Are you a klutz? If you said yes I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to be. If you took the time to really work on your coordination you would be amazed at how much you could improve it. Coordination is one of the many components of fitness: muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, speed, power, reaction time, agility and balance. But it’s also one of the most overlooked components of fitness.
When you go into your local gym you’ll see lots of people working on their cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance and flexibility, but you’ll rarely see someone really working on improving their coordination. Why is that? Well in my experience I find this is usually due to the fact that most people don’t really understand what all the various components of fitness are in the first place. If you’re not aware of what the various components of fitness are, then how are you going to know what you’re supposed to do to develop them? Having an understanding of what makes up “fitness” is the first step.
Coordination can be incorporated into every activity you perform. Focusing on the quality of the movement you’re performing whether it be lifting weights, running, jumping, etc. rather than just the quantity of work being done will ensure you develop high levels of coordination. This is not only good for the body but it’s also good for the brain as you will force it to create new neurological pathways. This is referred to as neuroplasticity. A more densely connected brain is a healthier brain with evidence pointing to a decrease in risk for cognitive diseases such as Alzheimer’s. I love this article from GMB entitled De-Klutz-ify Yourself: 10 Simple Drills and Games for Coordination because it shows some challenging and fun activities that you can incorporate into your training program to help you develop a higher level of coordination. Try them out and get on the path to improved fitness!
Besides being a regular contributor to the Function Health Club blog, Jeff Doyle is also the co-owner of Function Health Club as well as a Personal Trainer, BCRPA Trainer of Fitness Leaders, Agatsu Kettlebell Instructor and Older Adult Wellness Practitioner. He also has a Bachelor of Human Kinetics. You can contact Jeff directly at jeff@FunctionHandF.com.
