Life Kinetics: Training for Body and Brain

The new movement training life kinetics makes not only our body fit. The curious appearing exercises can also get our brain going.

Our brain can be trained similarly to a muscle. Life Kinetics is the name of the new training program designed to improve creativity, concentration and the ability to multitask. And not only that: “They make you more resilient and self-confident,” says graduate sports teacher and health coach Horst Lutz, who developed the method and has already tested it on several hundred participants.

What is life kinetics?

Unlike classical mental exercise, life kinetics is based on physical activity, similar to running. And it looks pretty strange: for example, when arms and legs are stretched forward in opposite directions and then the right arm touches the heel of the left foot. But there is a system behind these curious choreographies: “The different elements of movement are coordinated in different regions of the thinking apparatus. That’s why several brain areas work together at Life Kinetics,” explains Lutz.

This teamwork then continues in everyday life. In this way, the cerebral cortex and brain stem, i.e. mind and feeling, regain their balance, and active thinking based in the forebrain is better linked to our long-term memory and visual perception in the rear regions of the brain.

Brain Training: What gets us going

In order to address as many corners of our thinking apparatus as possible, the “brain development movements” are designed to be diverse and varied, and sensory perceptions such as hearing, touch and vision are also included in order to activate brain regions that cannot be reached by movement alone. In addition, the exercises are sometimes additionally linked to memory tasks. “This cognitive challenge leads to the formation of completely new synapses in the brain,” says Lutz.

And it is precisely these connections between brain cells that make us smart and mentally fit. According to Lutz, just one hour of Life Kinetics training per week makes memory work better.

How does life kinetics work?

Here’s how it works: We have put together three different exercises in Life Kinetics. The combination of the individual exercise elements is anything but easy at first. But there’s a point to it: only through this training can we force our brain out of its usual rut and make it more flexible. Getting started is made easier by the fact that the brain workouts always start with basic exercises that only take up one body part at a time.

Life Kinetics exercises

Afterwards, we move on to the actual target task via various variations, in which we combine the individual movement sequences with each other. Perfection is not the goal at all. So before we master an exercise in our sleep, we prefer to offer our brain new challenges and think up our own variations.

The life kinetics throwing gyro for better multitasking

• Basic Exercise: In this exercise, hold two small balls next to each other in front of the body with the back of your hand facing down. Now start to throw a ball steadily and constantly about 20 cm high and catch it again. Now and then you throw the second ball, but at least 40 cm high. Do not interrupt or change the regular throwing movement of the other hand.
• Variations: Perform the basic exercise with the other hand. Later, replace the irregular throwing movement with the following movement: throw up the ball briefly, circle it with your whole hand and catch it again The circling can be done to the left or right. Then vary the height of the throw or the circling during the irregular throwing movement.
• Target practice: Name the different throwing movements. For example with city names such as 40 cm high throw = Paris, 80 cm high throw = London, circle right = Madrid, circle left = Rome. Then perform the basic exercise by having another person announce the irregular movement as a command. At the same time, you can roll one leg back and forth on a ball all the time Change legs regularly during this exercise as well.

The life kinetics line hops – revives the memory

• Basic exercise: Mark with string or tape an approx. 50 cm long line across your feet. Now jump with both legs over the line and land on the right leg. Jump back immediately and land on the left leg. The following jump forward you land on both legs. Now the same jump sequence starts, but you start with a jump backwards. After landing on both legs, try not to take a break but to jump in a steady rhythm (right – left – both – right – left – both).
• Variations: Do the basic exercise with the other leg. Then mix both forms: First you start with right to front (right – left – both – left – right – both), then with left (left – right – both – right – left – both). Count the ground contacts with numbers, the alphabet or in 2-single-symbols.
• Target practice: Perform the above mentioned variations alternately one after the other, throwing up a ball constantly with both hands and counting the ground contacts alternating numbers and letters (1- A – 2 – B – 3 – C – etc.)

The life kinetics stacking ball – strengthens the stress defence

• Basic exercise: Take a small ball (juggling, tennis ball or similar) in each hand and hold your hands next to each other with the back of your hand facing down in front of your body. Now cross your arms several times, so that the right and left hand are alternately up. Then, keeping your arms parallel, throw both balls 10 cm high several times at the same time and catch them again. Then throw the balls up and catch them with crossed arms. From this position throw the balls up again and catch them again in the starting position with parallel arms.
• Variations: Now try the basic exercise with different hand positions: Both backs of the hands point upwards and the balls are released in the upward movement. One back of the hand points upwards, the other downwards. When crossing the arms, the hands are turned and so on.
• Target exercise: Hold your hands with the balls parallel to each other and cross your legs. When throwing the balls, you now jump up at the same time. Catch the balls with your arms crossed and land in parallel foot position. The next time you throw the balls, you jump up again: your arms catch the balls parallel and your legs land with crossed feet. If you find it difficult to jump, stand on one leg and cross the other leg in front or behind the supporting leg. Instead of crossing, you can also add lungeing steps or switch between crossing and lungeing. The position of the hands can also be varied (back of the hand up etc.).