Ease off…. and you may perform better.
One week after graduating with his PhD in machine learning & data analysis, Chris Gatti joined the circus!
Our keynote speaker at this month’s Kinesiology Education Day told us that after graduation he left his field of academic research to follow his love of gymnastics and joined Cirque du Soleil (his story is a 13 minute TedTalk).
Drawing from his background in mechanical engineering, computational biomechanics, gymnastics, and coaching (and from personally doing countless handstands), he emphasized that too much body tension reduces stability and flexibility. It’s by letting go of the over-effort in muscles that we can achieve maximal efficiency with minimal energy.
Gatti coaches people to be okay with swaying during a handstand. It’s by focusing on adaptability and experimenting with swaying that you will become more comfortable and increase success. “Testing the waters leads to progress.” He recommends flirting with the edge of your ability and playing with it.
Playing with different levels of tension is a well-known and helpful concept in athletics. For example, when swimmers are asked to swim a length of the pool at full effort, and then do a length at 80% of their full effort, and then one at 85%, then one at 90%, and one at 95%, they often find their fastest speed is not at 100% effort (since they could be recruiting too much body tension, thus reducing muscle control, flexibility, and speed).
And it’s helpful in daily life too. In the Relaxation & Stress Management Skills Training program we practice varying the tensions during everyday tasks like standing in line, walking, writing, and working at a computer. Many people are amazed at how much muscle over-effort is present, and how good it feels to efficiently perform tasks without so much tension.
Are you reading this with your shoulders lifted to your ears? With white knuckles? Or your jaw clenched? Are there tensions in other parts of your body? More than is necessary for best efficiency?
Right now, practice muscle flirting by putting a bit more tension in, then a bit less, then even less. Where is the sweet spot of optimal muscle tension & efficiency for this task?
Ease off and you can find that sweet spot of maximal efficiency with minimal energy!
Comedienne Lily Tomlin says “everyone tells us to try harder; when is someone going to tell us to try softer?”
Start by telling your muscles to try softer (to release unnecessary over-effort and tension) as you do the remaining activities of today.
For effective, practical stress management skills that enhance health and performance, check out the Stress Management & High Performance Clinic programs at http://www.SelfRegulationSkills.ca.
Kathy Somers, R.Kin, BCB
Stress Smart 