Scientific Benefits of Visualization for Athletes
Вставка
- Опубліковано 2 лют 2019
- In this video, I explain 8 science based benefits of visualization for athletes. I also explain how some of the best athletes in the world (Conor McGregor, Michael Phelps and Alex Honnold) use visualization to improve sports performance.
Transcript:
Our brains can not tell the difference between an actual physical event and the vivid visualization of that same event. A reason for this is that when we experience something and when we visualize that same thing, we activate similar brain circuits.
Because of this, visualizing desirable outcomes helps boost confidence, motivate ourselves, improve focus, practice movement sequences, increase strength, decrease reaction times, rewire our brains and make epigenetic changes in our bodies. These things along with your training all complement and reinforce each other to improve performance and help you achieve your goals.
In terms of increasing focus and decreasing reaction times, a study of 200 Martial artists found that visualization and self talk reduced reaction times from 0.737 seconds to 0.659 seconds on average, roughly 10%. Although this may not seem like much, this is often the difference between winning or losing. An explanation for how why this happens is rooted in a part of our brain called the Reticular Activating System. The RAS acts as a filter. Out of all the information coming to our senses from the environment, it selects what will be noticed and given attention to by the conscious mind. By practicing visualization, you can prime your RAS to help you notice and focus on important information during your competitions.
In terms of practicing movement sequences, a Harvard study found that research subjects who mentally practiced a simple, five-finger piano exercise for two hours a day for five days made the same brain changes as the subjects who physically practiced the same activities, but without ever lifting a finger.
Remarkably, visualization can also increase strength.
In a study of 30 people over a 12-week period, some regularly exercised their little fingers, while others just imagined doing the same thing. While the group that actually did the physical exercises increased the strength of their little fingers by 53 percent, the group that only imagined doing the same thing also increased the strength of their little fingers-by 35 percent.
In a similar experiment, ten volunteers each imagined flexing one of their biceps as hard as they could five times a week. In a few weeks, they increased their bicep muscle strength by 13.5 percent, and they maintained the gain for three months after the training stopped.
The key takeaway from this video is that there are countless benefits to visualizing, and you would be at a disadvantage if you did not make use of them. In a future video, I will be explaining the specifics of how to visualize like an elite level athlete. Subscribe to the channel to be notified when that video comes out and to receive the best mental strategies for elite performance.
Sources:
Video clips from: The Body Coach, Nike Commercial, UFC, Conor McGregor Notorious film, The North Face, CNBC, Michael Phelp's book and Alex Honnold's book.
Music: No Copyright Sounds on UA-cam - Спорт
Go on. Keep making videos like these.We really need this type of knowledge.
What going on in the front of my eyes is what is going on inside my head.
With our head
We create our reality.
Please please make more of such videos and techniques. Its needed🙌🏻
Great stuff! You have a new subscriber and I will watch the rest of your videos
Simply awesome content. Needed this as a reaffirmation of how awesome visualisation really is with some examples of success using it. It can take time to get it right but it's crucial. It's like you're experiencing these growth situations time and time again. They're normal, familiar, comfortable which means, so are you.
Nice job! Thanks!
Keep with your great job👍👍👍 your videos are so quality and helpful ❤️
This is so amazing to me. Thank you for sharing.
Great content 🤜
Fantastic videos thank you, I am using these with my A level PE group
Really good vid bro
great studies sited - welldone!
Awesome...great examples :))
Thank you :)
Hello Dear❤️
I need to watch every week to keep inspired, motivated and remember what others have done.
Love to see more inspirational videos like this -Continue MAKING IT videos on VISUALIZATION YOU are GREAT- Thanks!
Visualization Techniques, I'm watching everyday videos to learn a deeper and deeper way.
I never comment on videos or send email.
This message is written from a heart ❤️❤️❤️. LOVE YOU, BRO, ❤️
Thank you, Sandeep. I responded to your email :) More videos coming soon. Although visualization is an effective strategy, it must be simultaneously used with daily action towards your goals :)
I do mental laps days leading up to a race, talking myself through what I’m doing, for example a lap at Sebring would be:
“Approaching turn 1, wait for the end of the wall to turn in, wait, wait, now turn and downshift. Back to power, feel it out for turn 2, brake at the 2 cone and 2 downshifts. Use the brake release to help the car rotate to get a good setup for 3, drive it in hard before arcing it in for 4. Wait for the 3 1/2 cone for turn in at 5, wait for it, wait, wait, wait, brake downshift and arc it in for 5. Don’t be too early with your apex, use all of that curb. Back to power mid corner and through the first set of esses. Turn 7 coming up, wait for the 2 marker, push 2 1/2 if possible. Wait for it, brake at 2 and off the brake quickly before turn in. Back to power before apex, let it track out just a bit and flat out to 8. Straight shot into 8, quick brake at the 2 1/2, push for the 1 mark if possible, Apex early to have enough space to track out. Flat through the 2 left handers before the second esses, light brake at the 2 1/2, back to power at if not a bit before the apex. Track out a good bit, down shift once and light brake before turn in for 16 before the long back straight. Wait for the 2 for turn in, wait, wait, wait, wait, 2 marker, turn in and brake at the flag stand. Back to power just before the bridge, be lined up with the blue mark on it. Stay inside for a bit before tracking out for the front straight.
Rinse and repeat
Love the detail! Have you worked with a sport psychologist in the past?
Athlete Equanimity the manager of the team I’m with in F4 US Championship competition was a racer in the USF2000 series a few years ago, he is now also a coach, I owe almost everything technique wise (like the specifics of running mental laps and applying those changes to real life) and on-track competitive mindset (which like every sport is once that helmet is on, screw everyone out here and take them down) from him.
@@robtorres_racing so, in your visualization "training", you visualize from your minds eye, don't you? Thank you
@@profoundcontender4696 It certainly is a form of mental training, and yes you go by memory of the track layout. It’s a simple thing that can help minutes before getting in the car.
They actually proved positive visualization hurts you by making you feel too confident and you end up under-preforming. In the same study, they also proven that if you do negative visualization, as in you visualize yourself failing, you have better chances to actually succeed because you're going to give it your best in fear of not being successful and your negative visualizations coming true. So they concluded the best practice which brings the best results is to visualize yourself doing the WORK.
1995yuda Could you send the study, i’d like to check it out. I know one of the best Sport Psychologist in the world (Michael Gervais) likes to do 85% positive visual imagery, 15% negative
@@masteryblueprint_ Love the fact you're interested in contradicting information. I'm gonna subscribe to your channel because of this. Here's a link for the science behind my claims : www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-blame-game/201205/throw-away-your-vision-board-0
*Can't wait to see the updated version of this video ;)*
@@1995yuda I briefly touched on that in my other visual imagery video (that it is also beneficial to visualize yourself overcoming obstacles) but I didn't go too in depth about it. I have read Gabriele Oettingen's Rethinking Positive Thinking - it was a great read. I plan to do a video summary of it in the future
@@masteryblueprint_ It makes sense. It helps being prepared for failure and it makes it easier to bounce back I guess.
@@masteryblueprint_ Nonsense. Every time I visualized losing or failing, I failed. Every time I visualized ANYTHING negative, I attracted that negativity. This isn’t only science, this is MY life experience with testing this stuff for many years! Also most teachers support positive visualizations since like attracts like. Dr. Joe Dispenza is the best when it comes to this and if you want REAL SCIENCE with REAL RESULTS, I suggest you go DEEP into researching his work and his hundreds if not thousands of successful testimonials of people who cured so called “incurable” diseases, manifested tons of money, opportunities, blind people seeing again, deaf people hearing again, people getting out of wheelchairs, etc! JUST from practicing his meditations and using POSITIVE VISUALIZATIONS and FEELING AS IF THEIR IMAGINED ACT WERE REAL PERSISTENTLY and seeing themselves as healthy or wealthy or walking again! They had to retire their old personalities which CREATED their damaged personal realities!!! And Dr. Joe Dispenza has REAL science and evidence and actual COUNTLESS testimonials on his UA-cam channel AND events to support his work! So yeah, I’ll take that over negative visualization nonsense any day!!!
Great video
GREAT!
This is really important
thank you!
Thanks 👍
I was letting go of belief systems, this is perfect. Visualization can do anything, it doesn't get you stuck in theologies limited mind Stuff basically.
AWESOME
thanks
I don't know if this is unrelated, but Im insane at arm wrestling even tho I'm not that big, I imagine the force in my wrist as a jet engine, and when I need that boost of strength, I visualize and feel the massive boost of fire and power and it feels like I can draw out waaaay more strength, I can't figure out if this is actually what's happening or if it's just in my head though
Interesting. Psychologically, I would assume that is a combination of being highly motivated and focused. Perhaps your visualization (intention) allows you to recruit a large proportion of your motor fibers.
Physically, it is also possible to be strong without being big.
@@masteryblueprint_ My thoughts exactly! Really curious about it, hence my viewing of this video
Nice
Can you please make a video to watch before tryouts ? I have 5 or so coming up this year and it would be so helpful
Nice voice you have I ❤it this voice.
Important notes:
1. I do not think visual imagery (visualization) directly causes epigenetic effects. As far as I can tell from Joe Dispenza's books, the epigenetic effects he has observed seem to be a byproduct of lowering people's stress levels and achieving high energy states of consciousness through a combination of meditation and visual imagery. If it is the case that visual imagery can lead to epigenetic effects, I'm not sure how relevant this would be for improving sports performance.
2. I don't think the strength gains from the research I mentioned in the video are very relevant for elite athletes. I believe the strength gains are a by-product of neural adaptations that make movement patterns more efficient. Since high level athletes already have very efficient movement patterns, I doubt this would have a strong effect/improvement on their performance.
That being said, there is solid research suggesting that visual imagery can increase self-efficacy (confidence) and motivation (which can help improve performance).
I will make an updated video in the future where I'll go into detail on what the research suggests is relevant to improving performance. I will also make a video dissecting and diving deeper into some of the ideas in this video to highlight some of the mistakes I made.
Keep in mind that I'm constantly learning. Sometimes (as in the case in this video) I realize that my knowledge on the topic was insufficient and that I need to do more and better research to give more accurate information.
Ok :)
Ok :)
@@siddhantx740 Ok :)
This is insane dude and I have Anphanstasia
Pineal gland first eye spiritual self
Thank you thank you thank you thank you 🌹🌻🌹🌻🌹🌻🌹🌻🌹🌻🌹🌻🌹🌻🌹
Thanks. Interesting video. Dispenza's book is amaizing, isn't it? I'm also very inspired by his teachings.
Yes, very interesting. I'm not sure what to think of his interpretation of quantum mechanics and space-time (seems kinda out there to me). Most, if not all, theoretical physicists would take issue with the claim that our consciousness can collapse the electron wave function (the idea of the "law of attraction" where you simply think something into existence). That is incompatible with what we understand about the laws of physics, so I don't agree with that. In my opinion, the reason some people see results when adhering to a program that preaches the "law of attraction" is simply due to a shift in what they pay attention to and an increase in confidence and motivation.
I think that part about epigenetics is interesting - I would love to see some research on the topic. If his claims about the extraordinary recoveries in his workshops are true, then he may be on to something.
The reasoning process is interesting:
- Research suggests that our genes can turn on and off in different environments.
- The theory behind why visual imagery is an effective strategy is based on the idea that our brain cannot tell the difference between what we imagine and what we experience.
- Therefore, Joe's line of reasoning that you can vividly imagine yourself in a situation or moving an injured body part to elicit epigenetic effects is interesting and may be worth exploring.
That being said, it is important to be skeptical. Ultimately, Joe is selling himself and his workshop, so his claims may be exaggerated. Would love to see some independent research conducted in his workshops
@@masteryblueprint_
I can imagine that some theoretical physicists would take issue with the claim that consciosness can collapse the electron wave function. Research and datas can help to understand or explain these proceses more but also self experience gives us feedback. I personally think that there are physics (quantum and othere out of this world) we are not able at the moment to measure witb our cureent te chnology or even with our level of thinking.
Anyway. Thanks for your youtube channel. Inspiring. Well explained. I will check it regulary.
@@masteryblueprint_ And yes. I also think that visual imagery gene expresion and healing are interesting and worth researching.
ua-cam.com/video/koWqhfwQMOU/v-deo.html
Here is n interview with Dispenza. Im not sying it is the answer for theoretical physicists but they are tlking here about beings and experiences which none of physicists would propably agree with but somehow it all is happening in someones reality and it affects it.
@@mateuszczyzewski3616 Thanks for sharing, will check it out tomorrow :)
Sportsman like boxer do go for off training for a month after every 3 months of training?
Where can I find the studies?
Could someone please cite the research about the athletes and their reaction time?
Shoot, I should have saved them and put them in description of the video. Will do so in future. I remember the study was published on the AASP Journal. It was about mixed martial artists. Good luck searching
Yes, nothing new about the power of the technique. However how to visualize is the million dólar question. Do i see my self performing or I am performing seeing the action with my mind's eye? Do I see as a third person, or do I visualize With my mind's eye?
Research suggest that neither is better than the other. Both work
what is the background music?
ill see if I can find it for you later
I wanna visualise me doing a specific technique Eg:passing for soccer if I practice passing in my head and I go practice that movement will I learn it faster and is this how ppl who are considered talented practice??
Yes. Over and over again
@@profoundcontender4696 hey man I did this I visualised and now I’ve become better than I thought I could and what’s funny is I didn’t even realise I improved but my friends are telling meI have. Visualising made it easier for me and motivated me, thanks man
@@hlogilehlogonolo5438 how many times did you visualize man. And for how long.
@@improvementology4011over, and over, and over again, and again, and again.
Do you suggest visualize in 3rd person or first person?
Probably whatever is easier or more natural for you
1st
How can I start sleeping early it's hard for me
I think it would be unethical for me to recommend anything beyond exercise, progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, meditation, yoga, avoiding screens before sleeping, warm baths, and going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. Also, you may find value in checking out Mathew Walker’s content. Good luck.
4:35 wtf! So they didn't even train? Only visualized? Or what
i guess i wanna use it for jiu jitsu 😁
Some athletes do meditations too, like jon jones
Is Joe Dispenza a good reference?
Undecided. I think visual imagery and meditation stuff is good. Quantum physics stuff is a bit pseudo
chrs boy
How can i improve mental illness
speak to a professional - one who studied cognitive behavioral therapy
Jesus is the truth…
Conor's visualization was successful Untill the day Khabib choked him