The body is greatly intertwined with the mind.
These mental strategies for exercise can boost your physical performance.
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neuroscientist and author
This idea, often dubbed themind-body connection, can pertain to virtually every facet of the human experience.
My guts, for example, churn when Imjet-laggeda physical response to a derailedcircadian rhythm.
Research also shows that immune function, though biological in nature, can suffer withprolonged mental stress.
Experts in This Article
neuroscientist and author
But the mind-body symbiosis can prove extremely positive, too.
And these factors can be hacked, so to speak.
Interestingly, the brain of an athlete is unique, she shares.
A brain scan alone could determine who is an elite athlete versus who is an amateur athlete.
Or, are the anomalies due to their behaviors, like consistent training?
According to Dr. Brager, its a balance of nature and nurture.
neuroscientist and author
Some advantages are genetic, like 20/20 vision and augmented hand-eye coordination.
Those born into a family of athletes and gifted with select athletic genes have a distinct advantage.
With training, more efficient movement patterns and [brain] connections develop, Dr. Brager says.
Another lesser-known benefit of repetition, however, is what Dr. Brager calls muscle memory.
Unlike the physical strengthening of your muscles, muscle memory is neurological.
This is the neurological explanation for the10,000-hour expert rule, she says.
In short, practice makes perfect, as the old adage goeson both a physical and neurological level.
Mindset is everything, Dr. Brager asserts.
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On a more granularneurological note, Exercise leads to a physiological phenomenon known as neuroplasticity, Dr. Brager shares.
Essentially, neuroplasticity refers to the brains ability to change and adapt in response to various external factors.
Specifically, areas initiating movement and assessing perception and sensation.
Moreover, she adds, exercise increases the speed at which brain cells communicate with one another.
Translation: Exercise can help you feel sharper, clearer, and more focused.
Specifically, music activates emotional as well as sensory areas of the brain.
In fact, Dr. Brager says music is her most-used motivational brain trick for maintaining a consistent sweat-sesh routine.
Brain trick #5: Meditate
Its no coincidence that many top-tier athletes swear by meditation.
In and of itself, this key in of check-in with ones body has positive implications for athletic performance.
Meditation also promotes physical and mental rest, both of which are necessary for athletic performance.
For this reason, Dr. Brager calls meditation a useful tool for augmenting recovery.
The practice promotes deep, restorative sleepwhich, in turn, increases stamina, focus, and physical energy.
As Dr. Brager puts it,restorative sleepis the most effective performance-enhancing drug out there!
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