Neurocentric Movement
A brain-first approach to pain reduction and high performance.
Your body can’t outperform your brain
What is Neuro-Centric Movement?
Neurocentric Movement is an effective approach to improving physical performance using the power of neuroplasticity.
Neurology. Applied.
Your body only performs as well as your brain lets it. If your brain underperforms, your body underperforms too. So, it makes sense that your brain should be at the heart of everything you do to improve your movement.
By combining the power of neurology with movement, vision, balance and sensory exercises, we can create significant changes to what matters most for your body’s performance: your brain.
-
![]()
Reduce Pain
-
![]()
Improve Balance
-
![]()
Regain Vision
-
![]()
Restore Health
-
![]()
Enhance Flexibility
-
![]()
Generate Strength
-
![]()
Develop Coordination
The idea that the brain can change its own structure and function through thought and activity is the most important alteration in our view of the brain since we first sketched out its basic anatomy and the workings of its basic component, the neuron.
— Norman Doidge, The Brain That Changes Itself
What is Neuro-Centric Movement for?
Pain Reduction & Movement Restoration
Modern neuroscience has shown that pain is exclusively a product of the brain. Pain is one of the brain’s ways of signalling a potential danger and inhibiting movement. Unfortunately, virtually any stimulus can create pain if the brain perceives it as threatening.
By identifying and reducing perceived threats, pain naturally diminishes and your natural capacity for movement is restored.
Performance Enhancement & Neuro-Athletic Development
Whether you’re looking to improve your performance at work, in the gym or on the court, your brain is at the heart of your capacities.
By identifying and training underperforming parts of the brain, we can achieve almost immediate gains in performance, including:
Strength, flexibility & range of movement
Balance
Coordination
Vision
Activity-specific skills
Injury Prevention &
Pre-habilitation
High-quality movement and a high-performing brain are integral to preventing injury. Movements that are unfamiliar to the brain are more likely to result in injury.
By identifying the intertwined movement/neurological patterns that your brain is unfamiliar with we can personalise your training to target those areas of your brain that would be likely to cause injury in the future.
“Pain is an opinion on the organism’s state of health rather than a mere reflexive response to injury.”
— Vilayanur Ramachandran PhD, Neuroscientist
Why neuro-centric movement is different
Most methods approach movement performance from a biomechanical perspective only.
But our body is only one part of a trio of key systems that our brain uses to control movement and navigate our way through the world.
One brain. Three integrated systems.
How our brain controls movement
Our brain uses three essential systems to control movement and navigate our way through the world.
Visual System
How well you see
Vestibular System
How well you balance
Proprioceptive System
How well you judge your body
Any deficit in these systems will impact how freely we move and how well our body can perform. If you can’t see well, balance well, or judge your body well, you won’t be able to run as fast, lift as much, or even pick up a hot drink as confidently.
If you only work on developing your muscles, you’ll get incremental improvements. Unless these key movement systems are well integrated, you will never move as well as you could.
In your neuro-centric movement sessions we will rapidly assesses and develop all three of these essential systems, increasing your freedom and ability to move. Learn more
One of the greatest mistakes we've ever made is to think of the brain as being somehow separate from the body. The brain is part of the body. They are two parts of one integrated system and should be treated as such. Without a brain there is no movement; without movement, there is no need for a brain.
What People Say
Interested in finding out more?
Whether you’re looking to reduce pain, improve your movement, or get to the next level of your training, neuro-centric movement can help you achieve your goals.
Meet Adam
Adam’s background in movement started as what could easily be described as a hyperactive childhood. His mum says “he was somersaulting in the womb” so it shouldn’t be a surprise that he ended up as a professional circus artist.
Adam graduated from the National Centre for Circus Arts and spent 20 years as a performer and teacher, becoming one of the leading circus teachers in the country and a Level 3 Coach in Acrobatics. He has taught a variety of movement skills including trapeze, acrobatics, juggling, tightwire and more to thousands of people, from two-year-olds to grandparents. He founded and ran Airborne Circus, a circus school for young people, for 10 years before finally leaving London and returning to Devon.
Adam was introduced to neuro-centric movement from a friend and colleague whilst teaching circus. For about 5 years, they taught together and slowly integrated a “brain-first” approach into their circus classes with great success both at Airborne Circus and their classes at the National Centre for Circus Arts.
After retiring from circus, having spent his whole career working with chronic shoulder and neck pain, Adam began practising neuro-centric movement with Z-Health to see if he could finally do something about it. His pain virtually disappeared within weeks and he was inspired to delve deeper.
Adam quickly discovered that his background made teaching neuro-centric movement an obvious progression and began to work with people to help them solve their issues and achieve their goals.
Adam continues to study neurology, adding new layers to his anatomical knowledge, but with a focus on what controls the muscles and movements that he spent a career working with.
Adam lives with his family near Totnes in Devon and spends much of his time home educating his son.