Kevin Neeld — Hockey Training, Sports Performance, & Sports Science

A Deeper Look into PRI

As I’ve dug further down the rabbit hole of the coursework offered by the Postural Restoration Institute, I’ve gained a better appreciation for the totality of their message.

I think of “corrective exercise” through their lens less about correcting posture and more about:

  1. Providing a sensory-rich environment for the individual to feel positions that he/she may not have much experience in achieving or controlling
  2. Down-regulating excessive muscle tone, largely driven by primitive reflexes
  3. Providing a “clearer pathway” for optimal respiration

It’s not the “stand up tall and breathe with your diaphragm” approach that I think most people associate with the word posture. In fact, I don’t think posture serves as anything more than a metaphor for how the individual is responding to the cumulative stressors and sensory inputs in their lives at any given moment.

While I don’t think I’m saying anything inconsistent with what PRI teaches, I don’t think these concepts necessarily come across readily in the introductory courses and believe that people that form opinions on what PRI is or isn’t after taking an intro course or two haven’t even begun to see past the tip of the iceberg.

Iceberg

I see you down there

With this in mind, I recently came across an article on PRI’s site from Bill Hartman that I really enjoyed. The article discusses some of the deeper implications of PRI’s information and what we’re really looking at by using their tests. Great read for anyone interested in their courses. Check out the article at the link below.

Click here to read the article >>PRI Conversations by Bill Hartman

As an aside, I’ll be heading to Lincoln for Advanced Integration this December. If you’re thinking about going, shoot me a note to let me know. It was one of the best courses I’ve ever taken when I took it a few years ago, so I have high expectations for this year!

To your success,

Kevin Neeld
OptimizingMovement.com
UltimateHockeyTraining.com

P.S. Interested in how I apply PRI concepts in our performance training programs? Check this out: Optimizing Movement

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Kevin Neeld

Kevin Neeld Knows Hockey

Kevin has rapidly established himself as a leader in the field of physical preparation and sports science for ice hockey. He is currently the Head Performance Coach for the Boston Bruins, where he oversees all aspects of designing and implementing the team’s performance training program, as well as monitoring the players’ performance, workload and recovery. Prior to Boston, Kevin spent 2 years as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for the San Jose Sharks after serving as the Director of Performance at Endeavor Sports Performance in Pitman, NJ. He also spent 5 years as a Strength and Conditioning Coach with USA Hockey’s Women’s Olympic Hockey Team, and has been an invited speaker at conferences hosted by the NHL, NSCA, and USA Hockey.