I Will Survive!

Are human beings really wired for performance, or are we wired for survival? Based on the fact that such a small percentage of the population would be considered high-level performers, I'd suggest we're more wired for survival (not my own observation- there are others who'd agree). We have primitive reflexes that are driven towards protecting ourselves. Think of what happens when something scares us, or an object is careening towards us. The chin drops to our chest and shoulders elevate towards the ears to protect the neck. The chest collapses and arms flex around the chest and head to protect the heart, lungs, and head. The abdominals tighten to protect the internal organs. If we're seated,the legs will flex up to also protect the mid-section. All of this happens as a split second reflex. We don't train ourselves for that, "just in case."

Taking this concept further, wouldn't we be able to get more out of our training if we took this approach- making our bodies more injury resistant by restoring mobility, improving movement patterns and coordination, and strengthening our bodies in functional positions and ranges that we exist in throughout the day? The brain is the ultimate governor, and will only allow us enough access to our bodies to protect ourselves but not enough to cause injury.

For example, if one doesn't have very good balance and agility, would you think that person would be able to run very fast down the street? Chances are, probably not. We might say- "That's because that person is not in shape or not athletic." And we'd be correct- partially. But, could it also be that because that person is not in a survival situation, that person's brain wouldn't allow him/her to go faster than he/she has the ability to stop from? If you think about how most true injuries occur (not just pain- that may or may not be an injury- more on that in a later post!), it's usually caused by an external force or a movement that occurred so quickly, the brain didn't have time to stop you from doing it.

Confusing and deep? I agree. It's a very different paradigm shift from our typical performance-driven training. Could it be that "releasing the brakes" would give us the most benefit and better results than trying to improve a higher level skill that we don't yet have the ability to master?

Radiolab (by NPR)recently published an interesting pod cast series on limits of the body, brain, and science. The first, "Limits of the Body" is very interesting. It contains stories of various endurance athletes who pushed their bodies to the limit. All show the power the brain has over the body, how much the body is actually capable of, and how strong the survival instinct truly is. If you have 30 minutes, it's definitely worth listening to!