PATHFIT-GROUP-4-LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS AND SKILLS

PATHFIT-GROUP-4-LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS AND SKILLS

1. LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS & SKILLS GROUP 4 PATHFIT1 BSSW-1

2. WHAT ARE LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS? LOCOMOTOR SKILLS REFER TO MOVEMENTS IN WHICH THE BODY IS MOVED IN ONE DIRECTION, OR A COMBINATION OF DIRECTIONS, FROM ONE POINT TO ANOTHER. ACTIVITIES SUCH AS WALKING, JOGGING, MOVING FORWARDS, BACKWARDS, SIDE-SHUFFLING, SKIPPING, RUNNING, JUMPING, HOPPING, AND LEAPING ARE CONSIDERED FUNDAMENTAL LOCOMOTION MOVEMENTS.

3. THE IMPORTANCE AND BENEFITS OF LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS THE MAIN BENEFIT OF LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES IS THAT THEY HELP TO DEVELOP SPATIAL AND VISUAL-SPATIAL AWARENESS, BALANCE, COORDINATION, AND CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS. FURTHER, THE MORE THEY ARE DONE, THE MORE PATHWAYS THE BRAIN WILL MAKE TO ACCOMMODATE MUSCLE MEMORY LEARNING.

4. LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS HELP TO IMPROVE: SPATIAL AWARENESS REFERS TO KNOWING WHERE YOUR BODY IS SITUATED IN A SPACE OR ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU OCCUPY. IT IS THE ABILITY TO KNOW THAT IF YOU TAKE TWO STEPS FORWARD YOU WILL BE TO CLOSE TO THE PERSON YOU ARE WAITING IN LINE BEHIND, OR TO BE ABLE TO PERCEIVE THAT AT THE RATE YOU ARE WALKING YOU WILL MAKE IT ACROSS THE ROAD BEFORE THE CAR UP THE ROAD COMES.

5. LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS HELP TO IMPROVE: VISUAL- SPATIAL AWARENESS THE ABILITY TO VISUALIZE A SPACE, WHETHER YOU ARE PRESENT IT OR NOT. FOR EXAMPLE: BEING ABLE TO NAVIGATE EITHER THROUGH READING A MAP, BEING ABLE TO ESTIMATE DISTANCES OR MEASUREMENTS, OR BEING ABLE TO BUILD A PROJECT FROM A DIAGRAM OR FROM A MENTAL BLUEPRINT . PROFICIENT LOCOMOTOR SKILLS ARE NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO MOVE YOUR BODY AND DO ANY OF THESE THINGS.

6. LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS HELP TO IMPROVE: COORDINATION OF THE LARGER LIMBS LOCOMOTOR ACTIVITIES DONE ON A REGULAR BASIS CAN HELP TRAIN THE ARMS, LEGS, AND TORSO TO DO WHAT THE BRAIN IS ASKING THEM TO DO. THIS IS BECAUSE THE BRAIN BUILDS MUSCLE MEMORY AS WELL AS MORE PATHWAYS BETWEEN THE BRAIN, NERVES, AND THE MUSCLES THAT CONTROL THE LIMBS. COORDINATION IS A LEARNED SKILL. GOOD COORDINATION IS A PRACTICED SKILL. EXCELLENT COORDINATION IS EMBEDED IN THE BODY FROM REPEATED AND CONSISTENT PRACTICE OF LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS.

7. LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS HELP TO IMPROVE: CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS BECAUSE LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENT IS A GROSS MOTOR SKILL WHICH INVOLVES MOVING THE LARGEST LIMBS, OUR BODIES NEEDS TO WORK EXTRA HARD TO DO THEM. THIS MEANS THAT OUR HEART RATE INCREASES AND WHEN WE PRACTICE LOCOMOTOR SKILLS FOR AN EXTENDED AMOUNT OF TIME WE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME INCREASE OUR CARDIOVASCULAR OR HEART FITNESS.

8. LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS HELP TO IMPROVE: MUSCLE MEMORY THE MORE YOU REPEAT A MOVEMENT, THE MORE LIKELY YOUR BRAIN WILL STORE THOSE MOVEMENTS WITHIN ITS NEURONS RESULTING IN EASE OF PERFORMANCE. THE MORE LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES YOU ENGAGE IN DOING, THE EASIER IT WILL BE FOR YOUR MUSCLE MEMORY TO TAKE OVER, ENABLING YOU TO PERFORM THEM ALMOST WITHOUT THINKING.

9. PREPARING FOR LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS & SKILLS

10. 1. PROPER BREATHING PROPER BREATHING ALLOWS YOUR BODY MORE CONTROL, KEEPING YOU CALM AND ALERT THROUGHOUT YOUR WORKOUT SO YOU CAN ACTIVELY ENGAGE  ALL YOUR MUSCLES. IN THE LONG TERM, PRACTICING PROPER BREATHING WILL: REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF AIR YOU NEED TO BREATHE IN AND OUT DURING GIVEN EXERCISE HELP YOUR MUSCLES PRODUCE LESS CARBON DIOXIDE IMPROVE BLOOD CIRCULATION AND HEART HEALTH MAXIMIZE YOUR WORKOUT AND FITNESS LEVEL

11. 2. ENSURING MOBILITY AND STABILITY MOBILITY AND STABILITY ARE TWO OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS IN RECOVERING FROM AND PREVENTING INJURY. TOO LITTLE OR TOO MUCH MOVEMENT AND A LACK OF STABILITY IN THE MUSCLES AND JOINTS CAN LEAD TO STIFFNESS, DYSFUNCTION, AND DEGENERATIVE CHANGES. THESE FACTORS CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF INJURY.

12. THE DIFFERENT LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS & SKILLS

13. THE DIFFERENT LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS & SKILLS THE MOST BASIC LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS ARE WALKING , RUNNING , AND SKIPPING .

14. LINEAR LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS & SKILLS

15. LINEAR LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS & SKILLS 1) HIGH KNEES ACTIVATE YOUR QUADRICEPS, HAMSTRINGS, CALVES, GLUTES, AND HIP FLEXORS, HELPING IMPROVE MUSCULAR ENDURANCE, BALANCE, AND COORDINATION IN THESE MUSCLES. 

16. LINEAR LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS & SKILLS 2) HEEL TO BUTT HEEL TO BUTT IS A LINEAR LOCOMOTOR STRETCHING EXERCISE THAT PRIMARILY TARGETS THE QUADS.

17. LINEAR LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS & SKILLS 3) STRAIGHT LEG STRETCH STRETCHES THE HAMSTRING MUSCLES AND THE UPPER BACK. IT ALSO CHALLENGES THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES AS THEY ARE CONTRACTED IN MAINTAINING THE BODY POSITION DURING THE STRETCH AND THE SCISSORING MOTION AS YOU SWITCH LEGS. THIS EXERCISE WILL ALSO TRAIN YOU IN CONTROLLING YOUR CORE AND COORDINATING MOVEMENT AND BREATHING.

18. LINEAR LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS & SKILLS 4) STRAIGHT LEG SKIP STRAIGHT-LEG SKIP IS A CARDIOVASCULAR AND STRETCHING EXERCISE THAT PRIMARILY TARGETS THE HAMSTRINGS AND TO A LESSER DEGREE, ALSO TARGETS THE CALVES, GLUTES, AND HIP FLEXORS.

19. LINEAR LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS & SKILLS 5) BACK PEDAL START WITH A LOW CENTER OF GRAVITY THEN RUN BACKWARDS, IMAGINING THAT YOU’RE PUSHING THE GROUND AWAY FROM YOU. THIS EXERCISE BRINGS ABOUT VARIOUS LEVELS OF COORDINATION, MOBILITY, STABILITY, AND GENERAL MOVEMENT QUALITIES.

20. LINEAR LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS & SKILLS 6) LEG CRADLE IMPROVES HIP AND LOWER BACK FLEXIBILITY. REDUCES TENSION AND STIFFNESS IN THE HIPS AND LOWER BACK. CAN HELP TO RELIEVE DISCOMFORT AND PAIN ASSOCIATED WITH SITTING FOR LONG PERIODS OR ENGAGING IN REPETITIVE LEG MOVEMENTS.

21. LINEAR LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS & SKILLS 7) LUNGES THE LUNGE IS A COMMON POSITION PEOPLE ASSUME TO GET UP FROM THE GROUND, AND IT MIMICS MANY OF THE MOVEMENTS AND MUSCLE-ACTIVATION PATTERNS OF DAILY ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS WALKING AND RUNNING AND ASCENDING OR DESCENDING STAIRS.

22. LINEAR LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS & SKILLS 8) REVERSE OR BACK LUNGES INVERSELY, YOU CAN ALSO DO ANOTHER VARIATION OF THE LUNGE BY STEPPING YOUR ENGAGING FOOT BACKWARD, ENSURING TO MAINTAIN A 90 DEGREE ANGLE BENT ON YOUR FRONT KNEE.

23. LINEAR LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS & SKILLS 9) HAM STRETCH HAMSTRING STRETCHES HELP TO RELIEVE BACK PAIN, IMPROVE POSTURE, AND AVOID SORENESS AND INJURIES. THE HAMSTRINGS ARE A GROUP OF MUSCLES THAT ATTACH TO THE PELVIS AND THE LEG BONES.

24. LATERAL LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS & SKILLS

25. 1) CARIOCA EMPHASIZES HIP ROTATION AND QUICK FOOT MOVEMENTS WITH THE GOAL OF COORDINATED MOVEMENTS AND HIP FLEXIBILITY. LATERAL LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS & SKILLS

26. 2) SIDE STEPS THE LATERAL SIDE SKIP/STEP “WAKES UP” THE MUSCLES ON THE SIDES OF YOUR BODY—LIKE YOUR GLUTES AND OBLIQUES—WHICH ARE CRUCIAL FOR COORDINATION, BALANCE, AND STABILITY, LATERAL LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS & SKILLS

27. 3) CROSSOVER MUCH LIKE CARIOCA, CROSSOVER EMPHASIZES HIP ROTATION AND QUICK FOOT MOVEMENTS. LATERAL LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS & SKILLS

28. COOL-DOWN AND RECOVERY AFTER LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENTS & SKILLS

29. SELF-MYOFASCIAL RELEASE IS A SELF-MASSAGE TECHNIQUE PERFORMED BY AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS EXPERIENCING MUSCLE TIGHTNESS OR PAIN AS A RESULT OF EXERCISE. IT IS SOMETIMES USED BY THOSE WHO WISH TO PREVENT THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE AS PART OF THEIR REGULAR WARM-UP OR COOL-DOWN ROUTINE. COOL-DOWN AND RECOVERY