Neuromuscular coordination, neuromuscular control, muscle memory... There are a lot of terms and definitions when it comes to balance boarding. In this article we are going to skip complex explanations and sum up the most important facts in just a few sentences. In a nutshell, neuromuscular coordination is the ability of the central nervous system to recruit a muscle or a group of muscles in order to perform a specific task unconsciously. This happens through interactions between neurological messages, which are connecting different aspects of muscle actions like joint stability, contractions, coordination, body alignment and balance.
Let’s have a closer look at the word “coordination”. Co – ordination. The ability to multitask. It happens when two or more separate entities work together. Therefore, neuromuscular coordination is the “co-ordination” between muscles and neurons (nerve cells) under the control of the brain.
The brain is our CEO and the muscles and neurons are the co-workers who execute the brain’s order to team up and work together on this task. Balance Boarding especially improves your neuromuscular control, which means, you boost the detection, perception, and implementation of relevant sensory information to perform specific tasks. You improve the ability of the nervous system to create a fast and optimal muscle-firing pattern, decrease joint forces, increase joint stability and to relearn movement skills and patterns.
Now you are probably thinking: Ok cool, and what does all of this mean for me as a Woazboarder? Well, besides an improvement of joint stability, coordination, and body alignment...Have you ever heard about muscle memory?
Changes that occur in the brain during skill learning convert the information that the brain sends to the muscles. This process changes the movements that are produced. Memory can be stored without any conscious awareness, and the skilled actions can be performed almost automatically. This is why we always remember how to ride a bike without thinking about it. And the same goes for Woazboarding.
Also, rippin’ on a Balance Board can push your athletic performance to the next level, enhance your concentration, improve your motor control and prevent injuries.
Enjoy the ride and stay balanced!
____________________________________________ 1 Khunji, A. (2017). Neuromuscular Coordination. 2 Shaikh, S. (2017). Neuromuscular Co-ordination. 3 Johnstone, A. (2019). The amazing phenomenon of muscle memory. Medium. Oxford University. https://medium.com/oxford-university/the-amazing- phenomenon-of-muscle-memory-fb1cc4c4726