Baseball great Leroy Satchel Paige asserted that age is a question of mind over matter. “If you don’t mind,” he said, “it don’t matter.” Age, after all, is just a number. But, as we age, it’s important to mind–not our manners–but our minds. Maximize Your Mind, No Matter Your Age Yes, you can become more brain-powerful. You really can optimize your cognitive capacity. And you can truly maximize your mental operations. But… you have to commit to improving your cognitive processes. We recommend spending five-to-ten minutes a day, three days a week. Here are practices to help sharpen that marvelous computer that sits atop your shoulders. CREATE A MNEMONIC DEVICEThe mind is an amazing organ. This gelatinous mass of a hundred trillion nerve cells , when maximized, can serve you well. (The need to facilitate memory goes back thousands of years. From Mnemosyne, the Greek goddess of memory, comes the word “mnemonics,” which is simply the use of told that will help us remember. Think about the mnemonic devices you already use (H-O-M-E-S for the first letter of each of the Great Lakes) and commit to using such a device for better recall of information that’s important to you. PRACTICEOnce a day, have a relative or friend practice with you. Your coach will give you a one-digit number, which you are not to write down until he or she says “Record.” Then, you’ll receive a two-digit number. When the coach says, “Record,” write the number down from memory. Each time, your coach will give you a number one-digit-longer than the preceding number. Keep a log of your progress, specifying how many digits you were able to commit to short-term memory. Here are a few to get you started. CHASE STRESS AWAYStress causes increased production of a hormone named cortisol. According to Dr. Blair Justice of the University of Texas Health Science Center, the cortex of the adrenal gland releases this hormone, which can have a negative impact on the cells of your immune system. Cortisol also reduces the number of natural killer (NK) cells, which travel through the body, looking for and destroying aberrant cells. If you don’t have enough NK cells doing their job, the abnormal cells can eventually develop into tumors. Maximize Your Mind, No Matter Your AgeMaximize Your Mind, No Matter Your Age Maximize Your Mind, No Matter Your Age Maximize Your Mind, No Matter Your Age Maximize Your Mind, No Matter Your Age Maximize Your Mind, No Matter Your Age Maximize Your Mind, No Matter Your Age |
Improving Golf Game
After another disappointing round of golf, you find yourself sitting in your lounge chair, staring into a fire with a cold beer, and reflecting back on the past couple of months of frustrating play, trying to think of solutions to the many problems that have occurred lately. The poor drives off the tee, the missed fairways, the disappointing chip shots and puts, accompanied by aching muscles and joints from over swinging and driving the club into the ground. Building A Strong Foundation For Your Golf Game
The countless hours spent trying to correct these problems, the money spent on new drivers and woods, along with the anti-inflammatory medications to help with the aching joints. The question is then asked, “Why is this all happening to me”.
As we age, our ligaments and tendons will lose elasticity, our joints won’t move so freely as they once did, and our metabolism will slow down, making it easier to gain calories. But having “junk in the trunk” (or a weak foundation), is more than likely as we age, but can be treated.
With a weak foundation, there is minimal stability from the core muscles (which provide support to the spine pelvis and hips), so when a golfer swings the club at over 100 MPH, over and over again, the connective tissues become either sprained or strained, do to compensation, which then means consistency and accuracy will suffer.
To build a strong foundation, we must build strength and learn to stabilize muscles and joints from the inside out. Meaning, build the “core” first, and then the extremities.
This is done with neuromuscular isolated and integrated exercises (isolating the stabilizers before actually moving a joint). Once a series of exercises are performed for several weeks, there becomes improvement with neuromuscular communication between the brain and the muscles, which in turn will help with sequencing of movement with a stable spine, this carries over to the golf game adding to increased shot consistency and accuracy.
Article provided to the La Quinta Chamber of Commerce – GEM Publication