If you think of us as humans, our behaviours, our choices, our passions all require movement. But each and every thing we do requires a complex set of motor activations that are linked with one another to execute the behaviour. It all happens in a nanosecond.

Let’s say you want to take a step forward, your brain (specifically the motor cortex which is located in the front) devises the plan. It sends the information to your spinal cord which continues to carry the information to the muscles of the leg. In addition, sensory information is sent to your visual system as it needs to determine where to send the leg. 

Next up is the role of your basal ganglia which is located at the base of the brain and its role is to estimate the amount of force required to take that step. Finally, the cerebellum regulates the entire movement pattern to ensure you’ve taken the right step and corrects any errors or faulty patterns.

Finally, the information is sent back up to the top by sensory information from the bottom of your foot to confirm that indeed intended step has been taken. 

All of this is done in a matter of less than a second as immediately another step is taken and the whole process starts over again.

Insert plot twist: the primary motor cortex, also known as M1, being located at the front of the brain is responsible for movement execution, but the right hemisphere send the information to the left side of the body and the left hemisphere sends the information to the right side of the body. This is most commonly witnessed in stroke recovery, where movement is impaired on the opposite side of where the stroke happened in the brain.

Next up: other parts of the primary cortex involved in movement a.k.a. the secondary motor cortices

Follow our blog for neuroscience and movement and how intricately webbed the two are together.

Jocelyne Pelchat · MSc-Neuro

Principal - The Cornerstone Pilates Inc.
Body Harmonics ®-CPT · NCPT® · 
RYT · Biomechanics and Post Rehab Specialist 
ELDOA®
905-631-8352
www.thecornerstonepilates.com