Training Your Nervous System to Move Faster
When people think about getting faster, they often assume the answer is simple: build more strength, improve fitness, or run more. But speed actually depends on something else first.
Motor learning.
Motor learning is the process your brain uses to learn and refine movement skills. Every time you practice a new movement pattern, whether that’s typing on a keyboard, learning a dance step, or performing a speed drill, your nervous system is building a more efficient way to coordinate that movement.
In other words, speed training is not just physical training. It’s skill training for your nervous system.
Your brain and body are learning how to coordinate several things at once:
- where your feet should land
• how quickly to react
• how to organize your arms and legs
• how to maintain balance while changing direction
• how to control rhythm and timing
When those patterns are new, your brain has to actively think through each part of the movement. That’s why drills can feel awkward at first. Your nervous system is essentially mapping out a brand-new movement pattern.
But, the nervous system is extremely good at learning movement. Each repetition gives your brain more information about timing, coordination, and rhythm. Over time, those patterns become smoother and more automatic. This is why the reps are so important.
The goal in these workouts isn’t to ask for speed immediately, although that is certainly the goal. The goal is to give your nervous system enough quality repetitions that it can refine the movement patterns.
And there are a few simple things you can do that will help your coordination improve faster.
1. Slow Down Before You Speed Up
When something feels awkward, the instinct is often to go faster so you can “get through it.” But faster movement doesn’t fix coordination. In fact, it usually makes it worse.
Instead, slow the movement down slightly and focus on clean, controlled steps. Once the pattern feels smoother, you can gradually increase the pace. It's the same as learning a complicated dance step. If you rush it, the pattern never quite clicks. But if you slow it down and practice the sequence, the movement becomes easier to repeat.
Speed works the same way. Smooth first. Fast second.
2. Think Rhythm, Not Speed
Speed drills are really about finding rhythm.
If you’ve ever watched someone who moves quickly and efficiently, their movement usually has a rhythm to it. Their steps flow together instead of being forced.
We love hacks! Here are a couple that can be very helpful. It can help to mentally count or find a rhythm while you move.
Think:
step-step-step-step
or
quick-quick-quick
or
left-right-left-right
or
drive-tap-drive-tap
This helps your brain organize the timing of the movement. Rhythm allows your nervous system to coordinate the movement pattern more efficiently, which eventually leads to faster reactions.
3. Relax the Upper Body
When people concentrate on footwork, they often tense up their shoulders and arms. But tension actually slows movement down.
Your arms play an important role in balance and rhythm, as well as sprinting form and speed. If your shoulders are tight or your arms are stiff, your movement becomes less fluid.
Instead, try to keep your shoulders relaxed and allow your arms to move naturally. Let them swing and help create rhythm. When the upper body relaxes, the lower body usually becomes more coordinated as well. It'll also be easier for you to breathe regularly.
4. Focus on Light Feet
Often when people are thinking about speed or running, they think about the landing or contact with the ground. Instead I want you thinking about getting OFF the ground, pushing AWAY from the ground. Think light, quick feet.
Imagine the ground is hot and you don’t want to stay on it very long.
This cue helps reduce heavy steps and encourages quicker reactions. Your body naturally begins to shorten the time your foot stays on the ground, which is one of the key ingredients in developing speed. Light feet often lead to quicker, more reactive movement.
5. Repeat the Same Patterns
This is the biggest reasons the workouts in this course repeat. Your brain learns movement patterns through repetition. Each time you perform the drill, your nervous system refines the timing and coordination.
The first time you do a drill, you’re learning it.
The second or third time, your brain starts organizing the movement better.
By the fourth or fifth time, the movement often feels smoother and more automatic.
That’s where coordination improvements really begin to show up. Repetition gives your nervous system the opportunity to refine the movement instead of relearning it every time.
How This Helps Your Handling
Handlers need to accelerate quickly from a stopped position. You might pause to support your dog’s line and then need to move again immediately. Faster coordination makes that transition smoother and quicker.
You may also notice improvements in direction changes. Movements like front crosses, rear crosses, and quick rotations all require your body to coordinate multiple parts of the movement at once. As your coordination improves, those transitions often feel more controlled and more efficient.
Another place this shows up is foot placement and balance. When your feet react more quickly and your body feels more coordinated, it becomes easier to adjust your position while still keeping your eyes on your dog.
Instead of feeling like you’re rushing to catch up, your movement will become more responsive.
And that’s really the goal of these workouts. We’re training your nervous system to move more efficiently so you can respond faster, adjust more easily, and move more smoothly when working with your dog on course.
