Neuroplasticity seems like something a person would read about in a science-fiction novel. How can the brain, a seemingly unchanging mass of brain-goo, be constantly re-modelling and changing itself? As crazy as it seems, research has shown that throughout a person’s life, even as a person reaches adulthood, there are parts of the brain that remain “plastic” or moldable. For example, if a person loses their sight, the neurons associated with sight are re-wired to be used for other senses, such as touch or hearing. Although a child’s brain exhibits more neuroplasticity, the adult brain is still surprisingly flexible. This is specifically relevant to students, who use the brain’s natural ability to change for their own benefit.
The Student Guide to Revamping Their Brain
Feel less stressed, get better sleep, and feel more in control of your life!
1.Meditation
For most of neuroscience’s history, scientists believed that the brain was fixed or set. However, we now know that the brain changes itself in response to experiences, stimuli, thoughts, and the environment. Rather than being a static machine, the brain is constantly processing information and making new neural connections and letting old ones die. Evidence for this phenomena comes from the effect of meditation on the brain. Richard Davidson, a researcher from the University of Wisconsin, studied the effects of both short and long-term meditation practices. The researcher found that the meditator brain’s were different from the non-meditator brain’s. Not only did individuals who meditate feel less stressed, depressed, and more content, their actual brain showed differences too! On average, those who had a consistent mediation practice had more gray matter, which has been linked to mood control and decision making.
2. Exercise
If you need another reason to exercise, look so further! Exercise has been shown to not only increase spatial memory, but it promotes the generation and growth of neurons. People that exercise consistently have been shown to have a higher grey matter mass, especially grey matter associated with cognitive control. So, if you exercise, you might think and function better!
3. Change Your Thoughts
Although it’s surprising to think about, but the way we think can have an effect on our physical brain. When you think a thought, the brain forms a neural pathway. When you think that thought again, the neural pathway grows stronger. It is similar to the way a canyon is formed. Water flows through a canyon for years, making the path deeper and wider. Thought is powerful. When a person believes something, it has a physical manifestation in the brain. If a student believes that they can never be good at math, they will form a mental block. However, if they practice doing math, their brain will form a mini “map” for math and they will get better at it. The way we think can shape our worldview, what we do, and how we behave. It is good to be aware of that, even though a large part of our thoughts are not in our conscious awareness.
Citations:
Doidge, N. (2017). The brain that changes itself: Stories of personal triumph from the frontiers of brain science. Strawberry Hills, NSW: ReadHowYouWant.
Lutz, A., Greischar, L. L., Rawlings, N. B., Ricard, M., & Davidson, R. J. (2004). Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,101(46), 16369-16373. doi:10.1073/pnas.0407401101
Begley, S. (2007, January 19). How Thinking Can Change the Brain. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB116915058061980596
Would you believe me if I told you that you didn’t have to spend countless hours in the gym daily to see results? Well, it true. Statistics show that more 80% of people do not get enough physical exercise to meet health guidelines. Why? Time and Inconsistency. However, introducing slow-motion strength training to your lifestyle once or twice or week for at least 20 minutes has been proven to help improve fat loss and improve cardiovascular health.
I’m sure you’re wondering why slow-motion strength training and not aerobics. Slow motion strength training focuses on intense muscle training for a brief period of time to stimulate the best results from the muscles. Essentially, slow motion strength training focuses on putting as much stress on the muscles as possible following days of rest. The human body needs enough time to recover and grow stronger between weight training, which is why many people fail to see results due to over working their muscles. Sometimes more is not better.
Researchers conducted an experiment with untrained men and women who trained two to three times per week for eight to 10 weeks on a 13 exercise Nautilus circuit performing one set of each exercise. Participants exclusively trained using regular speed repetitions for 8 to 12 repetitions per set at 7 sec each (2 sec lifting, 1 sec pause, 4 sec lowering) or a Super Slow training protocol where they completed 4 to 6 repetitions per set at 14 sec each (10 sec lifting, 4 sec lowering). All of the participants were tested for either the 10 repetition-maximum (RM) weightload (regular-speed) or the 5-RM weightload (slow-speed group).
The results indicated that slow-motion strength training caused about 50% greater increase in strength for both men and women than regular speed training. Hence, if you do slow motion strength training, maintain and healthy diet, and drink a substantial amount of water, research shows you will see results.
Westcott, W. L., Winett, R. A., Anderson, E. S., & Wojcik, J. R. (2001). Effects of regular and slow speed resistance training on muscle strength. Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, 41(2), 154.
Picture a typical 1985 aerobic dancersize class at the local YMCA. Bright spandex, side pony-tails, colored leg warmers, metallic leotards. Lots of makeup, minimal sweat and sex appeal were the 80’s requirements for a good work out. Gym culture has evolved since the Era of Questionable Fashion but one aspect will never change- music. LOUD music. There’s no way those 80’s women could do a rhythmic 8-count of floor kicks so enthusiastically without Cyndi Lauper’s motivation. Nowadays, I don’t even bother to work out if I don’t have access to music. There are a lot of reasons why I don’t bother to work out but even when I’m feeling particularly motivated to exercise, I still need my IPOD! And judging by the number of headphones I spot at the gym, most people like working out to their tunes as well.
So why the dependency? Not only is music fun to listen to but music can actually make our adrenaline surge. Several studies have indicated that music tempo correlates to changes in heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate. When the tempo (the rate of speed) of a song and athletic performance are synced up, an average person’s endurance is prolonged. Some athletes even claim music is like a legal drug because of its effect on their endurance.
It makes sense that listening to fast-paced music can increase your heart rate but a study at Virginia’s Hampden-Sydney College actually proved it. The study showed that participants who listened to music while riding bikes actually traveled 11% farther than those who rode with no music (McCook 2005). In another study, dance music at 142 beats per minute (BPM) was used in a 10-kilometer trial and the results were compared to the same study without music. Average speed, power and heart rate were higher in the group who had music (Harmon 2007). However, the effect of listening to music while working out is not completely hypnotic; the test subjects cycling at higher speeds also had higher perceived exertions. This suggests that they were fully aware of how hard they were working, despite the use of music (Harmon 2007). Therefore music does not reduce the recognition of effort during exercise but it does improve the experience by providing a fun distraction.
Research also shows that the distraction of music can reduce up to 10% of perceived exertion during treadmill running at moderate intensity (Karageorghis 2008). One study published found that basketball players prone to performing poorly under pressure during games were significantly better if they listened to catchy, upbeat music (Reynolds 2010). “The music seemed to distract the players from themselves, from their audience and from thinking about the physical process of shooting,” said Christopher Mesagno, a lecturer at the University of Ballarat in Victoria, Australia, and the study’s lead author. The music let the body work from muscle memory without interference from the brain. “The music was occupying attention that might have been misdirected otherwise,” Mesagno said.
Another reason music may help you exercise is because of something called “synchronization.” Music is conceived by our brains, played through our bodies, perceived through our sensory organs and then interpreted back by our brains. You’re already tapping your foot to the beat before you realize what you’re listening to. Same with exercising- you want to pedal at the rate of the music or tread to every dominant beat. Research has shown that the synchronization of music to repetitive exercise (like rowing, cycling and running) is associated with increased levels of output (Karageorghis 2008). The tempo can regulate movement and also create an attainable flow.
I’m not saying listening to music while working out creates miracles; the body does have its limits. Research finds that the effect of music seems to decline when exercising at an already intense level (Reynolds 2010). For example, if running at an intense pace, increasing the music’s tempo will not have an effect on your speed or heart rate because they are already at a high level of intensity. Which is fine since you wouldn’t want your heart rate to increase indefinitely until it explodes in the middle of spin class. That’s not exactly the goal, don’t push it. In conclusion, music can help during moderate exercise but when you increase the intensity of exercise, the feelings of fatigue will eventually override the music.
There are a couple of other exceptions. “Background music typically reduces a person’s perception of effort by about 10%,” says Costas Karageorghis, head of research at the School of Sport and Education at Brunel University in West London. Meaning, don’t forget your headphones. Listening to the gym’s complementary radio will make you think you are working HARDER than you actually are!
That said, what’s the best song to work out to? An exerciser whose goal during warm-up is to elevate the heart rate to 120 beats per minute should select accompanying music that has a tempo in the range of 80–130 beats per minute. Successive tracks should create a gradual rise in music tempo to match the intended gradual increase in heart rate- tempos of 120 to 140 beats per minute are ideal. That’s roughly the heartbeat of a casual exerciser who’s been on the treadmill for 20 minutes.
As obvious as this may be, choose songs you like. Emotional ties to music can help performance even more (NPR 2011). For example, Kanye West’s “Stronger,” lifts my mood and pushes me a bit harder, even though the tempo isn’t particularly fast. I have friends who start every workout listening to Rocky’s theme song “Gonna Fly Now,” by Bill Conti. Listen to whatever you gotta listen to in order to get motivated! Start singing on the treadmill if you need to; who cares about a room full of people staring at you sweating profusely and gasping for oxygen as long as you’re feeling good, right?
I’ve compiled a list of example songs along with their beats per minute. Try making your own playlist according to your heart rate goals and see if you can tell a difference in your work out. If you can’t, try wearing a metallic leotard.
Walking, 3.0-4.5 mph (miles per hour), 76- 120 bpm
Nirvana- “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” 117 bpm [soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/5968275″ iframe=”true” /]
Elliptical/ Stair-climbers, 124-128 bpm
MGMT- “Kids,” 124 bpm
Jogging, 5.2-6.0 mph, 120-150 bpm
Florence & The Machine- “Dog Days Are Over,” 150 bpm
Cycling, 60-80 rpm (revolutions per minute), 139-150 bpm
The Killers- “Mr. Brightside,” 148 bpm [soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/26159719″ iframe=”true” /]
Running, 6.0-8.0 mph, 147-170 bpm
Scissor Sisters- “Take Your Mama,” 155 bpm
TV On The Radio- “Will Do,” 161 bpm
High Intensity Training, 168 bpm & above
Beck- “Gamma Ray,” 168 bpm
Harmon, Nicole M., and Len Kravitz. “The Beat Goes On: The Effects of Music on Exercise.” IDEA Health & Fitness Association. IDEA Fitness Journal, Sept. 2007. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. <http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/beat-goes-effects-music-exercise>.
Karageorghis, Costas, and David- Lee Priest. “Music in Sport and Exercise : An Update on Research and Application.” United States Sports Academy. The Sport Journal, 2008. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. <http://www.thesportjournal.org/article/music-sport-and-exercise-update-research-and-application>.
“Maximizing Your Workout With The Right Tunes.” NPR, 13 Sept. 2011. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. <http://www.npr.org/2011/09/13/140438368/maximizing-your-workout-with-the-right-tunes>.
McCook, Alison. “Music Helps Exercisers Go Further with Less Effort.” Hampden Sydney College News & Events. 2005. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. <http://www3.hsc.edu/news/archive/herdegenmeeks.html>.
Reynolds, Gretchen. “Phys Ed: Does Music Make You Exercise Harder?” Well Blog. New York Times Health, 25 Aug. 2010. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. <http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/phys-ed-does-music-make-you-exercise-harder/>.
