Rhythmic Movement Training Explained: How Repetitive Motion Supports Regulation and Growth
- Ryan Bigelow
- Jun 27
- 4 min read
By age 5, 90% of the human brain is developed. During these formative years, brain development isn’t driven by formal learning. Rather, much of it stems from a baby’s ability to move and interact with their environment.
From the moment an infant begins to move, their brain is being shaped by physical experience. Many of these early motor patterns, like grasping and crawling, are guided by involuntary movements called primitive reflexes – which allow them to orient to their environment and survive in early infancy. Alongside these reflexes are innate, stereotypical rhythmic movements, like body rocking, rolling, head nodding and rhythmic leg motion, that serve a crucial role in brain organization.
When these movements are missing, delayed, or remain present past their typical developmental timeline – as is common in individuals with developmental disabilities – neural pathways that support motor, emotional and cognitive development can remain underdeveloped. In fact, studies show that nearly 80% of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit at least one retained primitive reflex, which can hinder motor coordination, focus and self-regulation.
Movement-based interventions like Primitive Movement Training and Rhythmic Movement Training (RMT) address these gaps, often in tandem with one another. While Primitive Movement Training mimics early reflexive patterns to stimulate neurological repair, RMT uses repetitive, rhythmic motion to deepen that integration and improve whole-brain function.
What is Rhythmic Movement Training (RMT)?
Rhythmic Movement Training is a reflex integration method based on the natural, rhythmic movements that babies typically perform before birth, in the first months of life, and while learning to crawl and walk. This includes movements like rocking (side-to-side or back-and-forth), rolling, rhythmic limb extension/retraction, crawling and cross-patterning, as well as conscious rhythmic walking and skipping.
Originally developed by Swedish psychiatrist Dr. Harald Blomberg in collaboration with developmental kinesiologist Moira Dempsey, RMT emerged from a shared observation: children with learning, behavioral, or motor delays made remarkable progress when guided through gentle, repetitive movements rooted in early development.
Today, RMT is used to support individuals with autism, ADHD, anxiety, sensory processing challenges and learning disabilities. These techniques can be used as a standalone method or integrated with other modalities, including Primitive Movement Training and sensory-integration exercises.
How RMT Supports Brain Development
RMT is grounded in the principle of neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to reorganize and form new neural connections through experience. Gentle, repetitive movements activate and strengthen these neural pathways, making it possible to repair underdeveloped systems and build new patterns of regulation and learning.
RMT targets several key regions of the brain:
Vestibular system – Rocking and rolling stimulate the inner ear, improving balance, spatial awareness, and head-body coordination.
Cerebellum – Rhythmic movement supports coordination, motor planning, and posture.
Prefrontal cortex – Movements requiring rhythm, timing, and body awareness stimulate the area responsible for focus, emotional regulation, and executive function.
Brainstem – Primitive reflexes are integrated at the brainstem level. RMT movements help regulate these early motor patterns, improving automatic motor control.
By stimulating the vestibular, proprioceptive, and tactile systems, RMT encourages bilateral brain integration – the collaboration between the brain's left and right hemispheres. This is essential for tasks like reading, writing, emotional regulation and body awareness. Another highly beneficial aspect to RMT training is its ability to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which works to reduce stress and anxiety and improve the body’s ability to self-regulate. Roughly 40% of children with ASD experience at least one anxiety disorder, making it an effective training modality for managing stress.
Reflex Integration Through RMT
Primitive reflexes are meant to fade as a child’s nervous system matures. But when that doesn’t happen, they can interfere with balance, focus, coordination, and behavior. Retained reflexes can contribute to challenges such as poor posture and coordination, emotional dysregulation, disruptive or impulsive behavior, learning difficulties and sensory hypersensitivities.
RMT movements are specifically designed to stimulate the brainstem and "re-wire" these reflex patterns. When practiced alongside Primitive Movement Training with consistency and intention, RMT helps shift the nervous system from a stressed, reactive state to a calm, regulated one – boosting the benefits of Primitive Movement Training and making way for more purposeful and functional movement.
How We Use RMT at Kidisthenics
At Kidisthenics, Rhythmic Movement Training is woven into every aspect of our movement programs. After assessing clients for signs of retained primitive reflexes and sensory dysregulation, our movement specialists create tailored sessions that combine rhythmic movement with Primitive Movement Training and sensory integration strategies to support emotional regulation, focus, and motor development.
We frequently pair RMT with Primitive Movement Training to target retained reflexes through dynamic, rhythmically structured foundational movements.
This can include exercises like:
Rhythmic repetitions of bear crawls
Climbing a rope with timed, cross-patterned motion
Midline-crossing activities performed in steady rhythmic sequences
We also integrate RMT with our Sensory Integration Training to help regulate the nervous system and reinforce calming, focusing effects.
Examples include:
Rope slams performed in a rhythmic pattern to combine proprioceptive input with RMT’s regulatory benefits
Walking heel-to-toe across a balance beam in a coordinated RMT sequence to stimulate the vestibular system
Each movement is adapted to the client’s goals and sensory needs. Whether we’re using RMT to anchor the start of a session, support transitions, or redirect anxious energy, it remains a key tool in helping our clients build stronger neural connections, greater body awareness, and more intentional movement patterns.
Why it Matters: A Developmental Perspective
In a landmark study, researcher Esther Thelen observed that innate rhythmic movements in infants were strongly correlated with advances in motor development. Yet today, many children – especially those with developmental disabilities – do not receive enough natural movement input in early life.
Fortunately, RMT can be used at any time to make up for lost development and improve functioning. By reintroducing the very movements the brain expects during infancy, RMT helps "fill in the gaps” – leading to better outcomes in emotional regulation, social engagement, and physical confidence.