Apart from “doing”, the “noticing” aka “perception” is equally important, or maybe even more important. Areas of perception I work with are, for example:

  • Proprioception (the ability to sense the position, orientation, and movement of one’s own body parts, to be able to notice where your body parts are in space without needing to look)
  • Mechanoreception (the ability to perceive mechanical stimuli such as short pressure, prolonged pressure, very light pressure or touch, vibration, sliding motion, tension (!), and so forth)
  • Equilibrioception (the sense of balance to maintain stability and posture, and to feel the pull of gravity and thus be able to work with it)

True or not?

Watch someone do the dishes, or a billion dollar robot (built on top of the work of tens of thousands of the most brilliant engineers) find and lift a wooden cube — and the skills used for everyday tasks become obvious.

Yet the ease with which we humans learn and carry out such tasks is generally taken for granted. Such everyday movement activities are viewed as unsophisticated, perhaps because academic training is not required to achieve them, or perhaps because people who do this kind of physical labour for a living occupy the lowest rung of society.

The bias against the view that physical action is cognitively sophisticated is so deeply rooted that psychology, the science of mental life and behaviour, has paid scant attention to it. If looked at at all, movement experiments in psychology are more often viewed as a window into perception and cognition than as a topic of interest in its own right. In fact, most professors of psychology themselves don’t seem to be too sophisticated in movement — if they exceed the bare minimum of movement skills required to get through their days at all.

A lively sit-uation

When I sit, I do aspire
to rest my flesh as it requires;
One leg up, the other down,
or the other way around,
the chair, a friend, a cherished clown.

Writing vs. speaking a lesson

I was asked for an exercise to help with a painful left shoulder, and I said, “Maybe try my video Good Night Shoulder Circles.” And later that night it bothered me to remember that this video is only for one side, the right shoulder.

So I thought I will quickly rewrite the original text for the other side. But as you have it, I ended up doing a complete rewrite. Which cost me half a day. At first. And then I thought how about I have it read by AI instead of me, in an old British voice, David Attenborough style.

Another full work day later, yesterday night around 11pm, I finally completed a first video — only to realise that I need to rewrite the lesson text quite some more.

The lifting of the head, that’s a movement strategy I wanted to remove from the script entirely. To lift the head would introduce a new pattern, and not finishing it will not add anything useful to the lesson. And I also considered removing the shoulder circles themselves… do they really add something useful to this lesson? But then… Shoulder Circles… that’s my lesson’s title. So I had to leave them in.

Furthermore, I needed to regenerate the audio again, sentence by sentence, and then find the right timing for pauses. This I do by lying down and practicing along myself. A rather tedious process. So that’s what I’m going to be busy with today, and unfortunately maybe even longer.

Working with AI generated audio takes a lot more time than I have anticipated. But what surprises me most is this: Why is writing a lesson SO MUCH MORE WORK than just speaking it free from my heart?

A better name for psychomotor learning

Alfons: A better name for psychomotor learning.

ChatGPT: “Sensory-Motor Proficiency Training”

Alfons: Sensory-Motor sounds so dated.

ChatGPT: “Neuro-Kinetic Learning”

Alfons: Something everyone will feel they understand upon first hearing.

ChatGPT: “ActionMind Learning”

Alfons: Is it hopeless to try to make “psychomotor learning” sound any better?

ChatGPT: Finding a more relatable name for “psychomotor learning” isn’t hopeless, but it’s a challenge. The term is rooted in the fields of psychology and education, and it may require some explanation to those who are not familiar with these areas. For instance, you could focus on the “physical” and “mental” aspects of the term, or you could emphasize the concept of “learning through action” to help bridge understanding. While it requires creativity and experimentation, a well-suited name is attainable.

Types of activity that promote neurogenesis in the hippocampus

I’ve just had a 2-hour long conversation with ChatGPT about Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a genetic neuromuscular disorder.

Despite ChatGPT still being convinced that Survival Motor Neuron (SMN) proteins are nothing like the yellow and purple Minions from the cartoon “Despicable Me”, in my search for treatment ideas I was able receive a list for types of activity that promote neurogenesis in the hippocampus—which plays nicely into my expertise in the field of psychomotor learning, somatic education and Feldenkrais.

However, concerning improvements to the spinal cord, my conversation with ChatGPT did not yield positive results:

While much of the research on neurogenesis has focused on regions like the hippocampus in the brain, the concept of neurogenesis occurring in the spinal cord is a topic of ongoing investigation and debate. The spinal cord is primarily associated with transmitting sensory and motor signals between the brain and the rest of the body. Unlike the hippocampus, it doesn’t exhibit the same degree of ongoing neurogenesis. [..] The challenges of promoting significant neurogenesis in the spinal cord are substantial.

However, despite treatment pathways that rely on biomedical engineering and pharmaceutical options, there might also be activity-dependent plasticity of the spinal cord. I now copy/paste the list I got for neurogenesis in the hippocampus, for your reference:

Yes, engaging in new activities such as playing a sport or learning a musical instrument can indeed stimulate neurogenesis and enhance brain plasticity. Neurogenesis refers to the process of generating new neurons (nerve cells) in the brain, particularly in regions such as the hippocampus, which is associated with learning and memory. While the extent of neurogenesis in humans is still an area of active research, studies suggest that certain activities can promote the creation of new neurons and the strengthening of neural connections.

Here’s how engaging in new activities and movement can lead to neurogenesis and enhanced brain plasticity:

  1. Learning and Novelty: Activities that challenge your brain stimulate neural pathways that might not have been heavily used before, leading to increased neural activity and the potential for the creation of new neurons.
  2. Complex Movements: Engaging in activities that involve complex movements, fine motor control, and coordination can activate multiple brain regions simultaneously. This coordinated activation can promote the growth of new connections between neurons and strengthen existing ones.
  3. Physical Activity: Physical movement and exercise have been linked to increased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports the growth, survival, and differentiation of neurons. Higher BDNF levels are associated with improved cognitive function, mood regulation, and enhanced brain plasticity.
  4. Stress and Adaptation: Challenging activities and learning new skills can initially induce stress on the brain. In response to this stress, the brain adapts by generating new neurons and optimizing neural circuits to handle the demands of the new activity more efficiently.
  5. Practice and Repetition: As you practice and refine your skills in a new activity, your brain strengthens the neural pathways associated with that activity. This process involves synaptic plasticity, where existing connections between neurons are modified and strengthened through repeated use.
  6. Mind-Body Connection: Activities that require a strong mind-body connection can lead to changes in brain structure and connectivity. The brain regions responsible for motor control, sensory processing, and coordination become more interconnected and specialized.

It’s important to note that the benefits of neurogenesis and enhanced brain plasticity are not solely limited to movement-related activities. Engaging in a variety of cognitive, social, and physical challenges can collectively contribute to brain health and cognitive function throughout life.

In summary, new and challenging activities that involve movement can indeed stimulate neurogenesis and promote brain plasticity. The brain’s ability to adapt and rewire itself in response to novel experiences is a remarkable aspect of human biology that supports lifelong learning and skill development.

Improving sensory abilities

Almost a decade ago I had the idea (and courage) to call my Youtube channel “Feldenkrais With …”, and was the first to do so. However, last year I renamed my Youtube channel from “Feldenkrais With Alfons” to “Improving Ability”—in order to better reflect what my channel is about.

In my videos I often work on improving abilities. But what are those “abilities” that I am speaking about?

For example, mechanoreception, proprioception, and equilibrioception are all abilities — sensory abilities to be more precise. Abilities are often thought to be innate and immutable, but in fact you can—and you may—improve them, and why shouldn’t you? Let’s look at a definition of these 3 examples:

Mechanoreception:
This ability involves perceiving mechanical stimuli such as pressure, touch, vibration, and tension. It allows you to sense and respond to physical interactions with your environment, like feeling the texture of an object or detecting pressure on your skin.

Proprioception:
Proprioception is the ability to sense the position, orientation, and movement of your own body parts. It helps you have an awareness of where your body is in space without needing to look. This ability is vital for coordinating movements, adjusting muscle contractions, and maintaining stability during activities like walking, picking up objects, and fine motor skills.

Equilibrioception:
Equilibrioception, also known as the sense of balance, enables you to maintain stability and an upright posture. It relies on various sensory inputs, including the inner ear’s vestibular system, proprioceptive signals from muscles and joints, and visual cues. These combined inputs enable you to perceive and respond to shifts in position, movement, and gravitational forces, ensuring that you remain steady and oriented within your environment.

For example, a question (Alfons):
When I tilt my head to the right I can feel the skin of my right cheek slightly hanging down (minuscule but still perceptible due to my training), and the skin of my left cheek pressing against my left cheek bone. Is this attributed to equilibrioception or mechanoreception or something else?

Answer (ChatGPT):
The sensation you’re describing when tilting your head is primarily attributed to mechanoreception rather than equilibrioception. Mechanoreception refers to the sense that allows organisms to perceive mechanical pressure, touch, vibration, and other physical forces on the body’s surface.

In this case, when you tilt your head to the right, the changes in the orientation of your head and the gravitational pull can cause the skin on your cheeks to respond to the shifting forces. The sensation you feel—where the skin on one cheek slightly hangs down and the skin on the other cheek presses against the cheekbone—is a result of mechanical pressure and deformation of the skin due to the change in position. It’s the mechanoreceptors in your skin that are detecting and signaling these tactile sensations to your brain.

Equilibrioception, on the other hand, primarily relates to the sense of balance and spatial orientation. It involves the detection of changes in head position and movement through the vestibular system in the inner ear, as well as feedback from proprioceptive receptors in muscles and joints.

To conclude…

There are many more abilities. For example, the ability to appreciate your innate abilities, find comfort in them, and feel grateful. 🌺🥰

And in fact there are many ways, methods and settings to improve those abilities, if you think about it. However, to stick with my lessons on my Youtube channel “Improving ability”… what did you find has improved through working with my videos, for you, on a deeper level, and on your abilities level so to speak? And how did this improve your life?