You’ve heard of sayings such as “you can do anything you set your mind to”, “you have to believe in yourself”,
and “mind over matter”. How much of
this is true? How much power is the human mind capable of? How do we exploit
this potential to maximize our health and exercise performance? Is it truly all
in our heads?
Optimal health is holistic health, which includes many aspects: physical, social, emotional, spiritual and mental well being.
While raising my own awareness on mental
health, I have recently become interested in the practice of meditation. The
most important thing I have learned about meditation is that it does not have
to be done in a spiritual or religious context for one to benefit. One general type of meditation that I have researched and implemented
in my own health routine is 'mindfulness meditation'.
This involves paying
precise, nonjudgmental attention to the details of our experiences as they come
and go, without rejecting these thoughts. Being mindful allows us to live in
the 'now', controlling emotions related to past experiences and, in turn, mentally
preparing us for future situations. Work, school, the 'challenge of the week' and
visits with your in laws are stressful only if you perceive them to be
that way. There is hard evidence supporting this!
In 2011, Zeidan and colleagues
looked at the neurological mechanisms of mindfulness meditation and its
effectiveness in controlling pain. Participants in this study were exposed to both hot and neutral temperature devices on their lower legs and were asked to rate
the intensity of pain and unpleasantness. After just 4 days of mindfulness
meditation training (20min/day), the subjects reported reduced unpleasantness
by 57% and reduced pain intensity by 40% in comparison to the pre-training period. MRI scans showed increased brain activity in the areas involved in the
cognitive regulation of pain processing and the reframing of the contextual
evaluation of sensory events. Even with minimal training, meditation engages
specific areas of the brain that alter the experience of pain.
Delving deeper into the topic of various brain functions, one area of the brain I want to highlight is the hippocampus. The hippocampus is a part of the brain that helps
regulate emotion through the “limbic system”. This portion of the brain also plays an
important role in developing long-term memory and spatial (or navigational)
memory. Research has shown that aerobic exercise increases the production of
new neurons in the hippocampus, while dedicated and successful learning helps
these new neurons survive. In one particular study, participants practiced mindful
meditation, which was mentally challenging to learn. After this mental
training, subjects completed 30 minutes of aerobic exercise with challenging
movements and routines. These people increased their aerobic exercise capacity
and decreased depression and anxiety greater than those who only did the aerobic
exercise. Supplementing your aerobic routine with challenging cognitive
exercises can help manage stress while improving performance at work or during your
daily life activities!
When it comes to your exercise regimen,
you can use your mind to help train your body, too!
Mentally imagining a muscle
maximally contracting can facilitate strength gains in high-intensity
resistance/strength training. This can be done through motor imagery the
mental process of rehearsing a specific physical action. The neurological processes underlying motor
imagery are similar to those activated during physical movement. Mentally
imagining motor patterns has a positive influence on acquiring new motor skills
as well. These same principles can be applied to your flexibility routine.
Imagery has been shown to increase joint flexibility during both active and
passive stretching. Applying this idea to new exercises in the gym will help you
progress quicker, and in turn, help you reach your fitness goals sooner!
So, back to our original
question: is it “all in your head”? No, but
keeping these facts and concepts in mind can help you take your physical
exercise to the next level. Mental training can increase your physical
potential, while improving all areas of your health. Be the best that you can
be, because the only thing holding you back is YOU!
Written By:
Mitch Broser
Strength and Conditioning Specialist
647-351-0101
Resources
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Zeidan F, et al. Brain mechanisms supporting the
modulation of pain by mindfulness meditation. J neurosci. 2011.
32(14):5540-5548
3.
Shors TJ, Olson RL, Bates ME, Selby EA, Alderman
BL. Mental and physical (map) training: a neurogenesis-inspired intervention
that enhances health in humans. Neurobiology of learning and memory. 2014.
115;3-9
4.
Reiser M, Busch D, Munzert K. Strength gains by
motor imagery with different ratios of physical to mental practice. Front
psychology. 2011. 2;194:1-8.
5.
Anwar MN, Tomi N, Ito K. Motor imagery
facilitates force field learning. Brain
Res. 2011;1395:21-9
6.
Guillot A, Tolleron C, Collet C. Does motor
imagery enhance stretching and flexibility. J Sports Sci. 2010;28(3):291-298
This involves paying
precise, nonjudgmental attention to the details of our experiences as they come
and go, without rejecting these thoughts. Being mindful allows us to live in
the 'now', controlling emotions related to past experiences and, in turn, mentally
preparing us for future situations. Work, school, the 'challenge of the week' and
visits with your in laws are stressful only if you perceive them to be
that way. There is hard evidence supporting this!
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