Stabilization is body control. Improving neuromuscular stabilization may alleviate the high incidence of non-contact injuries (eg. ACL tears, MCL tears and pulled muscles.) Stabilization can only be obtained by the appropriate combination of proper posture and the strength necessary to maintain that alignment. Awareness of proper kinetic chain (posture) with a movement is equally as valuable to rational strength capabilities.

Stabilization training addresses existing structural deficiencies. Neuromuscular efficiency is the ability to properly recruit muscles to produce and reduce force, and dynamically stabilize the entire kinetic chain. The nervous system is the controlling factor with sensory receptors located in the muscles and tendons to help determine muscle balance or imbalance.

An effective way to improve stabilization is challenging neuromuscular systems with unstable, controllable environments. For example, feet supported on a stability ball with push ups. Seek guidance from a fitness professional to determine strength and posture efficiencies for this challenge.

GIG Design’s Movement Catalog is categorized by types of movement: balance, coordination, and endurance. Stabilization is one of the three goals each movement is tagged by, as well as fitness level, type of intensity, which body region it’s primarily targeting, and tools or equipment that may be optional or required. Select this link for category and tag definitions within our movement catalog.

One way you might use this catalog is for your current fitness level to guide choosing one to three moves that diversely incorporate each body-region. Alternatively, choose three tagged as All for full-body work. Practice based on a set time i.e. 5-minutes to become familiar with the move or as a break in your work day.

LOWER INTENSITY MOVEMENTS

HIGHER INTENSITY MOVEMENTS

REFERENCES

Proske U, Schaible HG, Schmidt RF. Joint receptors and kinaes- thesia. Exp Brain Res. 1988;72:219–224.

Powers CM. The influence of altered lower-extremity kinematics on patellofemoral joint dysfunction: a theoretical perspective. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2003;33(11):639-646.

Panjabi MM. The stabilizing system of the spine. Part I: Function, dysfunction, adaptation, and enhancement. J Spinal Disord. 1992;5(4):383-389.

Williford HN, Olson MS, Gauger S, Duey WJ, Blessing DL. Cardiovascular and metabolic costs of forward, backward, and lateral motion. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1998;30(9):1419-1423.

Lagally KM, Cordero J, Good J, Brown DD, McCaw ST. Physiologic and metabolic responses to a continuous functional resistance exercise workout. J Strength Cond Res. 2009;23(2): 373-379.

Chastin S, McGregor D, Palarea-Albaladejo J, et al., Joint association between accelerometry-measured daily combination of time spent in physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep and all-cause mortality: a pooled analysis of six prospective cohorts using compositional analysis, British Journal of Sports Medicine Published Online First: 18 May 2021. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2020-102345