Cross Lateral Movement – Power Up Your System!
Movement is integral to our physical, intellectual, and emotional life from the moment of conception. It is what allows us to take in information from the world around us, anchor it in our neural networks, and from that build the skills we need to express, connect, and create.
The most important component of our movement experience is the midline – the central vertical axis around which our body is oriented. The midline is an imaginary line that runs down the center of our body from head to toe. The awareness of the two sides of our body and the ability to move across the midline (cross lateral movement) is fundamental to how we function.
To “cross our midline” means that a hand or foot moves to the opposite side of the body to do things like pick up a pencil, draw a horizontal line, shake hands, kick a ball, or sit cross-legged on the floor.
The physical coordination that allows us to do these crossover movements equates to cognitive coordination – when all parts of the brain work together. This whole-brain coordination is the foundation for all mental and physical abilities. As we continue to do these cross-lateral movements, a bridge is built between the right and left hemispheres of the brain. Electrical impulses and sensory information can then pass freely between the two hemispheres and we are able to perform life activities such as sports, dance, games, as well as projects that require hand-to-eye coordination, reading, learning language, and academics at all levels.
Building from the Beginning
Even before a baby begins to crawl, the infant body is preparing to cross the midline through a variety of developmental movements that strengthen the neural connections on each side of the body. As crawling begins, a baby exercises contralateral movement (opposite arm and leg). Crawling stimulates complex brain functioning as each brain hemisphere sends signals to the opposite side of the body and also receives incoming stimuli from the opposite side. This results in a tremendous amount of neural activity passing between the brain hemispheres.
As the baby continues to develop, she begins to cross her midline through different activities and games, building and expanding her neural networks even further to connect the two sides of the brain and body for higher thinking, problem solving, creativity, coordination.
This child has shifted her body to the left as she draws to avoid crossing her midline.
However, for a variety of reasons, some children and adults are unable to cross their midline. They will shift their body subtly instead of rotating to reach across to the other side, thus avoiding crossing the midline. For example, they may shift entirely to one side while they sit at a table to draw, write, eat, etc.
Or they may switch hands when writing, drawing, painting or coloring, using the left hand for activities on the left side of the body and the right hand for activities on the right side. It’s like having an invisible barrier that they cannot move their hands across.
When a child cannot cross their midline, basic skills are difficult for them.
Reading can be hard because the two eyes are not coordinated to track across the page – crossing the midline.
They may avoid pencil and pen activities such as writing, or become angry and frustrated when engaging in any fine motor activity that requires refined hand skills.
Activities that require coordination such as skipping, hitting or kicking a ball, playing catch, and running may be hard for them and they will avoid these activities.
If left untreated, difficulties with crossing the midline may lead to a number of things that impact a child’s progress in school or an adult’s work and family life.
Children may experience increased pressure and anxiety in school as they become increasingly unable to meet expectations. Adults we may be unable to meet goals and deadlines.
Children my find it hard to keep up in class due to poor handwriting and reading skills. Adults may find it difficult to complete paperwork of any kind - job or loan applications, real estate purchases, online transactions, etc.
Both children and adults may find sports that require good coordination too challenging and simply not participate.
Benefits of Cross Lateral Movements
Cross lateral movements do many things for us physically, mentally, and socially.
Stabilize and coordinate our arms and legs for walking and build core strength.
Improve our eye teaming skills, essential for focus, reading, and writing.
Enhance whole-brain thinking as our left and right hemispheres work together.
Develop proprioception, the awareness of our body’s position and movements.
Release deeply held tensions by relaxing the nervous system and re-integrating mind and body.
Increase self-awareness as more areas of the brain are connected.
Increase insights and clarity as the two hemispheres are activated for simultaneous functioning.
Improve impulse control as the prefrontal cortex is activated.
Garrett’s Story
Four-year old Garrett had severely impaired vision as a result of brain damage at birth. As Garrett’s parents searched for help, they became aware of research on cross patterning. Studies showed that cross patterning could help children with reading difficulties catch up by retraining their bodies to cross the midline using cross-lateral exercises.
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They hoped this would help their son and enrolled him in an intensive cross-lateral training program that also included a great deal of sensory stimulation and hand-eye exercises.
When Garrett began the re-patterning program, he could only perceive light and large objects, had a one-word vocabulary, and walked like a toddler. After 10 months of movement therapy and sensory stimulation, he could see a grain of rice, had 1000 words in his vocabulary, and walked normally. His mood had improved and he slept better at night.
Throughout his education, Garrett attended public school at grade level and graduated from college with a degree in General Studies. Now, as a grown man in his 50s, Garrett lives independently and is limited only by the fact that his social skills are under-developed. However, he is happy and engaged in life and his parents know they made the right decision.
The Cross Crawl
Power up in 2 minutes!
A simple exercise to cross the midline of the body is the cross crawl. The cross crawl, activates sensory and motor neurons on both sides of the brain, requiring them to work in a coordinated fashion to move our arms and legs across our midline. This is a lot of brain activity!
Try this easy 3-step exercise that takes about two minutes.
We begin by stimulating the two brain hemispheres separately by doing unilateral crawling. Simultaneously lift both your right arm and leg, reaching up to the ceiling. Return to standing with arms by your side. Repeat on the other side. Continue alternating sides for 30 seconds. Count as you do the unilateral crawl as this activates important areas of the brain.
We’ll now cross your midline with the cross crawl. Raise your right knee. With your left hand, reach over to touch your knee in the center of your body. Return to standing. Repeat with the opposite hand and knee. Continue alternating sides for 30 seconds. Humming or singing makes this part really fun!
Next, engage the core of your body with “elbow crawling.” This requires trunk rotation for a deeper sense of left and right in your body – a very important skill for crossing the midline.
Place the RIGHT fingertips on the RIGHT shoulder and the LEFT fingertips on the LEFT shoulder.
Move the RIGHT elbow and the LEFT knee toward the center of your body. Return to standing on both feet, elbows to the sides.
Repeat with the LEFT elbow and the RIGHT knee.
Continue alternating sides for 30 seconds.
How Often – and When?
Always remember to drink water frequently
Cross crawls are a great way to start the day for both children and adults – do them daily! You will feel more clear headed, more relaxed, and ready for the day. With children, do it before homework or use it as a break during long periods of study, before testing, and after anything stressful. For adults, if you are frustrated or stressed-out with a project, a deadline, family issues, or just need a recharge, give cross crawls a try!
Any time you do cross crawls, you are reintegrating your brain and nervous system and re-organizing your mind-body connections for easier functioning.
Note
The age when children can intentionally cross crawl varies as every child develops differently and at different speeds. Some can easily balance and cross the midline of the body by the age of four. Some, however, find it challenging up to the age of six or seven. It is developmentally appropriate for children at age five and under to automatically bring their hand to the same knee while doing the unilateral crawl.
The views expressed in this article belong solely to S. Christina Boyd based on 30 years of clinical experience as a movement therapist. If you would like further reading, please explore the source and related information provided.
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Cross Crawl - 10 Benefits of the Brain Syncing Exercise Your Therapy Source
What is Crossing the Midline and Why is it Important? Child Development Centre
Crossing the Midline OT Mom Learning Activities.
Crossing the Midline Kid Sense Child Development
Cross Lateral Movement and Baby Development Adeline Tye, The New Parent Company
Developmental Skills: Crossing the Midline The Inspired Treehouse -
OT Mom’s Core Exercises for Kids, Tracey le Roux BSc
The Core Strengthening Exercise Program, Lauren Drobnjak and Claire Heffron
Brain Gym® Teachers Edition, Paul E Dennison and Gail E. Dennison
Smart Moves, Why Learning is Not All in Your Head, Dr. Carla Hannaford