A new method to train like an Olympian is: You spin to win!
Introduction:
The Winter Olympics! Every four years – we all want to be the athletes we see on TV. How do they train? What makes these athletes – SO GOOD? How can we be – just like an Olympic figure skater? For starters, you need to spin like them.
According to National Center for Biotechnology Information, “The vestibular system provides the sense of balance and the information about body position that allows rapid compensatory movements in response to both self-induced and externally generated forces.” Spinning stimulates the body’s vestibular system. Our brains analyze the vestibular system information of our head and body relative to our surroundings.
Vestibular Training Services provides training products to develop and improve vestibular awareness in aspiring athletes. To help us learn more, our guest is Sheila Thelen, an expert in Olympic class vestibular training.
Suggested Questions:
In figure skating, we hear the term triple axels. How difficult is a triple axel, and is it possible we’ll soon see a quad axel?
Olympic athletes keep getting better and better. Is it possible: YES. The biomechanics of airtime, flight, and rate of rotation/spin (and training these skills). From Sonja Henie (singles) – to Nathen Chen (quads). The “revolution” of skating has completely changed/improved.
How do Olympic athletes train?
Olympic athletes use various training products like Bosu balls, treadmills, spin boards, etc. to help with balance. However, these train muscles and use your existing balance. We utilize a spinning platform and harness system to improve your balance and proprioception and train YOUR vestibular system. Training the vestibular system has helped figure skaters increase rotation speeds. It takes a lot of spin training to complete four revolutions with 0.7 seconds while jumping three feet up in the air.
How fast can an athlete spin?
A NASA doctor clocked one of our athletes spinning at a rate of over five rotations per second with no dizziness. People with quad jumps may be rotating at up to six rotations per second, and again no dizziness and landing their jumps. The spinning increases the proprioception, so they always know where they are relative to their environment.
How do you spin an athlete?
We start with balance measurements on a balance mat to determine the position of your head and the way you balance between feet, then place you into a harness connected to the ceiling through a pulley system. That’s for safety, after that, you step onto a rotating platform, and we start spinning. Slowly at first, then faster as you improve. Our equipment, training, and services emphasize rotation, axis, balance, proprioception, and crossing the midline.
How does spinning help improve your performance?
The data we have collected indicates that fast-spinning does not cause dizziness. We even throw a HECO stick at the participant after they spin to see how fast their cognitive abilities are affected. After spinning, they can catch the three handled sticks by the color we call out. I’ve noticed that most of the young people that I train are straight-A students and dedicated & fast-thinking athletes.
Can these techniques be applied to other things?
Yes, we have had families tell us that our spinning equipment and methods have helped family members with vertigo, traumatic brain injuries, concussions, autism, and aging/balance issues. We are also looking to research how increasing your proprioception helps military, firefighters, aviation, police, martial arts, physical therapy, and autism/sensory therapy professions.
Sheila Thelen is President of Vestibular Training Services and Master Rated Figure
Skating Coach. She applies these world-class vestibular training tools (patent pending) to improve the brain’s balance and cognitive processes. Sheila speaks about using world-class athletic training tools to the general population to achieve remarkable results.
CONTACT: Jerry McGlothlin of Special Guests PR. 919-437-0001 jerry@specialguests.com or Celinda Hawkins 432-349 – 2736 at jerry.specialguests@gmail.com.
