Use Your Brain For Better Results – Part 1

Whether you’re aiming for greater strength, effective weight-loss exercise or a competitive edge, the latest research on peak physical performance shows that the brain — and what goes on in yours — is as essential as brawn. Most of us realize that physical activity can influence mental conditioning — that workouts reduce stress, improve mood, and may even stimulate memory and learning. But the opposite is also true: Your mind can influence your physical conditioning in ways you might never have imagined.

Studies show that if you spend enough time practicing an activity, your brain switches into something akin to autopilot allowing you to perform better, with less mental and physical effort. So when you watch a professional athlete such as Olympic gold medalist Marion Jones sprinting toward the finish line, the efficiency of her brain probably as impressive as her form and musculature.

“Our imaging studies show that when elite athletes perform, their brains use fewer but more appropriate neurons,” explains Brad Hatfield, Ph.D., associate professor of sport psychology at the University of Maryland in College Park. In one study, Hatfield found that expert marksmen were more relaxed while shooting than were novices, and that, because their brains were so well programmed, they could practically perform without thinking about it. Essentially, he discovered that the “hot spots” of an expert’s brain are concentrated in the visual and spatial parts of the cortex — although those areas are more active, the rest of the cortex is relatively inactive, even during competition. In contrast, the cortex of a beginner lights up all over, indicating that she uses more brainpower to get through the exercise.

Hatfield says that everyday exercisers can train themselves to use only the requisite parts of their brains as well, effecting more skillful workouts.
From Shape 2002, given to me by a great friend. Thank you!

Read Part 2 – Mind Techniques For Top Performance