Brain Re-training for Ringing in the Ears

We all have had some type of injury or trauma to our body and soul.  A fall, a fracture, a scratch, a sprain, a concussion, a stomach virus, a verbal assault, a car accident; the list goes on.   You may forget the details but your brain doesn't.

Your brain remembers EVERYTHING.  Such as where you were looking when you fell, the details of the encounter, the fragrance of the dental assistant's hands, music in the background.  These details matter when healing.

Injured areas may be too weak to send signals to the brain that are strong enough to make change.  As a result, you  need to stack several drills together so neurons pool together in order to send super strong signals to the brain to thereby create positive change.

I am working with a lady who has lazy eye.  She also has Eustatian tube (inner ear) problems on the same side.  This is because the nerves that innervate the eye muscles and the ear tube are damaged.   As the nerves begin to die, they switch into hypersensitive mode.

In other words, a dying nerve craves attention; it doesn't want to die so it becomes hypersensitive to anything and everything.  The result?  Ringing in her ear.  Tinnitus, or ringing in the ear is a nerve problem.  For anyone who knows cranial nerves, tinnitus indicates cranial nerve #7 problem however cranial nerve 5 and 8 are also involved in tinnitus.

In her treatment plan, the focus is to activate these dying nerves.  The results have been good but they're not lasting.  The results aren't lasting because the the injured/damaged nerve is too weak to send strong enough signals to elicit long-lasting change.

This calls for "super stack" powers activated!  In other words, we put all of her high payoff drills together at once.

The result?  The ringing in her ear got lighter in sound and lower in pitch.   YAAAAAY!

The message?  The injured nerve is too weak to send messages to change the brain by itself; she has to send stronger signals to the brain from the right side of her head.  In order to do so, she has to stack several of surrounding nerve drills at once to create a signal that is strong enough to the brain and activate change.

Drills need to be done frequently and with high repetition.  This is not easy, but tinnitus can be fixed.  She was thrilled the ringing was lowered and lighter but she was discouraged at the amount of work she needs to do to fix it.

It's up to you.  If you're willing to do the work, you can fix your tinnitus.  There is no magic pill and if someone says there is, they're lying.  Neuroplasticity requires work; activate, don't medicate.

New Brain Cells. New YOU.

Neurogenesis.  Your brain produces new cells everyday.  In fact, your nervous system makes new neurons (basic cell of the nervous system) well into the ninth decade of life.   What does this mean to you?  You can change the way you move, your balance and your thoughts no matter how old or young you are.

Here's the catch; these new neurons need to be stimulated or they will die.  You have to do something to keep them alive.  The way to stimulate new neurons is to make new memories and learn new skills.

LEARN AND GROW.

What does that look like for you?

1. Get out of your comfort zone.  We are creatures of habit.  We do the same things everyday, we eat the same foods every week.   Try something new.  Go a different route to the store.  Walk a different direction around the track.  Try a new restaurant.  
2. TURN OFF THE AUTO-PILOT.  Quit going through life without being present.  People go to the gym and do the same routine with the same weights week in, week out.  They are not thinking about their breath, or their body    We are in one place physically but mentally, you're worrying about the future or dwelling on the past.  Be present.   
3. Learn new skills.  It's never too late to teach an old dog new tricks.  Learn how to move your body in ways you've never imagined.  Learn a new language.  Take an art class.  Learn how to dance.  Gain control of your body through specific joint mobility drills.

In my Brains and Balance classes, you will do all three things necessary to stimulate newly formed neurons.  An added benefit from the sensory and motor skills you will learn in class is the ability to change the way your brain is wired; improve what you already have.  This is called Neuroplasticity.   

Stay tuned for my next blog about Neuroplasticity; the science of hope and the future of fitness and key to a fulfilling, engaged life. 

Brain-based Balance Exercises Are Simple, NOT EASY

"These exercises aren't easy", "This stuff is totally different than anything I've done", "I can't believe how tired I get just by moving my eyes".....these are just a few of the comments I've heard from clients about their brain-based balance exercises.

"These exercises aren't easy".  While nodding your head may seem simple, it's not always easy if you have a balance problem.  If you have a nerve dysfunction or part of your brain needs more or less activation, doing these specific brain-activation drills can be hard!

"This stuff is totally different than anything my doctors or physical therapist have me do".   Neuroscience is the thriving, evolving science changing due to constant discoveries about the organ that runs the entire body.  New discoveries not yet published in textbooks are changing people's lives.

Your doctors and physical therapists have not read these recent studies or learned the skills because they do not specialize in functional neurology.  Mostly, our current healthcare system is an insurance-fraud scheme.  Doctors are death prevention specialists; they prevent death.  They are not in the business of curing patients because a patient cured is a patient lost.

"I can't believe how tired I get just by moving my eyes".  I hear this time and time again.  If I don't hear it, I see it.  The eyes are the #1 input to the brain and the eye muscles burn through fuel.  Following a pencil with both eyes requires specific eye muscle activation which stimulates specific areas of the brain.  When decreased areas get activated,  the results are instant.

THERE IS NO MAGIC PILL.  DO THE WORK.

Results may be instant but in order for those changes to stick, you HAVE TO PRACTICE THE DRILLS.   The science of neuroplasticity proves that the brain can and will change structure, at any age, in order to survive.  But like all things, you have to work for it.  Research studies show that you must practice 20-40 hours for neuronal change to become permanent.

I do not offer any magic pill, no paid medical treatment using a big fancy machine.  I teach holistic, brain-based drills that stimulate areas of the brain.  It's nervous system activation.



When doing brain-based training, prepare to do some different things; things that may seem silly but drills that activate specific muscles, which activate specific nerves which stimulate specific areas of the brain.

For the brain to thrive, you have to learn new skills.  You have to engage the brain.  Make these changes last.  Improve your brain, improve your balance.

INFO@THEFALLPREVENTIONLADY.COM

Don't just get your vision checked, train your vision!!!!

Every Tuesday I get a highlight of articles published nationwide about fall prevention, senior balance and mobility and senior exercises.  Week after week, I read the same messages; "fall-proof" your home environment, watch your medications, exercise, and get your vision and hearing checked.

I totally agree with these suggestions however, things need to change.  As science unveils more about the brain and balance, professionals need to update the message to older adults about falls and prevention of falls.

The number one fall prevention message to older adults should be train your vision.  Don't just get your vision checked and be told by some doctor who hasn't read a neuroscience article in the past ten years that 'you're getting old",  "your vision is going to get worse and there's nothing you can do about it", or "you cannot improve your vision".  FALSE.  This is FALSE information!

Vision is a skill and like all skills, it can improve with practice.  Yes, there are diseases of the eyes (macular degeneration, glaucoma and cataracts) that will cause loss of sight but get those eyes moving; especially if you have one of those diseases.

I'm not a doctor, I'm not an optmologist but I am a nervous system specialist, a brain exercise therapist.  Each eye has six muscles.  Those muscles are innervated by three cranial nerves that go directly into the brainstem.

If you want to activate your brain and have an immediate and profound effect on your life, move those eyes.  Learn how to train the four components of vision and your vision will get better.  Your thinking will get sharper.  Your balance will improve tenfold.

Vision is the #1 input to the brain.  Training your eyes is the quickest way to improve your brain health.  So in those same messages to older adults, I want to add, Don't just get your vision checked, TRAIN YOUR VISION and watch your life change.

In honor of the new year and the new decade, 

I'm offering a "Starter Pack" special;

90-minute consultation + (4) sixty-minute sessions for $525

Book today:  info@thefallpreventionlady.com

Change the way you see, change the way you move, change the way you feel.  Get those eyes moving.

Legally blind still need to train eye muscles

Vision is so more than eye sight.  This US Veteran is legally blind and learned how to train his eye muscles for less pain, better posture and more confidence.

Neurology is so cool.

Legally blind student in Brains and Balance Training class in Ranch Cordova explains how the vision drills have helped him.

As his instructor, I watched his eye movement improve tremendously..  His left was exophoric the first day, meaning the eye ball would look out to the side.  Through targeted vision training drills to strengthen the weak eye muscles, his left eye is now more 'in line' and focused forward.  Not bad for a four-week class.

He has had multiple back surgeries and spinal fusions so in order to live completely free of pain will require a lot of practice of vision and targeted brain activation drills.   All things are possible when you believe.

"You gotta believe it to see it".

It's not just ONE exercise that improved my balance

No one likes to admit they need help.  I've found that some older adults are hesitant to join "fall prevention" programs because if they did, they would be admitting weakness. Women are by far more likely to join balance training classes and thanks to their loving wives, more men are joining my classes.

One gentleman whose wife had to coax him to join the class, did amazingly well. His posture improved and his walking gait was steadier.  During the last week of class he admitted that his balance was better but he didn't know what exercise made the difference.  He said, "I think it was the cumulative effect of all the drills that improved my balance".

And he's right; a healthy brain needs activation. Because everyone is different and no two brains are the same, the types and amounts of stimulus will vary from person to person.  The key to great movement, better balance, improved vision, quicker reaction speeds and better posture is finding the type and right amount of activation YOUR brain needs.

That's what we do in my four-week Brains and Balance Training classes; systematically activate the different areas of the brain.  The brain has different parts that do different things.  Because neurons that lie together fire together, activating one area of the brain stimulates other areas.

How do you know what drills make you better?  You assess and reassess.  In the fitness world, "You're guessing if you're not assessing" is a golden rule among top-notch trainers.  Seriously, why would you want to do a drill or exercise that makes your body movement worse?  You don't.  That's why you need to assess and reassess to see how your body (and brain) are responding to exercises.

In Brains and Balance Training, I give adults tools for their "balance and fall prevention" toolbox in order to live a better life.  Different brains, different options.  Discover what areas of your brain need stimulation and enjoy the benefits of healthy functioning brain.

Why Your Eye Doctor Doesn’t Give You Vision Training Drills

We are a vision-dependent society.  In other words, we heavily rely on input from our eyes to help us navigate through life.  This is because vision is the number one input to the brain.  Our brain relies on visual information to decide how to move and where to go.

Each eye sends over 1.2 billion bits of information per second to the brain.  That is an enormous amount of information per second, per eye, flooding the brain.  The brain has to decide which information is accurate in order to act quickly and appropriately.    Appropriately means safe.

Each eye has 6 muscles!

What's interesting is that vision is brain-wide event; it's not just the transmission of information on the optic nerve.  Vision includes the occipital, temporal, parietal and frontal lobes and there are four components of vision necessary for good "vision".

As Z-Health Neuro-Performance Specialist, I implement brain-based drills to train the four
components of vision.  What's awesome is that every brain is different and therefore, each brain needs different types of activation.  Through assessment and reassessment practices, you learn the types of vision drills your brain craves and responds well to.

What's fascinating is that vision is a skill and like all other skills, it will improve with practice however you must train all four components regularly if you want to improve your vision.  

Clients are blown away with instant results and often ask, "Why isn't my doctor telling me how to do this?

One simple answer:  the applied neurology training techniques I use are cutting edge, neuroscience-researched practices based on the science of neuroplasticity.  Neuropolasticity is the science of hope.  Medical doctors can't give you hope or they'll get sued if it doesn't work.

Eye doctors sell glasses, eye surgeries and medications.    Physical therapists sell costly treatments covered by insurance and are driving up the cost of Medicare for conventional approaches to movement.  

The medical community, doctors and physical therapists included, are going to have to go back to school to learn the applied functional neurology training techniques that I am teaching because more and more evidence proves new things about the brain and nervous system

Brain-based training is the future of fitness.  If you want to move better and see better, you have to train the systems involved, from the brain's perspective.   Find a trained neuro-performance specialist (Z-Health Trainers) and learn how to activate parts of your brain that need activation.

If you've tried everything and nothing has worked, it's time to try something different!!!!
Train your eyes for better vision.  Train your brain with better visual input.

Get those eyes moving!

Learn and Do

I just attended Perform Better's one-day "Learn by Doing" workshop in South San Francisco.  This is an annual event for me and this year's presenters were interesting.  I really appreciated the opportunity to learn from one of the fitness industry's best, Mike Boyle; a renowned Strengthening and Conditioning Coach.  

As a lifelong learner and a movement specialist who is constantly striving to learn more about the human body and movement patterns, I keep an open mind when listening to fitness professionals.   However now that I am a Z-Health Movement Re-Educator who specialized in brain-based movement and performance, I find it difficult to listen to misinformation about the nervous system and brain function.

It was refreshing to hear two presenters encourage forced exhalation.  The reasonings were different but the message is the same:  BREATHE OUT THROUGH THE MOUTH.  Strong.  And long.  Feel your lower stomach contract as you reach the end of the exhalation phase.

The Neuro-Revolution is here.  Brain-based training is the future of fitness.  I guarantee it.  Don't wait for mainstream trainers to get the message; find a Z-Health Practitioner and get started today!

Everything beings in the brain; all thoughts and movement.    Learn how to train your brain for better performance in daily life.  HINT:  Crossword puzzles are not the way to a healthy brain. 

Your brain: Use it or Lose it

A participant in my Brains and Balance Training class at The Club at WestPark in Del Webb asked a valid, common question...."Why do I need to do this vision training"?  

THE NERVOUS SYSTEM'S USE IT OR LOSE IT:
TRANS-NEURONAL DEGENERATION

The answer is simple: USE IT OR LOSE IT.  

We already know that if you don't move a body part, you lose the ability to move it. 

You know if you don't strengthening your legs, your legs get weak and you're more likely to fall. 

The same "USE IT OR LOSE IT" principle applies to your brain and nervous system called "TRANS-NEURONAL DEGENERATION"

A healthy brain needs fuel and activation.  If you don't activate the entire brain, neurons die.   

Activating your senses is the only way to "use" your entire brain.  Not playing crossword puzzles and brain teasers.  You need to stimulate your senses.

 

Vision is the #1 input to the brain and vision is a brain-wide event.  In other words, when you do vision training, you activate all the lobes of the brain in order to see and process what you see.  

The cool thing about sensory training is the neurology rule, "Neurons that lie together, fire together".  This means that as neurons die because of lack of fuel and/or activation, the dying neurons influence the ones next to it.  The good news is this lie together/fire together principle works the other way, too.

As you activate neurons through sensory input, the neurons positively influence the neurons next to it.     "Hey, I'm moving, move with me", said the vision neuron to the pain inhibitor neuron.  IN other words, when you activate the visual neurons, they activate neurons that turn off pain!

If you're in chronic pain, get your eyes moving.  

As for improving your balance, the eyes muscles are innervated by nerves that go directly into the brainstem; areas of the brainstem that affect posture and balance.  It's complicated but what you need to know is that training the eyes activates neurons that DIRECTLY influence upright posture and balance. 

The moral of this blog: 

"If you don't train the sensory systems, half of your brain is dying"~ Kelly Ward

 

If you want to move, stay balanced, prevent a fall, have great vision and live independently, you'll do drills to activate the most neglected and least understood part of the brain; your sensory cortex.

Simply neuroscience. Simply Fall Prevention.

If you can't explain is simply, you really don't understand it.  Albert Einstein.

Balance is complex.  Learning how to train it doesn't have to be.  As a Z-Health Neuro-Performance Coach, I am constantly trying to explain complex neuroscience and neuro-anatomy concepts in easy to understand phrases and analogies.

The science of neuroplasticity (any structural change in the brain to enhance performance so you will survive) is the science behind Z-Health.  I study the brain, both structure and function, and I am amazed at the results people (including myself) get when they activate underactive parts of the brain.

A guy in class asked me, why are we doing all this vision training?  I paused and explained the brainstem, cranial nerves, eye muscles and functional neuroanatomy in an easy to understand yet logical explanation.

A mentor of mine said study, study, study.  Write down potential questions and come up with a scientific explanation and an easy one.

My message today:  improving balance and preventing falls is not standing on one leg or following some outdated Balance Manual.  It's about training the muscles and senses involved in balance, particularly the brain's GPS system.

Keep it simple.  Train smart.

Science of Breathing for a Healthy Brain

A healthy brain needs two things; fuel and activation.  The two types of fuel your brain needs are glucose and oxygen.  You need to eat and breathe.  Eating for a healthy brain is an entirely different blog so in this post I'd like to talk about breathing, particularly carbon dioxide.

Growing up, we were taught to believe that oxygen is good and carbon dioxide is bad.  That's half true: carbon dioxide is also good.  In fact, carbon dioxide drives respiration.  Movement produces carbon dioxide.

This is not good news if you don't move.  If you don't move much, you're not producing carbon dioxide.  You're over breathing, meaning you're taking in too much oxygen, but without carbon dioxide, your cells cannot get the oxygen you need.   The oxygen gets stuck in the bloodstream.

In all simplicity, carbon dioxide is a messenger molecule.  It attaches to the oxygen molecule and takes it into the cell.  100% blood oxygen is NOT GOOD.  95-97% Oxygen saturation is good.

Here is an excellent article about carbon dioxide:  Science of Breathing. Truth about Carbon Dioxide

How to you increase carbon dioxide?  You move.  You exercise.  Nasal breathing. And most important, you bag breathe.  Not like you're hyperventilating but slow and controlled.  In a bag, 30 seconds, 3-4 times per day.

Just breathe.

No One's Going To Do It For You!

My dad was tough.  Marines tough.  Brigadier General tough.  I remember playing him in tennis and he kicked my butt.  As I was rising to the top of my basketball game, he beat me.  No mercy.  It made me cry!  I don't know why but the fact that he played hard and beat me seemed unfair.  At the time.

I cried.  I was hurt.  After all, I was his daughter.  I was only visiting him since my parent's divorce and I was a good athlete.  Dad's are supposed to let their girl win.  Or at least that's what I must have thought.  But I'm here to tell you, he didn't give me any special treatment and it taught me that life isn't fair and you have to do the work if you want to benefit.   It made me a better player.  A full scholarship athlete. Thank you Dad.

You can't expect anyone to do the work for you.  In this day and age, you have to be your own advocate.  If you want better balance, you have got to put in work.  It's up to you to seek education classes and workshops that explain aging, balance and coordination as you age.  

If you have fallen down and you don't want to fall again, it's up to you find a balance class that gets you results.  IN order to get results you have to face the frustrations, make the mistakes and re-learn how to move correctly.                    

                 

As you teach your brain to move again, you will have the 'why won't you do what I'm telling you' conversation with your body parts.  Your brain can forget how to move a body part if you don't move it regularly.  Practice makes perfect and perfect practice gets results.  

You can rewire your brain for better movement, better balance and less pain.  The science of neuroplasticity proves it.  I have invested to become a brain-based movement re-educator that focuses on brain activation for better movement, balance and vision.    It works.....if you work it.  

Nothing comes easy.  Anything worth having is worth working for.  Practice makes perfect.  You've got to put in the work to get the results.  Join me in one of my brain-based fall prevention classes or sit in on one of my dynamic educational workshops.

www.thefallpreventionlady.com
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Registered Nurse Living with PTSD Overcomes Fears with Brain Training

Overcame broken back with brain-based training from The Brains and Balance Lady on Vimeo.

Everyone has different reasons why they choose to enroll in my brain-based balance training programs. Falling and fear of falling is a huge motivator for a lot of people because my four-week program gets RESULTS.

Neuroscience research proves that the brain will make structural changes to survive and what's awesome is that you don't have to be over 80 to get results from my class!  Your brain wants to survive and will change with proper training.

Here, a sixty-something retired US Air Force nurse shares her personal testimonial about how brain-based training has helped her overcome her fears of movement after breaking her back.   The greatest benefit for her has been learning how to conquer fears so she can do the things she most enjoys; exercise, jumping, and spending time with her grandkids.

You are not alone in your fears.  Join others just like you in one of my Brains and Balance Training sessions or I can come to you for private training sessions.  I'll meet you where you are now to get you where you want to be.

Brain-based training is the future of fitness.  Let me show you how to activate parts of your brain for better balance, better movement and better vision.    Or, if you're living in pain, I offer holistic training methods to help you manage pain.

Whatever your goals, I want to help you reach them

Your coach,
Kelly

Stroke Survivor shows huge improvements in Brains and Balance Training class

The lone wolf.  The only guy in a class of three sisters and another female and the only reason this 79-year old stroke survivor was even in the class was because his wife signed him up!   Marv represented well and tied the oldest sister for most improved in the class.

Ninety minutes, twice a week for four-weeks.  Eight sessions of brain-based balance and mobility training.  Marv missed the first week so in essence, he improved the most the quickest!   He walked in with a severe limp and a cane and walked out tall and steady with his cane. 

His lower body strength improved 4.  In other words, he could stand up and sit down four more times in 30 seconds.  He reached nearly 3 inches further and was able to touch his toes!  This is tremendous!  His legs and low back aren't as stiff.  The greatest functional gain is that he was 2-seconds faster getting up from the chair and walking around a cone!  And steady, too!

The science of neuroplasticity is behind the significant improvements this man made in three weeks.  Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to change structure to become more efficient.  The brain is hard-wired for survival and with precise training, you get precise results.

If you're tired of NOT GETTING RESULTS, I can help!  The training strategies I use are based on functional neurology and the science of neuroplasticity proves that change is possible at any age and any ability.

You know there's more to life than what you've been told to accept.  You know there's got to be another way.  If you've tried everything and nothing has worked, it's time to try something else!

I offer holistic, science-based training principles that will transform your balance, movement and vision when done as suggested.

Brains and Balance Lady

2019 Classes and Workshops
Private In-Home Training
Online Balance Training Course

Feel Confident Walking Your Dog

I recently finished my first ever 4-week Brains and Balance Training in the beautiful gated-community of Whitney Oaks Springfield in the hills of Rocklin.   This independent living community is paradise.  Residents are active and many walk their dogs up and down steep hills and enjoy gorgeous views.

A small group between the ages of 76 and 86 invested their time and a minimal fee to participate in the 90-minute brain-based classes that met twice a week for four-weeks.  I applaud these individuals for their interest in brain-based training for optimized movement in daily activity.  Thanks for believing in the message I am sending:  your brain can change and you can learn how to move better, balance better, and see better.

One of the most improved in the class was a 76-year old lady who not only excelled in the three Senior Fitness Tests but also gained balance confidence that has impacted her life in wonderful ways.

Physically, she stood up and sat down 3 more times in 30 seconds, putting her in the 95th percentile for ladies her age.  Emotionally, she feels more secure and has increased confidence walking her dogs up and down the paths in her beautiful community.

She continues to be fascinated by the brain-based training and sensory activation techniques that caused her to balance, move and see better in four short weeks.

Neighbors in the Whitney Oaks community....don't miss out on the next Brains and Balance Training with Coach Kelly session!  Introductory Brains and Balance seminar in late-January and classes begin in February.    Check out my website for local schedule.

Listen to her personal testimony!  Thank you Diane!

Guess which sister over the age of 74 was most improved in brains and balance class!

I recently finished a four-week Brains and Balance Training session at Fair Oaks United Methodist Church.  This class was something special because there were three sisters, ages 74, 83, and 86 taking this balance journey together.

The youngest sister just finished the class and because it helped her so much, she wanted her older sisters, both of whom had suffered a bad fall, to reap the benefits of my four-week brains and balance training program.

As usual, I collect pre and post-senior fitness test scores to measure the efficacy of the intervention; in this case, 8 sessions of small group, brain-based balance and fitness training with assigned homework drills.

Each sister presented with unique challenges to their balance and stability but they all did very well in the class.  There were some immediate improvements but the noticeable, "wow, you're moving so much better" changes started in the third week.  Taller, level postures.  Lengthened spines.  Quicker reaction times.  Big smiles.

Their nervous systems were integrating both sensory stimulation and motor activation better and the results were evident.

The post-assessment scores proved it!  There were some amazing results and the  sister with the most improved scores was the oldest!

Lower Body Flexibility:  
The 86-year old sister improved her lower body flexibility by 8.5 inches!  In FOUR-WEEKS!  Day one, she was six and one-half inches away from her toes and the last day, she reached two and one-half inches past those same toes!!!
Not far behind, the 83-year old sister gained an 5.5 inches.  The youngest has gained 8 inches but it has taken her a little longer (8-weeks) and there's nothing wrong with that!!!

Lower Body Strength: 
Sit down and stand up as many times as you can in 30 seconds.  The 86-year old sister did 3 more chair stands, the middle sister did 2 more and the youngest did more 4 more chair stands!  She also made it the full 30 seconds without stopping.  This was huge because she has COPD.  The fact that she can exert high effort and not lose her breath is beyond FANTASTIC!  Yay.

Dynamic Balance and Agility:
This tests how quickly they can get up from chair, walk around a cone that is eight-feet away, and return to seated position.  This is huge due to the integration of sensory and motor systems for mobility.  In the post-test, everyone walked with more stability, awareness, and confidence. The 86-year old was nearly 2.5 seconds faster!  WOW!

Amazing results in a short period of time.   And this wonderful sisterhood proves that you're never too old to improve strength, flexibility and balance.

Show your sister, or brother how much you care!  If you're in the Sacramento region, attend one of my live brain-based balance and mobility classes or attend one of my ABCs of Balance workshops.

If you're not in the area, make sure you sign up for my online balance training course, Balance Training 101.  Enrollment begins next week.

Brains and Balance Lady
Formerly known as The Fall Prevention Lady!

Do you want to feel more steady on your feet???

I  recently completed two Brains and Balance Training sessions in local communities.  As you know, I'm always commenting on how well the class does but this time, I decided to get personal testimonials from class participants so you can see directly how mature adults felt about the Brains and Balance Training.

After ten testimonials, I'm noticing some recurring benefits that class participants are sharing.   After participating in my four-week balance training program that combines brain activation and balance skill, older adults walk more steady.  Their walking gait is more confident and they are more aware of their surroundings and when they need to react.

Isn't that the number one purpose of balance training?

• To feel more steady on your feet?  
• To be aware of your body in space?
• To know when and how to react in the case of imbalance???    

My Brains and Balance Training class teaches mature adults of all ages and ability levels how to walk steady and know when and how to react.

Walking is one of the first skills we learn as infants and one of the first skills we take for granted as adults.  Opposite arm, opposite leg is now replaced with a cane or using a walker.

Walking is a window to brain function because it is a reflexive activity; an automatic process that we don't have to think about.   Unfortunately, years of prolonged sitting, untreated injuries and movement compensation result in unstable, unsteady walking gaits.

The fear of falling worsens the walking gait because your brain triggers protective behaviors such as short steps, hunched forward posture and shuffling feet.

It doesn't have to be this way!!!!  You can learn how to walk strong and confident again.  You're too young to sit back and let life happen to you;  make life happen for you.  One step at a time.

Register now for my 2019 Brains and Balance Training classes:  Local Schedule

Enroll in my online Balance Training 101 course:  Balance Training 101

In Brain-Training, NO Protocol Fits All!

People want easy solutions.  A one stop shop; if I do this, then this will happen.   If you follow these three easy steps, you will be cured.  If you do this stretch every day, your hip pain will go away forever.  We like predictability.  We want answers.  That's humanity.

People want answers and people in the helping professions (personal trainers, nurses, doctors, therapists, specialists, experts) are quick to offer solutions.  That's what we do; we fix problems.  We are trained to fix the problem.  Follow this protocol and you will be healed.

Brains and Balance Training with Coach Kelly

Unfortunately, our brains don't work that way.   The brain determines your movement, your balance, your vision.  Your fears, your pain, your habits; it all begins in the brain.  Due to the fact that we've all lived different lives, chosen different paths and faced different obstacles, no two
brains are the same.

For that reason, what "works" for one person may not work for you.  A drill that makes you feel like a million bucks might not even phase your friend.  That's why brain training cannot be mass produced.  The methods to optimize movement and reduce pain for each person is different and as unique as the client.   The community of Z-health Performance Neuro-Professionals recognize that NO PROTOCOL FITS ALL.

Ninety-five percent (95%) of what we do is habitual.  Ninety-five percent.  Unfortunately that means we are cruising through life on auto-pilot; totally unengaged from the moment and the movements we make to get through the day.

In my Brains and Balance Training, I teach neural activation drills that positively impact movement and balance.  It's fun to watch people's reactions after doing a vision drill; some have amazing results others might not feel a difference.  That's because no two brains are the same.

Or one person may not have done it correctly; she might be thinking about dinner and not watching her finger.  Or she may have a weakened eye muscle from an accident twenty-seven years ago and is unable to move the eye in it's full range of motion.  Now that drill becomes a threat rather than a benefit and her movement may not improve.  It's absolutely amazing to apply functional neurology.

I'm science-oriented. I like facts.  I thrive on objective data.  I want data; not possibilities. As a trained Z-Health Neuro-Practitioner, I am trained in the application of neuro-anatomy. There are scientific explanations for every action and reaction however A+B doesn't always equal C.   Discovering the weak link and training for optimized performance is the beauty of what I do;
solving or better understanding the puzzle, the why behind the reaction.

I wish more than anyone that there was one "Improve Vision" or "Cure for Vertigo"  protocol that I could teach in my classes but there's not.  Each person has a history; a unique and valuable journey.   You've earned the body you have today; change is up to you.  It's possible to rewire your nervous system to be more efficient.

Regardless, know that your brain is plastic and can change with specific training.

Kelly
The Fall Prevention Lady
Or The Brains and Balance Lady

Goals #1 and #2 as certified Brain Exercise Therapist

As a health and fitness professional who studies the neuroplasticity of the brain and the enormous physical and mental benefits of brain activation, I have goals.  I want to make sure people understand the power of brain training and why they need to get started.

Kelly Ward, Brain Exercise Therapist 

I am an avid follower and studying practitioner of Dr. Eric Cobb's Z-Health Performance brain-based Solutions training and my number one goal is to "Re-educate those neural systems rendered dysfunctional from injury and disuse".   Dr. Cobb

Re-education of neural systems occurs via regular drills. Through comprehensive motor and sensory testing, I gather a picture of the brain's function and identify what needs more (or less) activation for optimal performance.

Once identified, I have my client do high pay-off drills frequently enough to make permanent changes.  It takes time to 're-educate the nervous system.  This requires behavior rehabilitation because a client has to do the exercises frequently and consistently to reap benefits on a permanent basis.

My second goal is to help you understand that big things come from little things.  I can guarantee that the drills you will do with me are new and unlike anything you have done with other trainers or health care professionals.  I do lots of 'sensory testing' and while these may not be huge "ah-ah"moments for you, I am gathering valuable data.

You don't have to have a background in neuroscience or know anything about the brain to work with me.  You'll probably hear me mumble things like 'right PMRF' or 'left saccule' or 'right side cranial nerve 7' but never mind me; I'm just gathering data.   The more sensory input, the greater the brain activation.  These little activations can have a huge impact on how you move.

As a certified Brain Exercise Therapist, I provide optimal sensory input to activate areas of the brain with decreased function.  These little drills add up.  When the brain feels 'safe' the pay-off is remarkable.  And pain-free.

Brain training. It's the future of fitness.  What have you got to lose?  Pain?  Poor posture?  Horrible balance?  Fading vision?  Yep, you can lose those things.

Let's re-educate your neural systems that have been injured or not used.  Subtle, small things can make a huge difference to your brain.  Let's get started!

Brains and Balance Vision Skill Training with Coach Kelly

Vision is a skill and like all skills, it will improve with practice.  Balance is a skill and like all skills, it will improve with practice.  Mental clarity is a skill and like all skills, it will improve with practice.

Are you seeing a pattern?  All skills will improve with consistent practice.  This is based on the exercise science "SAID" principle; the body undergoes Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands (SAID) when practicing or training to improve efficiency. 

In other words, practice makes perfect.  

Your body will get good at whatever you practice however you practice it.  

If you practice bicep curls, your body will adapt to imposed demands (what it's being asked to do) and get stronger to lift the amount of weight with the least amount of effort.  Yay, bigger arm muscles.
If you practice walking with a limp, your body is going to get really good at walking with a limp.  If you sit scrunched over in your chair or on the couch watching TV or playing on your phone, your body will get really good at sitting in a scrunched over position.

Think about what you're asking your body to do each day.  You're unknowingly building skills through habit.  The tricky part of skill training is doing it correctly.  You have to know HOW to train a skill in order to get better at the skill.

That's where I come in; I am trained in the skills of vision, balance and movement for optimized physical performance.  Your performance can be as simple as getting up from a chair, functioning in your daily life or improving your walk through this life journey or as complex as increased precision in your golf game, increased cardiovascular endurance for biking or running or regaining control of your body after a stroke.

Whatever your challange or goal, 

increased brain function 

will catapult your game!

Vision is the number one input to the brain and your trainer MUST KNOW the goal of each vision drill, what warning signs to look for and most importantly, how to train your eyes for optimized performance.

Every brain is different and general training classes are a great place to start before the need for individualized attention becomes apparent.  The basics will get you started but in order to thrive and make substantial changes, it's important to individualize your program.