Motor Control

Motor control is the nervous system’s ability to coordinate muscle activation at the right time, in the right sequence, with the right intensity. Problems arise when timing is off, even if muscles are strong.

Strength versus control

Strong muscles do not guarantee good control. You can have powerful glutes but still fail to activate them at the right moment during gait. You can have strong abs but still fail to stabilize the pelvis during single-leg stance.

Control requires:

• Timing: muscles activate before load arrives (feedforward) or respond quickly when load changes
• Coordination: muscles work together in the right sequence
• Appropriate intensity: not too much (bracing), not too little (collapse)

Strengthening without addressing control often fails to resolve pain.

Feedforward versus feedback control

Feedforward control: the nervous system anticipates load and activates stabilizers before the load arrives. Example: core muscles activate milliseconds before you lift your arm.

Feedback control: the nervous system responds to load after it arrives. Slower and less efficient.

When feedforward control fails, the system relies on feedback. This is too slow for dynamic tasks like walking or running. The joint gets loaded before stabilizers activate, leading to poor load transfer and symptoms.

Why timing matters more than you think

Consider single-leg stance during walking. The pelvis must be stable the instant your foot hits the ground. If glutes and core activate late (even by 50–100 milliseconds), the pelvis drops or shifts. The SI joint absorbs load it was not prepared to handle.

Stretching or strengthening does not fix timing. Timing improves through:

• Practice under load (single-leg stance, step-downs, carries)
• Attention to quality and control, not just completing reps
• Graded exposure that challenges but does not overwhelm the system

Common timing failures

Late glute activation

Glutes activate after the hip extends instead of as it extends. The SI joint or low back compensates by rotating or shearing.

Core bracing all the time

Constant bracing fatigues the system and reduces variability. The pelvis needs to yield and stiffen at the right times, not stay rigid.

Pelvic floor mistiming

Pelvic floor should contribute to force closure during load. If it activates late or not at all, the SI joint lacks compression and becomes unstable.

Compensation patterns

When primary stabilizers fail, secondary muscles take over. Over time, these compensations become the default pattern. The nervous system “learns” the compensation, making it harder to restore proper timing.

How to improve motor control

Focus on quality, not quantity

Doing 100 sloppy reps does not improve control. Doing 10 controlled reps with attention to form does.

Practice the specific task

Control is task-specific. Single-leg stance control does not automatically transfer to running. Practice the task you need to improve, but at a manageable dose.

Use external cues

“Push the ground away” or “stay tall” are more effective than “squeeze your glutes.” External cues shift attention to the task, not the muscles, and often improve coordination.

Progress gradually

Start with static tasks (single-leg stance), progress to dynamic (step-downs, walking), then to higher-demand tasks (running, jumping). Build control at one level before moving to the next.

Give it time

Motor learning takes weeks. The nervous system needs repeated exposure to consolidate new patterns. Expect slow progress.

When control is not the only problem

If you address timing and control but symptoms persist, consider:

• Tissue tolerance may be too low (need capacity-building)
• Load may still exceed tolerance (need better pacing)
• Multipliers (sleep, stress, fueling) may be amplifying symptoms
• The intervention may not match your failure mode

Motor control is one piece. It does not replace load management or capacity-building.

Summary

• Control is timing, coordination, and appropriate intensity
• Strength alone does not guarantee good control
• Feedforward control (anticipatory) is faster and more efficient than feedback
• Timing failures lead to poor load transfer and symptoms
• Improve control through quality practice, graded progression, and task-specific training
• Motor learning takes weeks

Related pages

• SI Pain: High-yield interventions
• Principles: Load transfer, timing, and tolerance
• Topics: Single-Leg Stance and Gait