Why Training FAILS Without Nervous System Regulation | Tom Swales

https://www.shahneurovision.com/ 
Over 80% of an athlete's performance depends on visual skills. Our training helps you react faster, track moving objects, improve coordination, strengthen focus and anticipation. Visit Shah NeuroVision Sports Training.

In this episode of the NeuroVision Edge Podcast, we sit down with Tom Swales, a world-renowned physiotherapist, strength coach, and educator with over 20 years of experience helping elite athletes, clinicians, and coaches unlock higher performance through the nervous system.

Tom is the Founder of the Advanced Movement Therapist Certification, now used by clinicians worldwide, and the Clinical Director of COMPHYSIO+ Performance Wellness. He has trained and certified hundreds of physiotherapists, chiropractors, and coaches, led medical care at the Toronto Pan Am Games, and worked with Olympic-level athletes including the Canadian Men’s Alpine Ski Team.

In this powerful conversation, Tom breaks down:

- Why pain, plateaus, and poor recovery are often nervous system problems, not strength problems
- How movement quality, vision, balance, and autonomic regulation are deeply connected
- The real reason traditional rehab and training models fail long-term
- How clinicians and athletes can assess readiness, stress, and recovery using nervous system metrics
- His personal journey surviving a life-threatening infection in 2023, and how it reshaped his understanding of resilience, healing, and regulation
- We also dive into Tom’s SAM Scan, a practical nervous system assessment tool now used globally by performance and rehab professionals.

👉 Access the SAM Scan Mini Course here:
https://www.amtcertified.ca/sam-scan-mini-course

If you are a coach, clinician, athlete, or high performer looking to understand how the brain, eyes, and nervous system drive performance, this episode will change how you train and recover forever.

Follow Tom Swoles:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCALBzKs5vP1f1BswOpaesYg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swales.tom/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theamtguy

⏱️ Chapters & Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction to Tom Swales and his background
03:12 – Why performance issues are often nervous system issues
08:45 – Pain, compensation, and why rehab plateaus happen
15:10 – The role of vision and sensory input in movement quality
22:40 – Nervous system regulation vs traditional strength training
30:05 – How elite athletes manage readiness and recovery
38:20 – Inside the SAM Scan and how clinicians use it
45:55 – Tom’s life-threatening infection and recovery journey
53:30 – Resilience, stress, and autonomic balance
01:01:10 – Practical takeaways coaches and athletes can apply today
01:07:45 – Final thoughts and where to follow Tom

👉 If you want better performance, faster recovery, and fewer injuries, start with your nervous system.
🔔 Subscribe to NeuroVision Edge Podcast for weekly conversations on vision, neuroscience, and elite performance
📲 Share this episode with a coach, clinician, or athlete who needs this perspective

Connect with Dr. Shah:
Instagram: instagram.com/drshah_neurovision
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sports.vision.doc
X: https://x.com/NeuroVisionEdge
Substack: https://substack.com/@neurovisionedge
Website: https://www.shahvisiondevelopmentcenter.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ShahNeuroVision 

📲 Connect with Shah NeuroVision
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sports.vision.doc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drshah_neurovision/
X: https://x.com/NeuroVisionEdge
Substack: https://substack.com/@neurovisionedge
Website: https://www.shahvisiondevelopmentcenter.com/

🎙️ The NeuroVision Edge Podcast — where elite performance meets science.