Activities associated with Heterolateral Movement Patterns
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THESE ACTIVITIES
Heterolateral movements are those where both sides of the body coordinate their actions. An exemplar of a primitive form is how a reptile moves. A more advanced example is tripod gait we see in four-legged animals. Infants mature into this form of propulsion, which we describe as 6-Point Crawling (this is discussed below). Dimensionally this is described as movements in the FRONTAL PLANE. Activities that encourage the expression of these foundational movement patterns are discussed here:
Pointers for working with Vision issues that have some significance for Heterolateral Movement Patterns:
VISION EXERCISES
6 POINT CRAWLING (TRIPOD GAIT)
Bottom of the big toe makes contact with the ground to push off – the precursor of using the big toe in gait. Cannot develop this gait mechanism if the pad of the big toe slips on its contact surface. Impossible to develop this if wearing socks or shoes, and then crawling develops without the engagement of the foot, but rather the knee (with the top of the foot in contact with the ground – providing no propulsive force).
KNEE PADS OR CARPET FOR ADULTS
The palm of the hand should make firm contact with the ground – fingers pointed slightly inward.
One arm is placed forward
The opposite leg is brought forward.
The arm on that side is brought forward
The opposite leg is brought forward.
In this type of crawling there is always three-point contact with the ground.
CROSS CRAWL
To be done often
CROSS CRAWL
/Standing wall press and stair exercises Heterolateral
/
/
/
/
WALKING ON FLAT SURFACES
/
/
UNDERSTANDING FOOT FUNCTION
Gait Paper in the section on feet
GAIT / FEET
UNDULATING LEFT/RIGHT
Undulation exercises are done laying on one’s belly. Undulation is best approached as an extremely mild Isotonic exercise, where the level of muscle activation is just adequate to remove the slack from the muscle fibers, held for a few seconds, and then the opposite pattern is engaged. Undulation is discussed in this paper:
UNDULATION
The undulation pattern associated with Heterolateral Movement is called “The Lizard“. In this pattern one side of the body contracts (flexion) while the other side is inhibited (extension). It may help to visualize this movement by imagining how a Lizard moves.
Undulation is best approached as an extremely mild Isotonic exercise, where the level of muscle activation is just adequate to remove the slack from the muscle fibers, held for a few seconds, and then the opposite pattern is engaged.
ACTIVITIES WHICH SHOULD BE DEVELOPMENTALLY HELPFUL
American Football
Track
Archery
Swimming: Crawl
BOARD GAMES: Checkers