The word "coordination" is of Latin origin. In translation, it means unification, consistency, ordering. This word is also used in relation to the motor activity of people. In this case, it indicates the degree of coordination of human movements with the requirements of the environment. For example, one passer-by, having slipped, will stand on his feet with the help of compensatory movements, and the other will fall. Consequently, the first person has a higher degree of coordination of movements, that is, he has more developed coordination abilities.
Definition of concept
Coordination is understood as the ability of a person to rationally coordinate all movements of body parts in the process of solving a specific motor task. This concept can be characterized in a slightly different way. This is a person's ability to control their own movements.
Our musculoskeletal system includes a huge number of links that haveover a hundred degrees of freedom. That is why the management of this system is a very complex process. According to the creator of modern biomechanics, physiologist Bershtein, expressed by him in 1947, coordination of movements consists in overcoming degrees of freedom. This turns the links into a human-obedient system.
The main indicator of coordination
How to determine the ability of a person to control his musculoskeletal system in the process of performing a particular activity? To do this, in the methodology of physical culture and in the domestic theory for a long time there was such an indicator as dexterity. However, since the 1970s, the term “coordination abilities” has been increasingly used instead.
According to the definition given by Berstein, dexterity is the unity of the interaction of those functions of peripheral and central control that control the motor system of the body. At the same time, the biomechanical structures of actions are restructured in accordance with the tasks set.
Agility, or coordination abilities of a person are characterized by the fact that they are:
1. Always directed to the outside world. So, training on a punch bag for boxers develops agility to a lesser extent than a duel with an opponent.2. They have a specific quality. So, you can be good at gymnastics and not good at swimming.
CS, or coordination ability, is the basis of dexterity. Recently, this indicator has been the subject of numerousresearch physiologists.
Classification of coordination abilities
Especially careful study of human dexterity began to be subjected, starting from the sixties of the last century. At the same time, every year specialists reveal more and more new coordination abilities. To date, among their species, there are 3 common, as well as 20 special, which manifest themselves specifically (balance, spatial orientation, etc.).
Coordinating abilities are those capabilities of a person that determine his readiness to optimally control motor actions and regulate them. Numerous experimental and theoretical studies have identified three main types of CS. These are special, specific, and also general. Let's take a closer look at them.
Special COP
These coordination abilities of a person, related to homogeneous groups of movements, are associated with psychophysical mechanisms.
Special CSs are organized according to increasing complexity. So, allocate:
- spatial movements of the body (acrobatic, gymnastic);
- movement of objects (carrying loads, lifting weights);
- manipulation of movements of different parts of the body (hit, injection, etc..);
- cyclic and acyclic actions;
- throwing exercises that reveal accuracy (juggling, towns, tennis);
- defensive and attacking actions in sports and outdoor games;- ballistic movements (throwing a ball, shot or disk).
Specific COP
These include slightly different coordination abilities. This is a human ability:
- to orientation, that is, to an accurate determination of the position of the body;
- to change the parameters of movement in order to obtain high efficiency and accuracy of the work of spatial and strength muscles;
- to respond, then there is an accurate and quick execution of a short-term whole movement when a previously known or unknown signal or part of it appears;
- to the restructuring of motor actions under changing environmental conditions;
- to the coordination or connection of individual movements into a single motor combination;
- to balance, that is, to maintaining stability in a static or dynamic position of the body;- to rhythm or exact reproduction of a given motor action.
General COP
These are coordination abilities of the third type, which are a kind of generalization of special and specific. In the process of physical education, the teacher often observes pupils who perform well various tasks for balance and orientation, rhythm, response, etc. In other words, these children have well-developed general coordination abilities. However, other cases are more common. For example, a child has a high CC for cyclic movements, showing a low level of dexterity in sports games.
General coordination abilities - what is it? These include potential as well as realized opportunities.of an individual, which determine his readiness for optimal regulation and management of motor actions that are diverse in meaning and origin.
It often happens that coordination abilities exist in a latent form before the movement begins. In this case, they are potential. Realized or actual CS appear at this particular moment in time.
Also, coordination abilities are classified into elementary and complex. The first of these includes the ability of a person to accurately reproduce the spatial parameters of movements. Complex coordination abilities - what is it? This is the ability of an individual to quickly restructure motor actions under suddenly changing conditions.
Motor abilities from the point of view of the educational process
So, we found out what the term "coordination abilities" means. The definition of the basic concepts of these motor abilities from a pedagogical point of view cannot contain only knowledge about “overcoming excessive degrees of freedom.”
This vision has clear gaps. The fact is that coordination abilities, the definition of which is very extensive, largely depend on the success of solving the task. In this case, three types of CS can be distinguished. The first of these is neural coordination. It is carried out with the coordination of nervous processes and muscle tension. The second type of coordination is motor. It is carried out by combining the movements of all parts of the body in time and space. There is also muscle coordination. She representsthe process of transmitting control commands by muscles to all parts of the body.
What other coordination abilities are there? The definition, classification of these human capabilities distinguish sensorimotor, as well as motor-vegetative CS. The quality of the solution to the problem directly depends on them. The first of these two types of CS is directly related to the activity of the musculoskeletal system and the work of such sensory systems as auditory, visual and vestibular. In other words, in the process of motor activity, a person uses the sense organs. This helps him to know the state of the environment and sensitively respond to the changes taking place in it. The sensory-motor type of CS allows you to analyze external signals and compare them with internal ones occurring in the body.
What are motor-vegetative coordination abilities? The determination of these motor abilities of a person goes through the manifestation of all body functions. The fact is that any movement of the body in space and time is directly related to the work of the autonomic systems (cardiovascular, respiratory, excretory, hormonal, etc.), which provide muscle activity. This has been confirmed by the results of numerous studies. For example, in the absence of systematic training and in the presence of diseases, fatigue or strong emotional impact, there is a discoordination of various body functions that ensure the work of muscles. All thisaffects the quality of the motor task being solved.
The coordination abilities of a person, the means of their education are widely used in pedagogical practice. The fact is that the predisposition to a certain type of activity depends on these motor abilities of the individual. This should be taken into account when educating children in certain skills and abilities.
Factors influencing COP
A person's coordination abilities are expressed in his capabilities, depending on:
- accurate analysis of his movements;
- activity of various analyzers, including motor ones;
- decisiveness and courage;
- motor task complexity;
- age;
- level of development of other motor abilities;- degree of general preparedness.
COP Development Tools
In order to increase the degree of human capabilities in solving motor programs, it is necessary to use physical exercises that:
- are aimed at overcoming coordination difficulties;
- require speed and correctness from a person, and also the rationality of movements;
- new and unusual for the performer;- in case of repetition, they are performed with a change in conditions or motor actions.
If the proposed exercises satisfy even one of the above requirements, then they can already be called coordination. Currently, a large number of such complexes have been developed.
COP Development Methods
How to improve a person's coordination ability? There are many different developments for this. The most effective of these are methods that use strictly regulated exercises. Such activities are based on motor activity.
So, “sense of time”, “sense of space”, as well as “sense of muscular effort” are very important coordination abilities for a person, and the method of their development in this regard occupies a leading place in the process of education. Consider the improvement of these features in more detail.
To develop the ability to perform movements as accurately as possible, complexes of general preparatory exercises are used. At the same time, it is important to systematically increase their coordination complexity. For example, in such cases, tasks are given that require the accuracy of reproduction of both simultaneous and successive positions and movements of the torso, legs, arms. Running and walking for a given time are also used, etc.
A higher level of coordination abilities and methods of their development require the pupils to perform special exercises for the proportionality of movements within certain boundaries of space, time and muscle effort. In these cases, methods of multiple execution of tasks are used. At the same time, an installation is given for memorizing the obtained indicators and their further self-assessment. These are the methods of "contrasting tasks" and "contiguous tasks". The use of such exercises makes it possible to realize the difference between subjective sensations and the available objective data. With repeated repetition of such tasks, the sensory sensitivity of a person increases, which makes it possible for him to more accurately control movements.
It should be borne in mind that the most difficult tasks to master are tasks that require the accuracy of differentiation of temporal, spatial and power parameters. In this regard, they should be applied taking into account the methods of contrasting and converging tasks. The essence of the first of them is to perform alternating exercises that differ sharply in some parameter. For example, changing tasks for throwing the ball from 6 m to 4 m, as well as long jumps either to the maximum distance or to half of it.
The method of "converging tasks", in contrast to the one described above, requires a high accuracy of differentiation from the performer. For example, raising arms 90 and 75 degrees, long jumps 150 and 180 cm, etc.
Some types of professional activities and certain sports require a person not only a high level of spatial coordination abilities, but also a well-developed sense of space. It is characterized by the ability of the individual to correctly assess the size of obstacles, the distance to the target, the distance between objects and people, etc. In order to develop a sense of space, the use of methods of contrasting and converging tasks is very effective.
How to improve the power accuracy of movements? To do this, it is necessary to develop the ability to assess and differentiate the level of muscle tension. In this case, it is necessary to use exercises for various weights. These are tasks for repeated reproduction of either a certain valuemuscle load, or its changing indicators. Examples of such exercises are the application of efforts on the carpal dynamometer in the amount of 30 or 50 percent of the maximum.
One of the main coordinating abilities of a person is the "sense of time", that is, the ability to finely perceive time parameters. To improve this accuracy of movements, specific exercises are used. They consist in evaluating small time intervals from 5 to 10 seconds. Stopwatches are used to check the accuracy of the task. Also, exercises to assess microintervals from one to tenths of a second allow you to develop a sense of time. Electronic devices are used to check such a task.
The ability to perceive micro-time intervals can be developed to the highest accuracy, up to one thousandth of a second. To do this, use special training.
There are also certain methodological techniques to improve static and dynamic balance. The first of these can be developed at:
- increase in the time of maintaining a given posture;
- decrease in the area of support;
- exclusion of the visual analyzer;
- increase in the height of the support surface;- introduction accompanying or paired movements.
Exercise to improve dynamic balance:
- with a change in external conditions (weather, coverage, terrain); - for training the vestibular apparatus, using swings, centrifuges andetc.
In order to develop coordination abilities, it is necessary to observe the principle of systematicity. You can not take unjustified breaks between classes, as they will certainly lead to a loss of skills.
During training for coordination it is important:
- do not overwork;
- perform exercises only when you feel good psychophysically;
- make sufficient intervals between exercises in order to restore your working capacity;- perform in parallel assignments for the development of other abilities.
Change in motor actions
Of great importance for a person is the ability to quickly switch from one movement to another when environmental conditions change. The theory and methodology of physical education considers such an ability of an individual as the most important ability that characterizes dexterity.
For the development of this CS, exercises are used for quick, and sometimes instant response in a suddenly changing environment. These are sports and outdoor games of slalom, martial arts, etc. As an additional way to develop this ability, it is necessary to develop a person’s intellect and educate in him such strong-willed qualities as initiative, determination and courage.
So, it can be noted that the coordination abilities of a person are the most important component of his life activity.
