Photo By Bev Childress

Social psychologist and Harvard researcher Amy Cuddy goes deep into the research of the influences of non-verbal behavior. Through research, she found that we are influenced by nonverbal behavior. The most exciting part? Our own non-verbal behavior has the ability to change how we feel.

Expressions of power and dominance are clear to see both in the animal kingdom and sport. This involves opening up the body and taking up the most space—an outstretched gorilla beating its chest or world record holder Usain Bolt with his arms out and fully extended after winning his race. In that moment, it’s clear that the performer of the expression feels powerful.

Conversely, the powerless like to close up, wrap themselves up, and appear smaller. The fetal position is an example of this. One’s shoulders are typically hunched over as a way of trying to “shrink.” Those in this position seem to lack confidence.

How the person feels seems to dictate how they appear and act, however, that’s not all. Cuddy goes on to explain that our non-verbal behavior also has an effect on how we feel and think about ourselves. In short, the mind-body relationship goes both ways, and you can use this to your advantage. Trying forcing a smile for two minutes and see how that affects your mood.

So, why is this important? From Cuddy’s research, it appears that non-verbal behavior affects us on a physiological level, too.

Controlling Your Hormone Levels Through Non-Verbal Behavior

For this research, subjects were tested for testosterone (the “dominance hormone”) and cortisol (the “stress hormone”). Those with powerful non-verbal behavior showed higher amounts of testosterone and lower amounts of cortisol, and the reverse was also true. Those with powerless non-verbal behavior showed lower amounts of testosterone and higher amounts of cortisol.¹

The research didn’t end here. Next, Cuddy ran an experiment in which test subjects were instructed to either assume a power position or a powerless position for two minutes. Saliva samples were also taken before and after to measure any possible changes that occurred as a result of the experiment. The results were nothing short of fascinating.

Those who were instructed to stand or sit in a position of power saw a 20% increase in testosterone and a 25% decrease in cortisol. Conversely, those who stood or sat in a position of low power saw a 10% decrease in testosterone and a 15% increase in their cortisol. In plain English, those who assumed a power pose felt more dominant and less stressed while those who assumed a position of low power felt the opposite.¹

Hormones Influence Performance

Studies show that healthy level of testosterone leads to higher athletic performance, along with numerous other benefits. On the other hand, excess cortisol levels lead to sub-optimal performance and decreased recovery over time. In short, for peak performance, you want higher levels of testosterone and lower levels of cortisol.

These findings present us with an opportunity to improve our athletic performance along with our mental well-being by focusing on our non-verbal behaviors. Tiny tweaks seemingly lead to big changes. Just think; the test subjects stood or sat in their respective positions for all of two minutes and notable differences were found.

Body language is something you can mindfully pay attention to outside of working out. Make it a habit to force yourself to assume a power pose throughout the day. Based on the research, your body will thank you.

References:

1. Cuddy, Amy. “Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are“. TED: Ideas Worth Spreading. October 1, 2012. Accessed March 18, 2018.

2. Wood, Ruth I., and Steven J. Stanton. “Testosterone and Sport: Current Perspectives“. Hormones and Behavior. October 1, 2011. Accessed March 18, 2018.

3. Rupp, Ted. “How Cortisol Effects Performance“. LinkedIn. June 12, 2015. Accessed March 18, 2018.

The post Why Body Language Can Help You Dominate Your Training appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

I tend to carry stress and tension in between my shoulder blades; it’s become a feeling I’ve grown accustomed to and have learned to deal with it over time. Add to that the extra stress of the new exercises I was introducing to my workouts, it’s safe to say I was pretty uncomfortable. Fast forward to my Friday afternoon session with 9 year old Megan: I moved quickly to dodge out of her way and felt a pop and some serious pain go through the back of my right shoulder. Thoughts started racing through my head. “How am I going to teach class tomorrow?” “What if I tore something in my rotator cuff?” “Did I really just injure myself playing with a little girl?” It was at that point that I knew I had to back off what I was doing and spend some more time recovering from my workouts.

The Importance of Rest and Recovery

Recovery and rest days are important. You can’t continue to challenge your body, push it to it’s absolute limits, and expect it to hold up and not break down if you don’t take some time off. Your muscles need time to repair themselves after lifting heavy weights, introducing new exercises, or doing intense cardio. A lot of people have even said they notice the most muscle gains on their rest days.

Taking a rest day doesn’t mean doing absolutely nothing and sitting on the couch binge watching Netflix all day—but honestly, sometimes that may be what your body needs, too. Try these four rest and recovery day activities the next time you take a day off from the gym.

1. Go for a walk or an easy hike

Get outside! Fitness doesn’t always have to take place in the gym. Check out the local downtown scene or nearby hiking trails and spend time exploring.

2. Rent a bike and pedal the nearest bike path

Bike paths tend to be pretty flat. Take your time, enjoy the scenery, and maybe make some new friends along the way.

3. Foam roll

My favorite areas to roll out are my quads, inner and outer thighs, upper back, and lats. If you come across some spots that feel extra sore, try to rest on or around them for about 20 seconds before you resume rolling again.

4. Find a gentle yoga class

Check out your nearest studio or pull up a class on YouTube, try searching “gentle yoga.” A couple of my favorite instructor channels are YogaTX with Cole Chance or Yoga with Adriene. Doing yoga for 20-30 minutes twice a week can not only benefit your body, but your mind as well.

The post The Crucial Need for Rest and Recovery appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The concept of the mind’s power over the body goes by many names. Some call it “mind over matter,” or “the power of belief.” Others call it “willpower.” Call it what you like; it’s hard to deny the power of the mind in everything, including our health.

But the mind can influence the body passively, not just actively. In the case of a placebo, for example, it’s a matter of trust and belief. It’s not active willpower, but submission and acceptance. It’s a passive approach to harnessing the power of the mind. And you can harness this power for yourself.

When Nothing Does Something

The placebo effect occurs when a person believes a certain outcome will happen and it does, even in the absence of an actual agent or source of change. The term finds its origins in medical research studies.

A placebo is the fake variable in a study that does nothing at all. They are used in studies to help determine the validity of outcomes.

For instance, one study compared the outcomes of a real knee surgery with placebo knee surgery. In the study, one group got arthroscopic surgery for osteoarthritis of the knee. The other group got incisions that made it seem as if surgery had been performed, but it had not been.

Both groups thought they were having the actual knee surgery, and both groups ended up reporting remarkably similar outcomes. Whether they had actual surgery or not seemed irrelevant.

Fool the Mind, Heal the Body

When I was elementary school, my school nurse was notorious for handing out cough drops—for everything. Sore throat? Tummy ache? Skinned knee? All got the same treatment: a cough drop. Funny thing was, no matter the child’s malady, the cough drop seemed to work. I remember it worked for me.

The placebo effect of a cough drop (preferably cherry flavored) “cured” my skinned knee. It worked like magic, making my knee feel better in a matter of minutes.

In her book, Cure: A Journey Into the Science of Mind Over Body, molecular biologist Jo Marchant illustrates that placebos are frequently shown to hold the same power an as actual drug, surgery, therapeutic, or treatment.

In particular, she discusses a study where researchers maintained positive outcomes, even while replacing patients’ real medications with placebo drugs. In addition to replacing the real drugs with fakes, researchers added external stimuli, like strong colors and music, to create an association between the placebo and the active substance.

Patients began by drinking a strong-colored placebo drink and listening to one of their favorite songs while taking the active medication. Over time, researchers gradually reduced the level of active medication while increasing the amount of placebo. The healthy outcomes continued.

What This Means for You

If it’s true that you can do anything you put your mind to, it might help to give yourself a placebo.

A big part of success is all in your head. So if you can find a way to trick your brain, that 10lb PR, a podium spot at your upcoming competition, or losing 10lb of body fat becomes that much easier. It doesn’t have to actually do anything. You just have to believe that it does.

Looking for more ways to reach your goals?

Make the Switch to Better Habits and Mindset

The post Placebo: Fake Inputs, Real Results appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

LeBrock was a perfect representation of the female body of the 1980s. Along with LeBrock, Cindy Crawford, Elle Macpherson, and Naomi Campbell became household names based solely on their looks and their bodies. All embodied the trend in female figures – long, lean, underweight, and of course, utterly unattainable for most.

Model Naomi Campbell walking the runway.

Nowadays, We Like Big Butts

Thirty years later in 2015, the supermodel ideal has taken a back seat, literally and figuratively, as the butt has become all the rage. From Jennifer Lopez to Kim Kardashian, butts are in.

Much of our cultural focal point, from the fashion industry to the music industry, seems to be on obtaining this ideal body. In the fitness world, it is difficult to escape images of the ideal body type, regardless of what era we’re in. Fitness magazines and websites regurgitate the same type of pictures with the same types of articles – get bigger arms, washboard abs, or a bigger butt.

Obsession with body type is far from strictly a female-based issue. Men desire things like toned arms and washboard abs, too. Several years ago at the peak of my involvement with boxing, I got myself below 4% body fat. I was consumed by working out and conditioning for the ring. I was also consumed with being completely ripped.

“Obsession with body type is far from strictly a female-based issue. Men desire things like toned arms and washboard abs, too.”

While I was indeed ripped, people noticed my obsession and my gaunt frame. “You’re working out too much,” and, “You’re too thin,” were typical comments. At the time, people close to me could see what I couldn’t see. I wasn’t myself and I certainly wasn’t healthy. Back then, I couldn’t even fully explain what I was after. I just was driven to achieve an unattainable and unsustainable physique.

Back then, I was driven to achieve an unattainable and unsustainable physique.

The Grass Is Always Greener

There’s certainly no harm in wanting to improve something, whether it’s upgrading the car we drive, the job we have, or the body we live in. Whether we admit it or not, we all care about how we look. And all of us want to like what we see when we look in the mirror.

Studies back up the fact that men and women struggle with body type ideals similarly. In a study taken right from a page of the Weird Science script, British researchers took forty heterosexual men and women and had them design the ideal bodies for a hypothetical mate. Both men and women created extreme body types, beyond that of most average people.

“In the fitness world, it is difficult to escape images of the ideal body type, regardless of what era we’re in.”

While there were some differences, both sexes felt the ideal male would be an inverted pyramid shape, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and the ideal female body type would be the hourglass shape, with a small waist-to-hip ratio. The participants also preferred slimmer bodies than they themselves had.

This last point is the crux of the whole focus on body image. We aren’t satisfied with what we naturally or actually have. In a study conducted by North Carolina State in 2005 that included over 6,000 women, only 8% of the women were hourglass shaped. The rest were classified as banana, pear, or apple shaped. We all have a body, but it seems we want a different one.

Real-World Examples

Next to death and paying taxes, one of life’s certainties is that at some point we all must grapple with our body image. It’s too big, too short, too small, or not athletic enough. While everyone has a body, some of us are built like Great Danes, while others of us are built like Jack Russell terriers. The trick is to see your own true body and not covet someone else’s. We can’t all look like Beyoncé or David Beckham.

It helps to have examples in this journey. Fitness trainer and writer Neghar Fonooni recently posted pictures of her own “reverse progress.” She went against the trend of the before-and-after fitness photo and posted pictures of her actually gaining weight and losing the ripped abs.

“Whether we admit it or not, we all care about how we look. And all of us want to like what we see when we look in the mirror.”

I am also well versed in the process of reverse progress transformation. My temporary obsession with being 4% body fat led to breakdown and injury. I have since come to grips with my natural body type and feel more comfortable in my own skin. My body now is natural, attainable, and sustainable. Of course, I also don’t have the six-pack abs anymore and had to come to grips with that, as well.

Start the Process Now

Making peace with the loss of what society deems ideal is a process. It starts with an honest assesmement of your true and natural physique. The following checklist of questions are a good place to start:

1. What is your natural body type? Ectomorph, endomorph, or mesomorph? Are you a Great Dane, Labrador, or Jack Russell?
2. Are you often injured, unhealthy, or at risk of negative health consequences because you are over- or underweight? Remember, while obesity is correlated to metabolic syndrome and early death, being underweight is also.
3. Do you rely on artificial support mechanisms such as supplements, medical procedures, or unsustainable training practices to achieve the body you desire?
4. Do you define yourself in large part by how your body looks?

What Do You Really Want?

Achieving the ideal body is up to us and is based around how we define it. The qualities behind getting and sustaining a better body are admirable ones. I admire the discipline of bodybuilders and the ironclad work ethic of professional athletes. I am not here to pick a fight with people who desire six-pack abs.

“Making peace with the loss of what society deems ideal is a process. It starts with an honest assesmement of your true and natural physique.”

What is important is your prerogative. But my intention is to ask pointed questions and challenge the notion that a certain body type is ideal or better than another. I want you to examine and understand your own prerogative. Because more important than the aesthetic of our bodies is a sense of real health and wellness. Big arms and big butts aren’t necessarily true pictures of what health looks like.

So what is the ideal body type? In the end, it comes down to finding your own best body. What an authentic body is will be different for each of us, but I’m pretty sure it has little to do with a big butt or ripped abs.

You’ll Also Enjoy:

• 144lbs: Why Female Athletes Should Toss the Scale and Get a New Perspective
• Why the Scale Lies About Your Health (And Where to Find the Truth)
• 6 Daily Practices for Learning to Love Your Body and Yourself
• What’s New on Breaking Muscle Today

References:

1. Helen McCormack, “The shape of things to wear: scientists identify how women’s figures have changed in 50 years,” The Independent; November 2005.

2. Brian Alexander, “Ideal to real: What the ‘perfect’ body really looks like for men and women, ” Today; May, 2014

3. Abby Lerner, “This Fitness Pro Gained 14 Pounds and She’s Never Felt Better,” Greatist, May 2014.

Photo 1 courtesy of Shutterstock.

Photos 2-4 courtesy of CrossFit Empirical.

The post The Real “Ideal” Body Type Is Up to You appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

1. Hugs Are Awesome (And Good For Your Health, Too) (Traver H. Boehm)

Increasing pleasure, decreasing stress, increasing human bonding, and all the while decreasing the risk of common heart ailments – sign me up please! Hugs are awesome.

2. The Get Up: Why It’s My Favorite Exercise (Andrew Read)

The get up has been around since the time of strongmen and for good reason. It develops strength, balance, flexibility, and more. It’s also how I found the RKC and it changed my body – and my life.

3. Using the Kettlebell to Build Strength Endurance (Andrew Read)

The best way to train for endurance with kettlebells looks as lot like the Westside Barbell protocol from Louie Simmons. Here the idea is explained and sample workouts outlined.

4. Size Doesn’t Matter – But Your Technique Does (For Running, That Is) (Stephanie Case)

The size of your glutes doesn’t matter, but your running technique sure does. Experienced ultrarunner Stephanie Case gives her top five tips on how to run better, further, and faster.

5. The 17 Commandments of Rowing – My Journey From Hate to Happiness (Becca Borawski)

I used to hate rowing, but then I actually learned how to do it properly…and I fell in love. Read these 17 tips on how to become a more efficient and happier rower.

6. The Peripheral Teammate (Danette “Dizzle” Rivera)

You don’t actually have to be a competitor to be a true teammate. I have found strength in being the “peripheral teammate” and I know what I do makes a difference for my team at CrossFit LA.

7. Study Suggests Eating Blueberries May Prevent Exercise-Induced Muscle Soreness (Joshua Wortman)

New research examines the relationship between exercise-induced muscle soreness and blueberries. Science says blueberries can help you recover faster after your workouts. Find out how!

The post Sunday Seven: The Week’s 7 Most Popular Articles, Vol. 9 appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

New research in the Asian Journal of Sports Medicine, studies the impact of sun salutations on strength, endurance, and body composition. Researchers examined 49 males and 30 females, who performed 24 cycles of sun salutations, 6 days per week for 24 weeks. Upper body muscle strength was assessed using a bench press 1 Rep Max and a shoulder pressing exercise. Back and leg muscles were tested using muscle dynamometry. Researchers evaluated general body endurance a using push-up and sit-up test, and body composition was assessed using bioelectric impedance analysis.

Research Results: 

• Muscle strength by bench press showed significant increase in males (29.49 to 36.12) and females (10.5 to 13.16).
• Strength in the shoulder press also increased in males (22.96 to 26.53), and females (6.83 to 8.83).
• Endurance by push-ups and sit-ups showed a similar increase in males (19.0to 21.98) and (24.92 to 29.84) and in females (14.66 to 18.56) and (13.16 to 19.23).
• A significant decrease was noted in the tested body fat percentages, but this was only noted in the female group (27.68 to 25.76). ***BMI also significantly decreased in both the groups.

This new research indicates that the practice of sun salutations may have the potential of improving strength, endurance and body composition. Athletes and fitness enthusiasts should consider taking a yoga class and adding sun salutations to augment their sport activities and workouts.

The post Sun Salutations Effective in Improving Strength, Endurance, and Body Composition appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

New research in the Medical Science Monitor, examined the role of optimism on corresponding positive health behaviors in athletes.

Having an optimistic attitude can be essential for an athlete in competition and training. An athlete with optimism will train hard and push through the rough spots, and refuse to give up despite obstacles and losses.

New research in the Medical Science Monitor, examined the role of optimism on corresponding positive health behaviors in athletes.

One hundred forty seven females and 385 males, who were currently in a training season for athletic competition were examined for this study. A control group was also assessed consisting of 262 females and 435 male non-athletes.

Researchers examined the athletes’ nutrition habits, preventive health behaviors, positive attitude, and health practices on two different questionnaires; the “OP” Attitude Questionnaire and the Juczynski Health Behavior Inventory.

Research Results:

Overall, researchers found that athletes displayed greater levels of optimism, which appeared to influence their positive health behaviors.

The post Athletes Healthier and More Optimistic appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Make a List of intentions -not wants and needs 

“I desire to . . . Ask yourself are these focused, realistic, positive, and healthy intentions? Ask yourself what I am doing to align myself with these intentions?

Align Yourself with Positive Opportunities

Positive Opportunities allow you to move toward your intentions, goals, and passions. Spend time with positive people who share similar goals. Network in your community and allow yourself to open up to opportunities that facilitate your intentions.

Clear out the Old

Clear out old habits, behaviors, and patterns of thinking. This is a critical step in setting new intentions. The New Year is a perfect time to let go and declutter your life to facilitate change. What negative thoughts are you done with? What patterns of thinking do you wish to stop? Think of this as streamlining your life, and keeping only what aligns with your intentions, goals, and passions. What environments or people are bogging you down or sucking your energy?

Express Gratitude

Gratitude is often left out of the process of goal setting. However, when you are setting an intention gratitude is a key component. Being kind, thankful, and appreciative, will allow you to move towards your intention.

Be Responsible

You are responsible for yourself and the energy you bring into any environment. Take accountability for yourself and your actions. Contemplate the areas that you do well and examine the areas of your life that you need to improve.

Use this accompanying meditation practice to go deeper.

New Year: New You Meditation

Make a list of 5 intentions –not wants and needs.

“I desire to . . .”

Are these intentions focused, realistic, positive, and healthy?

Ask yourself, what I am doing to align myself with these intentions?

Find a comfortable seat and close the eyes.

Visualize a few intentions that you have set. If you feel overwhelmed just pick one intention for this practice.

While the mind is focused, try to keep the breath smooth and even.

Visualize yourself aligning with opportunities to realize these intentions.

Stay with smooth and even deep breathing.

Begin to visualize yourself realizing these goals. What does it feel like, look like, and smell like. Take in all the sensory information that is available.

Stay with smooth and even deep breathing for 5-10 minutes. 

The post New Year, New You: Set a New Intention For The New Year in 5 Simple Steps appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Researchers divided the subjects into three different groups. The first group included all the participants in the study, the second group included subjects who attended the yoga classes and also practiced yoga regularly, the third group included students only practiced the yoga class, but no other exercise program. Spinal measurements were taken before and after the yoga intervention, which included the antero-posterior curvature of the spine, thoracic kyphosis, and lumbar lordosis angles.

Researchers found that after only 15 weeks of yoga there was a significant decrease in thoracic kyphosis angles and lumbar lordosis angles of the spine. Researchers noted that 50-62% of subjects were found to have corrected angular values of thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis when compared to the measurements taken before the start of classes, which were at 40-45%. Researchers noted that women tended to experience more significant differences in the measurements than men. Overall, researchers assert that that the shaping of the antero-posterior curvature of the spine and posture can be effected by the addition of a regular yoga practice.

The post Yoga Effective at Changing the Antero-Posterior Curvature of The Spine appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Researchers examined 7 coaching behaviors including; physical training, mental preparation, goal setting, technical skills, competition strategies, personal rapport and negative personal rapport. They also assessed four different types of anxiety including; total anxiety, somatic anxiety, concentration disruption, and worry.

Researchers concluded that coaches and athletes with negative personal rapport, had significant increases in athlete anxiety. Overall, negative rapport between coach and athletes was determined to be a contributor to athlete anxiety. It is also important to note that positive behavior and rapport between athlete and coach aided in reducing athlete anxieties.

The post Coaching Rapport and Anxiety in Athletes appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

1. The Gift of Fear, by Gavin de Becker:

de Becker distills his years of experience as a personal safety and threat assessment expert into a resource to help everyday citizens suss out, defuse and, ideally, avoid potentially dangerous encounters or relationships. In the book, de Becker encourages readers to tune into and act on their intuition, and he shows that logic and evidence actually support these intuitions, just not necessarily on a conscious level.

How does this relate to our fitness? Tapping into that intuition requires us to know ourselves intimately and to keep our own counsel. What works for someone else (e.g., training schedule, amount of weight on the bar, diet) won’t necessarily work for us, and we must do what’s right for us, even if that is different from what others are doing, and even if the reasons for our decisions are not readily apparent.

2. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

In this book, Gladwell explores the question of how experts become experts. He argues that innate ability and hard work (fueled by the 10,000 hours rule, which states that expertise in a given domain, such as playing a musical instrument or computer programming, requires roughly 10,000 hours of practice to achieve) only partly explain how some people achieve pinnacles of success in their chosen fields. He suggests that community, culture, and opportunities also play a vital role.

How does this relate to our fitness? First, there’s something to be said for surrounding ourselves with the best resources if we want to see results, so we should do our research when making choices about facility, coaches and the like. Second, while we may not all have access to the same opportunities, we can still capitalize on the ones that cross our paths, and recognize the role of other people, as well as the role of serendipity, in our experiences. And finally, of course, we can work hard!

3. Finding Your Own North Star, by Martha Beck

This is probably best described as a self-help book, but it is so much more. Harvard-educated Beck provides self help with a big helping of levity on the side. She is a life coach who has counseled many clients in identifying the steps they can take to realize a happier, more fulfilling life. She describes the change cycle everyone goes through when they experience a major life change, either because of an uncontrollable external force or an internal yearning, and she also offers the funniest account of a photocopy shop that you’re ever likely to read.

How does this relate to our fitness? Making changes in our lives can have a domino effect with some unforeseen byproducts, in terms of how we feel about ourselves and how we navigate our relationships. Beck’s observations, rooted in her work with hundreds of clients, can help readers steel themselves for the unexpected.

4. How to Be Happy, Dammit! A Cynic’s Guide to Spiritual Happiness, by Karen Salmansohn

Salmansohn’s book is a brightly illustrated, highly accessible treatment of the existentialist crisis: Why are we here and how can we make the best of it? Combining relevant philosophy, research, and pithy commentary, How to Be Happy, Dammit! makes it possible to consider stopping to eat the roses, even if you get your dander up at the idea of too much woo-woo tree hugging.

How does this relate to our fitness? The book can reassure even the most seasoned curmudgeon that increased optimism does not automatically translate into foolhardiness, CAN translate into increased resolve to meet fitness goals, and doesn’t preclude us from wearing our cranky pants every now and then.

5. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Okay, this one may be the hardest sell in terms of its relationship to fitness. A beloved science fiction novel about an interplanetary war between a futuristic Earth and a race of insect-like aliens nicknamed the Buggers, Ender’s Game chronicles the experience of the protagonist, Ender Wiggin, as he leads an elite army in battle against this foe. The twist: Ender and his crew are 6-9 years old.

How does this relate to our fitness? Sometimes it can feel lonely and like we have the weight of the world on our shoulders when we are working toward fitness goals, especially if we are hitting plateaus or feel like we’re taking steps backwards. Maybe we’re not six-year-olds tasked with saving the Earth, but we’re working toward change, and that can be daunting, especially in light of the competing expectations of our social networks.

So there you have five books that have nothing to do with fitness that actually have quite a bit to do with fitness. You could argue that I just wanted to take this opportunity to write about some of my favorite books—and you wouldn’t be completely wrong. But one of the reasons they are some of my favorites is because they are engaging on a variety of levels; they have a message that speaks to multiple aspects of the human condition. Truthfully, you can probably apply the message in most books, movies, or encounters with another person to your fitness goals. If we allow it to, fitness can engage us mind, body, and spirit. The point is to look for the lesson every day and use it to help us perform a little bit better.

The post Five Books That Have Nothing to Do with Fitness – That Have a Lot to Do with Fitness appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

After four weeks of mindful meditation researchers found there was a significant decrease in levels of salivary cortisol, and there was a significant increase in shooting performance scores. It is also important to note that the test group of elite shooters evaluated in the study, still demonstrated the positive effects of the mindfulness meditation and the competitive performance improvements at the six-month follow up. Alternative therapies including meditation should be included in any sports training program to enhance and increase mood, performance, concentration and lower stress levels.

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