We are in the midst of the holiday season, when the imaginations of young and old alike come alive.

Not just a new-agey concept, visualization is an important part of moving well. When we take the time to visualize our movements, the nervous system remembers what we visualize in order to assist us the next time we go to make the motion.

I recently used visualization to help me with my shoulder rolls — I was doing well on one side, but the other side was really loud and the form was awkward. I knew what I needed to do, but my body wouldn’t do it. Then I went on a business trip, and while I was gone I’d regularly take a few minutes to think about what exactly was supposed to happen, in slow motion, envisioning how the mat would feel against my shoulder, back, and opposite hip and how I would come back up out of the roll.  I came back from my trip, tried a roll — and the form was significantly improved!

How you can use this:

• It has to be a movement you already have SOME skill at, otherwise your body can’t channel the existing neural connections to strengthen them.
• Think about the motion in a really slow speed.
• The more details the better — it will seem more alive and real to the nervous system. For my shoulder roll, I thought about where I was going to place my hands and the diamond shape they formed, how I would tuck my head, how the mat feels when it hits my shoulder, the slight noise as I hit the mat, the lighting in the room where I practice, etc.

This week I want you to visualization work on one skill — be it your running form, kettlebell swing, military press, squat, or vertical jump. Take a few minutes to practice every day on the bus, during a break, in the gym locker room, or before you drift off to sleep. Your nervous system will thank you!