Not All Stabilisation Is Created Equal

The feed-forward system

Have you heard about something called the "Feed-forward system" of trunk stabilisation? This is a core principles in DNS training

Let me explain what it is and why it matters.

In a feed-forward system of trunk stabilization your body will prepare core stability BEFORE any other movement happens! So instead of reacting after you move, your nervous system anticipates the movement and activates key stabilising muscles a fraction of time BEFORE you move. This is an important distinction.

Predict and Prepare

This would be a good mantra for this way of reaction, meaning the "feed-forward" state is anticipatory. You turn on your core just before you move your arms, legs or shift your weight.

Repond after the fact This would describe a chain of reaction based on feedback, ie your core would stabilise after you have already initiated movement.

Examples

Examples could be as simple as getting out of bed in the morning or getting in or out of a chair. It is often these simple every-day tasks that catch us and we are using our bodies in a less than ideal way. In both of the examples above, we are also most likely in a state of almost full relaxation (sometimes a bit sleepy, or slumped on the couch), so we tend not to "organise" our body movements that well. But these are often also the situations, if done suboptimal, which after a while end up causing us discomfort.

Golf players need very good core stabilisation to prevent chronic back pain and ensure efficient arm movement

Let me give you another example: reach with your arm as if you want to grab something quickly. If your automatic core stabilization works well, your trunk (including your chest area and shoulder blades) activate first, then your arm moves smoothly. If not, your trunk will react late, likely AFTER your arm is already stretched out, or your hand has grasped an object. You might be wobbling, gripping or overuse the superficial muscles of your arm and likely of your neck and upper back. Now imagine the object you are picking up has a bit of weight.... The result is that lacking correct core stabilization strategies, you set yourself up for overuse, injury and suboptimal performance as an athlete.

DNS training for feed-forward core stabilization

This means the anticipatory adjustment happens in milliseconds, often before any visible movement begins. And it happens "by itself", after a while (of training) you do not need to think about it any longer. DNS training restores the correct timing of core muscle activation, to result in a perfect synchonicity of the muscles involved, including the diaphragm. It also trains the all important coordination between breathing and stability, which helps set up this synchronicity and timing of muscle activation.

Lastly, it promotes the automatic core engagement, due to being based on genetically fixed ideal movement patterns developed during early childhood.

The ideal goal

The goal is not to simply "tightening your core" which often results in bracing, ie rigidity and inefficient stiffness, but to regain the brains/ natural anticipatory core stabilization strategy.

Correct core stabilization is an automatic, elastic and well-timed muscle action, which enables you to move with more ease and empowers more fluidity and efficiency in any sport specific actions.

This is why DNS training is so powerful!

Rugby demands strength, fitness, balance, mobility and stamina. Efficient core stabilisation is a must.

The result

DNS enabled fee-forward trunk stabilization is the body's ability to automatically activate deep stabilizing muscles before movement, creating a stable base for efficient and coordinated motion.