When You Need Extra Focus, Do This Simple Exercise

It only takes two minutes

It’s the lead up to an important meeting, your mind is all over the place, your palms are sweating, and your ears are ringing with the pounding of your heart racing so fast, that you can’t make sense of it all…thud…thud…thud…

This is how I felt a few weeks ago, when I was about to step into my facilitator shoes to run my first global session in almost 2 years.

I was tired, stressed and anxious about it going well. In my tireless search for peak performance, I know more than most that working at optimum levels requires us to be physically, mentally, emotionally and neurologically fit. And I just wasn’t in that feel good place.

Until I remembered something my husband showed me a few days after we first met.

Image created by author using DALL-E

Much like your computer has a reset button, we too have a reset function in our bodies.

When your computer is acting sluggish, stalling and not responding to requests – you reboot it. When we are acting sluggish, stalling and not responding as we’d like to, then it’s time to reboot ourselves.

So, how do we do this and get back to feeling like the best version of ourselves?

“It’s really easy, you just swing your arms like this, whilst marching on the spot!” said Mr S, with a big silly grin on his face.

I had only known the guy for a total of 120 hours before he showed me this. And it was love at first march.

I found it hard to believe that a movement so simple could reboot my system and get me thinking clearly again. So obviously, I had to try it for myself.

This movement was the ‘cross-crawl’.

What is it?

Cross-crawl is simply any movement that crosses the opposite side of the body when you’re doing it, (i.e. coordinating the right arm and left leg, then left arm and right leg). The key is getting the opposite sides of the body to work together. When you’re walking, running, swimming, crawling or in this case just marching on the spot – you’re doing cross-crawl.

Performing the cross-crawl strengthens the bridge between the right and left hemispheres of your brain, which allows electrical impulses and information to pass freely between the two. This helps with not only physical coordination, but thinking-based activities like learning a language, reading, and focusing.

Where did it come from?

Neuroscientists have known about this method of rebooting the system for a long time.

Crawling is a primitive reflex and it’s often picked out as an early developmental milestone for babies, as it’s crucial for the development of the brain and nervous system. Crawling helps babies to integrate their primitive reflexes and develop bilateral coordination, which lays the foundation for more complex motor skills like dressing, eating, writing and using utensils.

It’s also been used in many holistic therapy methods, such as Brain Gym (created by Dr Paul and Gail Dennison in the 1970s), and applied kinesiology (developed by Dr George Goodheart in the 1960s) to diagnose and treat various health issues, including those related to coordination and brain function.

When do I use it?

Think Fast and Furious (yes, this is one of my favourite cheesy film franchises!) – when Dom hits the N2O button, his car speeds off into the distance. Imagine cross-crawl as doing something similar for your brain. When you need a boost, pump those arms and legs!

Just 1-2 minutes of this a day, (I like to do it before an important meeting, or task that requires a lot of focus), will pay many dividends on the thinking front.  Mr S used to do it before big exams and tests.  But you could even give it whirl when you’re on a work break just to reenergise yourself and reduce fatigue.

Who could benefit from it?

Anyone will benefit from this exercise, but there have been several specific studies showing that these (and other Brain Gym exercises) are particularly good to improve motor skills and memory in children, and increase levels of brain proteins associated with learning and memory in the elderly.

Why should I give this a go?

Aside from it’s awesome physical benefits like stabilising your walking gait coordination, and helping to develop proprioception, here are some instances where cross-crawl can be particularly beneficial for maximizing productivity levels:

1. Better problem-solving skills, improved memory and increased ability to focus on tasks.

   When you stimulate both brain hemispheres at the same time, you’re boosting your memory retention and attention span, and enhancing your brain’s ability to process information quickly and efficiently.

2. Reduced Stress and Anxiety

   These exercises can lower cortisol levels, helping to manage stress and anxiety, and for me personally I’ve noticed my heart rate stabilising after simply 1-2 minutes of cross-crawl. This reduced emotional volatility makes for a more stable and productive mindset.

3. Improved Physical Coordination and Energy Levels

   A highly productive day requires focus for extended periods of time, and so higher energy levels will make it easier to execute tasks throughout the day. Cross-crawl increases your alertness and energy levels, helping you to maintain focus, execute tasks more quickly and reduce fatigue during the workday.

4. Better Focus and Concentration

   Just like meditation trains the brain to focus on one thing at a time. Cross-crawl does the same thing. The repetitive and rhythmic nature of these exercises can enhance focus and concentration, making it easier to stay on task. Regular practice can train the brain to maintain focus on specific tasks, reducing distractions and improving overall productivity.

Ok already! How do I do it?

Here’s a short clip of the cross-crawl march that we do in our house.

Easy, huh?

Who knew that something so simple could have so many productivity benefits!

Here’s a few suggestions about how to incorporate it into your day:

Morning Routine: Start your day with a few minutes of cross-crawl exercises to boost your energy levels and prepare your brain for the tasks ahead.

Breaks: Use cross-crawl exercises during short breaks to refresh your mind and body, helping to maintain productivity throughout the day.

Pre-Task Preparation: Perform cross-crawl exercises before engaging in complex tasks that require high levels of concentration and cognitive function.

Have you tried it yet?

Let me know in the comments.

-Selda

P.S. If you found this article valuable, don’t keep it to yourself - spread the word! Share it with your friends, family and colleagues, and let’s get the world cross-crawling!

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