{"id":31064,"date":"2021-12-03T09:01:42","date_gmt":"2021-12-03T17:01:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/?p=31064"},"modified":"2021-12-14T12:06:25","modified_gmt":"2021-12-14T20:06:25","slug":"bilateral-coordination-the-gateway-to-successful-movement-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/all-mfn\/bilateral-coordination-the-gateway-to-successful-movement-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Bilateral Coordination: The Gateway to Successful Movement | Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

“You want me to do what?” says Susan when she hears the drill that I want her to complete during our exercise class.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“You\u2019ve gotta be kidding me! Where do you come up with these drills? You DO remember I have Parkinson\u2019s Disease?” To which I smile and reply, “Yes, and you can do this, I promise!!\u201d\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Susan rolls her eyes and jokingly replies, “Right, I guess we\u2019ll just have to see about that, Colleen!” <\/span><\/p>\n

“You can do this Susan,” I reply, “but it is going to require work, and I\u2019ll be right here to help you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

You may be thinking to yourself, what kind of drill is Colleen asking her client to perform? Could it be a 150lb deadlift? Maybe it\u2019s a 5ft plyo-jump on one leg or possibly a 3 minute plank? Not even close! While the deadlift, jump and plank are all fantastic exercises, I\u2019m asking Susan to do a lunge series with lateral arm lift series which incorporates <\/span>Bilateral Coordination.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bearfoot OT and <\/span>No\u00e9mie von Kaenel, OTS <\/span>share that b<\/span>ilateral coordination is the integration and sequencing of movement by using <\/span>“two parts of the body together for motor activities”<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n

“To coordinate two-sided or bilateral movements, the brain needs to communicate between both its hemispheres through the corpus callosum which we will discuss later on. But it is important to note that this area of the brain develops at 20 weeks but connections between the two hemispheres strengthen and develop as a child develops . Bilateral coordination is also closely linked to the vestibular system (where your head is in space), posture, and balanced movements.”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

For example: We all grew up challenging our friends to pat their head and rub their tummy at the same time. Then switch hand placement and repeat. Take a second and give it a try! Did you find one hand placement easier than the other? Now, imagine that you have Parkinson\u2019s Disease (PD) and you\u2019ve been given this challenge. You would probably tell me that it was tough on both sides. Why is that?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a few moments and discuss Parkinson\u2019s Disease so you understand the challenge of Bilateral Coordination.<\/span><\/p>\n

By definition, Parkinson\u2019s Disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects predominantly dopamine-producing neurons in the Substantia Nigra (SN) (Latin for \u201cBlack Substance\u201d, due to its darkened pigment in the brain). The substantia nigra contains the highest concentration of dopamine neurons. It is a part of the Basal Ganglia, an area responsible for motor control, motor learning, and procedural memory, such as learning how to tie your shoes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Substantia Nigra in Normal Brain vs. Parkinson’<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Without the Substantia Nigra, the brain and body simply do not communicate as well, or at all depending on the stage of PD. To us, fitness professionals, we observe those living with Parkinson\u2019s Disease displaying uncoordinated movements, loss of balance, poor gait, postural issues, visual tracking problems, rigidity, tremor, freezing, facial masking, inability to focus on a task or process information clearly, bradykinesia, hypophonia (volume of voice)… and as it pertains to Bilateral Coordination, the challenge to perform a drill with one side of the body such as the left arm while moving the right leg.\u00a0 Now your wheels are turning and you are probably asking yourself…<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Is Bilateral Coordination Important?<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n

Bilateral Coordination requires your small and large motor and visual-motor functioning to work together making it possible to accomplish ALL of your daily tasks! For example, in order to write your grocery list on a piece of paper, you need to hold the paper with one hand while writing the note at the same time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Proprioception or body awareness is another great reason to work on Bilateral Coordination. Throughout our entire life, we have the ability to know where our body is in time and space. For the person living with Parkinson\u2019s Disease, this means a lower risk of falling, and believe me, that is crucial!<\/span><\/p>\n

What Is The Scientific Explanation Of Bilateral Coordination?<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n

We learned in a previous article, \u201cHow a Thought Becomes an Action<\/a>\u201d, that motion in the brain is complicated and there are numerous steps to ensure that the motion in the brain is coordinated and precise. This all starts in the motor cortex, goes through the spine into motor neurons and muscles, and goes back into the brain to be fine-tuned by the basal ganglia (keep in mind this is where the substantia nigra resides). But now we\u2019re adding onto this process by adding on even more coordinated movement in:<\/span><\/p>\n