Increase Your Performance

Runway Walking & Seated Football Drills

Just picked this up from my ART Practitioner during my deadlift workout (ART - Active Release Technique).

If you want to improve your muscular coordination, nervous system coordination and strength, do long stride walking on the treadmill before you train. Particularly if you are doing some advanced movements or attempting a new PR (personal record). The patterned opposing movement (right arm forward as left leg back and so on and so forth) improves coordination which makes your body perform optimally (thus, improved strength if you are attempting a PR as a stength athlete).

The walk cannot be short choppy movements however. The more exaggerated the movement, the better for your hip mobility at the same time. Dr. Aras Kvedaras introduced me to the long stride walking before training and competition (and after is great also), thus, we call it Aras Walking. Envision someone walking on the cat walk - a model's strut. That's kind of what you are going for.

An extra tip I picked up today ... we are flying to New Zealand to compete in just over 2 weeks and may be be able to do long stride walking on the plane. The solution? Seated Football Drills, we will call them.

• Sit on a chair or bench
• Cross your hands / arms over each other
• Your left hand over top the right knee and right over left
• Run your feet / toes up and down quickly like football drills
• Just high enough that your knees will touch your hands (a few inches)
• Do this long enough to pattern the movement

Important: Do not do same hand to same knee because this will lay down a poor movement pattern and have the reverse effect (poor coordinator and thus poor performance). This is why, if you are nervous before having to do something physical, you should not adopt the nervous habit of sitting and tapping your feet into your hands (same hand, same foot). You will give yourself something to be nervous about!

If you can't help it, don't worry, just cross your arms over each other and you will have absolutely nothing to be nervous about - you will likely give your best performance ever!

So now you know.

Take Home Messages

1. There is a time and place for steady state walking
2. You are encouraged to walk like a model on the catwalk
3. Adjust your nervous habit for improved performance
4. ART practitioners rock! (they do more than just inflict pain on tight muscles)

Dr. Kvedaras has learned many of these Tips for Increased Performance from studying under Dr. David Leaf DC (http://www.anatomytrains.com/). You can find Dr. Kvedaras in Hamilton, Ontario are Kvedaras Family Chiropractic (near McMaster Hospital) at 905.527.6250. He is THE BEST I have ever worked with, and I have worked with lots.