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Sleep is one of the biggest contributors to your overall health and wellbeing. It can improve your mood, and increase your brain function. Unfortunately, getting a proper night’s sleep is not as easy as one might think.

There are many factors that may contribute to unrestful sleep or no sleep at all. It can be due to stress, an underlying health condition, or even an extensive to-do list that keeps you awake far longer than you should be. Let’s consider what can actually be causing you a lack of sleep and what you can change to get better sleep.

Sleep and Your Mental Health

At the end of each day, your sleeping brain will process the information from the day and create memories. It will also clear plaque-forming amyloid and tau proteins. These are associated with Alzheimer’s. When your sleep is disrupted, it can affect your stress hormones and that can make it more difficult to regulate your emotions. Mental health illnesses such as depression and anxiety have been attributed to sleep issues. Lack of sleep is not the cause of these illnesses but it does make the symptoms worse in some cases.

Underlying Health Concerns

Restless sleep and insomnia can have causes that are not obvious to those who suffer from chronic sleep problems. Two of the most common underlying health concerns are restless leg syndrome and night leg cramps.

Restless leg syndrome is the worst at night, which is what leads to its correlation with sleeplessness. It is essentially an overwhelming urge to move your leg.

Leg cramps, also known as a charley horse, are extremely painful. They often rouse people out of sleep from the pain. The pain happens when you get a muscle cramp in your leg from contracting muscles in your thigh, foot, or calf. You will need to massage or stretch it away. This interruption can cause less restful sleep or a lack of sleep.

What Is Healthy Sleep?

Your circadian rhythm is what controls your sleep and wake schedules. It is your internal clock. It draws influence from the environment around you and sends signals to your brain. Your body has four biological rhythms and the circadian rhythm is one.

Cells in your brain intake light or its absence and send signals when it is time to sleep and time to wake. This can be especially difficult for night-shift or overnight workers. Hormones like cortisol and melatonin play a role in your circadian rhythm along with your body temperature and metabolism.

Age and lifestyle choices also play a role in your natural circadian rhythm. Work hours, travel, stress, meditations, mental conditions, physical activity, and other factors will also change the way your body processes information and forms a sleep schedule.

You may also have a sleep disorder or other health condition that can disrupt the natural sleep cycle your body craves.

The Benefits of Good Sleep

Brain cells are very sensitive to the environment and when there is not a healthy environment it can interfere with nerve function and even damage cells in the brain. According to Healthline, the REM phase of sleep helps the part of our brain that controls learning, emotional wellbeing, and memory. During this phase, we are dreaming.

If you are not getting the proper sleep, your chances of developing dementia may increase so it is best to get into a healthy sleep routine.

You can also suffer from diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, and trouble managing your weight. Mentally, you may suffer poor memory, depression, and anxiety. Improving your sleep can help to decrease the chances of having these issues.

Tips for Better Sleep

There are a few things you can do to improve your sleep and avoid disturbances to your natural sleep rhythm.

1. Sleep hygiene: Control the environment in your bedroom. Make it comfortable, free of clutter, quiet, and as dark as possible.

2. Bright light: Lights can have a heavy impact on your sleep health so it is best to turn everything off before getting ready for bed.

3. Avoid caffeine: Coffee and other caffeinated beverages can have a major impact on your sleep. Make sure all of the caffeine has made it through your system before you go to bed.

4. Alcohol and sleep don’t mix: Alcohol can lead to broken sleep and it is best to avoid it close to bedtime.

5. Sleep aids don’t work: These can be addictive and should not be used regularly. They can help for a short period of time but are not meant for long-term use.

6. Large meals and bedtime: Your body needs time to process meals and if you have a large meal before bed this can disturb your sleep.

You should also only use your bed for sleeping and not other activities like movies and eating. Other activities can trick your body into thinking that the bed is meant for more than sleeping. If you exercise, make sure it is not too close to your bedtime as this can energize you and keep you up later.

Get Better Sleep Now

Sleep is often put on the back burner as some people think that they must use every moment of every day to be productive. What people do not realize is that lack of sleep can lead to more serious health concerns down the line. Use our tips to get a better sleep today.

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When you see athletes and how they perform so beautifully in front of everyone, you would most likely think that they have it all together. The truth is that they don’t. Many things can put athletes off their game if they are not careful. Some of these issues are trivial, while some can affect the results of a match. As an athlete, you need to understand some specific tips for you to give your best performance. That said, this article highlights below six tips athletes should know before they start a competition.

1. Detoxing Is Essential

If you check the internet now, you will notice that many athletes don’t participate in events because they fail a drug test or two. It’s daily news that athletes take standard drug tests to ascertain their readiness to participate in matches and races. If the officials find out that an athlete uses performance-enhancing drugs or other hard drugs, they can stop participating.

If you take performance-enhancing drugs then the risk of getting caught is high, and it could ruin your career. It can also provide the body with many adverse health effects. That said, if you just recently quit taking performance-enhancing drugs or other hard drugs, traces of the drug are still bound to be in your system. To help solve that, you can more speedily remove the lingering effects of drugs or other toxins by going through detoxification. One  example of a supplement for this is magnum detox pills. These pills can significantly help with the detoxification process. These pills often offer detoxification and removal of all toxins from your body in the lead up to competition. You can find magnum detox pills for sale in various stores around you and online.

2. Never Skip Warm-ups and Pregame Routines

A warm-up is the most important thing for any athlete to experience. Without warming up, your muscles tend to either stay tense or not ready enough. The best way you can warm up is to create a pregame routine. Don’t try to copy the pregame routine and warm-up sessions of any other person. Do what feels like a good warm-up to you, as everyone’s body is unique.

Start with the pregame routines. It could involve listening to music, watching some comedy shorts, reviewing your strategy, and so on. As stated earlier, try not to copy anyone else’s pregame traditions, as this can make you even tenser and unsure of yourself.

Next, perform your warm-up routine. Many studies state that warming up helps relieve stress and anxiety before a match and helps your muscles prepare for the intense workout.

3. Motivate Yourself

Motivation is something that a lot of people want, but not many people have. Motivation is often the reason for them winning or losing a match. Without adequate motivation, it can be pretty tricky for you to get anything done.

The people that are constantly motivated have a strategy they use to remain that way. The best ways to stay motivated are to regularly review your goals and progress and surround yourself with positive people. Think about all you’ve achieved, and this would give you the confidence you need. Also, surrounding yourself with like minds who are positive has enormous benefits to both your mental health and athletic performance.  

4. Relieve Yourself of Stress

Stress is a feeling that can prevent you from attaining success. Admittedly, this is a feeling that everyone feels at specific points in time. However, what’s not advisable is holding on to this stress and letting it control your performance. To that end, it's best to try as much as possible to relieve yourself of stress before the big event. You can try deep breathing, positive affirmations or practicing mindfulness to keep stress at bay.

5. Learn to Take Care of Your Mental Health

People have never taken mental health as seriously as now. Incredibly, a lot of people understand the impact of mental health on their general livelihood. Athletes are one of the most affected by mental health issues due to facing pressure on a regular basis. That’s why it’s crucial as an athlete to take care of your mental health before starting a match.

Sports psychologists and top athletes often recommend using visualization techniques to increase the chances of positive outcomes in games. You can also book an appointment with a mental health consultant, and they will help you figure out the best ways to calm yourself and eliminate anxiety before you start competition. If you do this, your chances of success increase ten-fold.

6. Don’t Beat Yourself Up

Don’t beat yourself because you don’t win every game or get the first position at every race. It happens. Rather than beating yourself up, try to figure out ways to do better and revisit your strategies to see if they’re still effective. If they’re not, make sure to develop new ways to train to achieve massive success!

Final Thoughts

Being an athlete comes with its perks and downsides. The constant pressure you get from everyone around you to be the best is often overwhelming. Luckily, the above are six helpful tips you can use to stay in control and perform beautifully in the match, race, or event.

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Setting fitness goals is a personal process that requires a lot of thought and consideration. The plans you decide to work towards will depend on your lifestyle, the time you have available to dedicate to it, and what motivates you. Regardless of the goal you are setting, some steps can help ensure you're effective in seeing them through. With these four tips, you'll get an idea of how to set your fitness goals and achieve them!

1. Start With a Plan

They say that failure to plan is planning to fail. This couldn't be more true when it comes to setting fitness goals! Planning is essential — without a plan of how you want things done, what your priorities are, and the deadlines you need to meet, there's no way of knowing whether or not you're on track for success.

Therefore, once you have all your goals in mind, please sit down and write out the steps you need to take to achieve each of them. It's also crucial that your plan is realistic. If it's not something you feel like you can do, there is no point in writing it!

However, don't go too easy on yourself. Strive to push yourself. Believing in yourself makes it easier to commit and stick to your fitness goals.

Another important thing to keep in mind when setting out to achieve a goal is that sometimes things don't go according to plan. You might not meet all of your deadlines or forget something along the way. Sometimes you may be set back by an injury. But this doesn't have to discourage you or make you quit. Begin from where you left off, and if you have an injury or suffering from chronic pain, then visit a physiotherapy specialist like the best orthopedic doctor in Dubai to get back into tip-top condition.

2. Measure Your Progress

Another essential thing to do on your journey is to keep track of your progress. This will allow you to stay on track with what you are trying to achieve and motivate you when things get tough. You can measure your success in many ways. These include:

Tracking Your Measurements

Taking your measurements is a great way to see the effects that your training has on your body. Besides, measuring yourself against where you started can be highly satisfying and motivating.

Taking Progress Photos

Another excellent way to measure your progress is by taking photos of your progress. You can do this by taking a photo of yourself before you start and then comparing it to photos taken throughout the process. This way, you see how much better you look and how far along you are with your goals.

Taking the Clothes Test

One thing that doesn't lie is the fit of your clothes. If you notice that they are getting tighter, it might be a sign that it's time to step up your training and lose some weight if necessary. On the other hand, if your clothes fit looser, you are more than likely making good progress. So try on all your outfits before you begin your fitness journey as a way to measure where you're in meeting your fitness goals.

Journaling

Keeping regular journals of your training and diet plans is also a great way to help you stay on track. A journal works as a great reminder of what you've already accomplished, and it also provides valuable information about where you still need improvement.

3. Hire a Fitness Trainer

If your goals seem too far out of reach, consider hiring a personal trainer. They can help you set goals and achieve them much faster than going at it alone; having someone to motivate you in the right direction will make all the difference when it comes time to cross that finish line.

However, ensure the trainer fits in with what you want out of this whole process so that it will be fun! You don't want someone who is going to try and change your goals. What you need is support to help you achieve your goals. Lastly, ensure that they are qualified and know what they're doing! Do not waste money on someone who doesn't know how to train you properly.

4. Reward Yourself

Rewards are also crucial to your success. Treat yourself when you finish a goal, whether to attend the gym for 30 days in a row or lose those last five pounds. After all of your hard work and dedication, earning that reward will feel so satisfying. Besides, it will motivate you to work on even more milestones in your fitness journey.

Wrapping Up

Deciding to start a fitness journey is the easy part. Staying on track and achieving your goals is a whole different ball game. However, by consistently following these tips and tricks, you will achieve your goals in no time!

However, allow room for error. Sometimes, as much as you want to stick with your goals, life will get in the way. That's okay. Start where you left off, keep working towards your goals, and don't quit no matter what!

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eSports players have become part of a gigantic billion-dollar industry. Nearly a half-century has passed since Atari released its ping pong-inspired arcade game Pong in 1972. Today the gaming industry continues to expand. The Pew Research Center reported that 90% of American teens play games on a computer, console, or cellphone. In recent years, eSports has exploded in popularity. It combines elements of traditional video games and spectator sports. In fact, such multiplayer online gaming shares similarities to sports betting, gaming, and streaming. Gamification is another example, which includes using motivational techniques to provide engaging training and learning experiences, leading to improved outcomes and increased knowledge retention. The growing popularity of professional eSports as a global phenomenon is symbolic of video games becoming more mainstream in everyday life. Here we'll cover the factors behind the exploding success of gaming.

What Makes eSports Incredibly Popular?

The history of eSports dates back to 1972 at a Stanford University event that featured the vintage Spacewar! game. Fast forward to the 2000s. Video games and online gaming continue to be popular among adults and kids. Internet cafes started popping up everywhere, allowing video game players to play multiplayer games on high powered PCs.

Today, eSports is no longer just a hobby to pass the time on the couch as they are considered competitive and lucrative professions. Here is a break-down of 6 factors that have helped eSports skyrocket to astronomical growth and popularity.

1. Similarity to Traditional Sports

eSports is built on competition like other sporting events, including football and basketball. It’s pretty common for people to become fans of a particular eSport or eSport player. Watching competitive gaming events has become a global phenomenon.

eSports spectators can enjoy high-level gaming through online platforms like YouTube and Twitch. The competitions often offer easy accessibility and free viewing. Superfans can even enjoy 24/7 video streaming.

Like traditional sports, eSports provides interesting stories for big competitions. In addition, like other sports, trades and rivalries are common eSports elements. These events can also include narratives about underdogs who make a run to take the title. This phenomenon includes new players who challenge long-term favorites.  

Due to the similarities with traditional sports, eSports’ recent popularity isn’t surprising.

2. High-Quality Games

Video game quality has significantly risen in past decades. Video game technology has evolved tremendously since the Magnavox Odyssey, Atari 2600, and Nintendo Entertainment System consoles.  Video game graphics, in particular, have become much more realistic due in part to innovations like 3D and virtual reality (VR).

This situation makes eSports games easier to watch and play. There’s less chance of players developing eye strain or severe headaches from pixelated graphics. Elements like augmented reality (AR) can help convert the physical world, so players feel like they’re inside the game. Pokemon GO is one of many examples.  

3. High Accessibility and Inclusiveness

Another reason for eSports’ popularity is how accessible video games have become. People can become gamers with a computer, console or mobile device, and some games. People can play video games any time of the day. This factor differs from many other sports where a field, gym, or rink closes at night.

eSports also doesn’t require a lot of equipment or space to play. In fact, if people have a smartphone, they can easily download a mobile game onto their handset. Another accessibility feature of gaming is they don’t typically need a lot of athletic ability to achieve success.

This situation differs from traditional sports that require players to have certain physical features like size, strength, and speed. In contrast, a gamer’s physique doesn’t indicate their gaming skills. The person simply has to pick up a console controller or computer mouse and play the game. Fans can also watch eSports easily through video-sharing platforms. They just need a steady internet connection to watch live gaming events.

4. Video Games Can Be Addicting

Video games’ addicting quality is one of the main reasons people keep playing them. It’s essential to maintain a healthy balance that combines gaming and non-gaming recreational activities. Gaming, however, can drive players to reach new levels, unlock new weapons, and beat the competition.  

The highly competitive nature of video games helps to explain eSports’ popularity. Some people keep playing every day to become elite players.

Another aspect that explains the popularity of competitive gaming is the support gamers receive from their fans. It’s worth noting that too much gaming may lead to various mental health problems such as video game addiction.

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) defines internet gaming disorder (IGD) as a disorder that might cause several of these effects over 12 months:

● Withdrawal

● Loss or educational or career opportunities

● Loss of control

● Gaming to escape

● Gaming preoccupation

● Less Interest in other activities

● Downplaying use

Researchers continue to study IGD and possible treatments. Options could include educational programs, stricter game packaging labels, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and support groups.  

5. Legitimate Career Opportunities

Gaming not only can be fun and relaxing but also a way to make money. If people want to go pro, it’s relatively easier in eSports versus traditional sports.  

Here’s why. People don’t need the physical characteristics often required in sports like physical strength, speed, and agility. This factor doesn’t mean that becoming a pro gamer is easy. Candidates still need to train hard and do their homework.

That said, one reason eSports has surged in popularity is that the option to become a professional gamer is more practical than becoming an NFL, NBA, or MLB athlete, for example. Many people often consider competitive gaming to be a legitimate career path. Kids, teens, and adults throughout the world dream of becoming professional eSports gamers.

6. Gaming Is a Social Activity

Research shows that gaming might provide various cognitive benefits, including:

Improved Memory – A 2020 Spanish study showed that playing Super Mario 64 triggered brain regions connected to memory.

Better Attention – A 2018 Chinese study showed that playing League of Legends for one hour seemed to improve the gamers’ attention.

Problem-Solving Skills – Video games like Minecraft may improve people’s ability to find solutions to real-world problems. More research is needed, though.

Better Mood – The 2020 Spanish study combined video games with a US-approved treatment known as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for mood disorders.

The social benefits of gaming are an oft-forgotten aspect, which adds to their popularity. eSports allow gamers to play against friends, relatives, and strangers. Gaming becomes a collaborative experience in which they can learn, share, and improve.

Online gaming trended in the 2000s and allowed people throughout the world to play games like Tetris Battle, Farm World, and Restaurant City. This era helped to make gaming a more social experience compared to one-player console games, for example.  

Another key social aspect of eSports games is that many are team-based. This feature allows gamers to compete with teammates against other teams. In this scenario, eSports becomes a more social experience since players can’t win without their team. They’ll also need skills like communication and coordination. People must literally be team players to achieve success on eSports teams. That’s not all. In many cases, they’ll need to collaborate with others to achieve success in the social sport.

The Bottom Line

eSports has evolved from its humble beginning in the 1970s into a billion-dollar industry. Competitive gaming has earned a huge fan base throughout the world. In-person and online events like tournaments have also attracted big brands. It’s highly likely eSports will continue to grow substantially in the next few years. Games and sports seem to be the perfect combination.

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With increasing stress and managing daily struggles and life of professional and private spheres, the need for a healthier stress response has become manifold. It has also become difficult for people to manage stress amongst the many already existing problems. However, you do not need to worry anymore. With the habits mentioned below, you will be able to manage your stress more healthily and positively.

1. Live Healthily

Undoubtedly, living a healthy life comes as a foremost habit to discuss while talking about a healthier stress response. If one lives a healthy life, his/her stress response will be highly influenced, and the person will be able to adopt healthier levels of responding to stress. Living a healthy lifestyle includes exercising regularly, eating healthy food, getting optimum levels of sleep, avoiding drinking and smoking, etc.

2. CBD

Instead of taking artificial supplements, try to adopt habits of taking supplements made from natural ingredients. CBD is one such natural and healthy supplement. Not only will it help you reduce stress and anxiety, but it can also help you get relief from various types of pains and negative symptoms due to an illness or an allergy. CBD is completely healthy to take without any side effects. It can cause you great health benefits. You can get products like CBD edible gummies online so it’s an easy way to order products while sitting at your home.

3. Physical Activity

One should increase physical activity in their daily routine as physical activity has been shown to positively reduce stress and anxiety levels. It helps regulate one’s hormones in an optimum manner and reduces the negative effects of stress that are caused to the body. To increase your physical activity, you can try walking fast or taking a light jog around your park or other such natural environments to help you keep calm and peaceful.

4. Positive Thinking

Thinking negatively about a situation or keeping negative feelings towards other people is only bound to cause negativity to oneself. Instead of thinking negatively about others, one should adopt positive thinking and remain positive for reducing stress in all situations. Looking at the bright side of the situation is a good way to start thinking positively. One should take challenges as an opportunity for growth and development.

5. Have Fun and Relax

Instead of coming under pressure from your responsibilities, try and relax. Do activities that relax you and make you have fun. Spending time with loved ones can significantly improve your stress response while causing you happiness. Setting a particular amount of time is also a great way to think about yourself positively and see yourself in a new light. Include a fun activity that you love to do in your daily schedule.

6. Identify the Causes

Adopting habits that can lead to you identifying the cause of the stress is very important. This can be achieved by asking questions like; What makes you feel stressed? What can you do to get away from it? What can you do to overcome it? How do you feel physically and emotionally? Is the situation making you uncomfortable? Answering these questions will immensely help you in identifying stress and providing a healthy stress response.

7. Avoid Stress

To achieve a healthier stress response, it is most important for you to avoid stress. It is easier said than done, but one should keep trying to avoid all types of negativity. Staying away from people who cause you stress is necessary. One should also avoid being polite in talking about topics or situations that make one uncomfortable and stressed. People must maintain a healthy mental being.

8. Take Charge

One should avoid getting into situations that they are uncomfortable with. Taking charge is one of the healthiest habits one can adopt. Taking charge of yourself and your situation will help you look at things positively, but it will also help you respond to a stressful situation healthily. This will help you deal with situations and people you are not getting positive vibes from.

To Sum Up

These are some ways through which you can attain a healthier stress response. Gone are the days where worrying about the stress caused strain and tension itself. By adopting the healthy habits mentioned above and taking them seriously, one can achieve great new levels of managing stress and keep positive mental health. Amidst all physical and social health problems, one should prioritize mental health to stay a positive and healthy life.

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Athletes know the importance of a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrient aid. At the same time, physical fitness is an integral part of their lives, even recovery and regeneration matter. If you’re an athlete, you must focus on getting proper sleep and rest before starting another training session. Sleep is an essential phenomenon that induces recovery and regeneration in your body. Also, it might help in healing the injured muscle fibers and provide faster gains. You get to experience higher energy levels, adequate stamina, and endurance after a good night’s sleep.

Sleep & Athletic Performance

Every person requires proper rest to function as well as keep the vital organs intact. When it comes to sportspersons, the need to restore energy increases up to a great extent. This is because your muscle fibers and cells undergo healing during sleeping hours. It allows your heart to rest and slows down the metabolic processes. Not to forget, the immune cells release inflammatory cytokines that curb the signs of inflammation in your body.

Such processes contribute to better stamina, increase endurance and might improve sports performance. As an athlete, you must target the ideal hours of sleep to function better and excel in your fitness goals.

How Much Sleep Do Athletes Need?

While normal people need around 7 to 8 hours of sleep daily, athletes may require more. Research shows that to feel the benefits of sleep, athletes generally report needing 8.3 hours of sleep to feel rested, but typically only manage 6.7 hours of sleep. Constant physical activity and workouts are likely to drain you throughout the day, and require optimal sleep in order to recover efficiently. Also, poor sleep affects your energy levels, may cause micro-injuries, and reduce your stamina. Most athletes should aim to significantly increase their number hours of sleep on a daily basis - sports science studies show that getting more than 8 hours per night reduces the risks of sustaining sports injuries.

That way, you recover from the previous muscle damage and achieve the required stamina. Take an afternoon nap or go to bed an hour early to meet your daily recovery demands. If you find it difficult to initiate sleep, you can always opt for CBD oil for insomnia and sleeplessness.

Importance Of Sleep

Sleep is a physiological phenomenon that governs the recovery processes and maintains vital functions. If you’re an athlete, the need to take adequate rest increases twofold. During the sleeping hours, the immune pathways initiate healing, maintain heart health, and slow down oxidative damage. Further, it can boost your performance and reduce the adverse effects of exercise on your mental health. You are likely to stay happier, healthier, and more energetic with proper rest and rejuvenation.

1. Improves Cardiac Functions

For strenuous exercises, you need a well-functioning and healthy cardiological system. Resting hours ensure proper healing of the cardiac muscles and maintain the required cardiac output. Also, your body releases certain chemicals that maintain the heart's functions and improve circulation. Ideal rest time reduces the risk of developing stroke, emboli, and other issues related to the circulatory system. Hence, you need to aim for at least 8 to 9 hours of sleep. It helps modify the heart functions according to the demand of the body and workout intensity.

2. Curbs Inflammation

Did you know that the resting hours initiate anti-inflammatory activity in your vital organs? While resting, your immune system releases specific inflammatory mediators that sense the inflammatory responses in your body. Also, the mediators may reduce the inflammation and its after-effects on your body. Lack of sleep can cause the inflammatory processes to pile up in your body.

As the levels of inflammation increase, you may experience poor sports performance. It affects heart health, slows down recovery, and predisposes you to physical injuries. Try to hit the target duration of sleep and counter the signs of inflammation arising from the injured regions.

3. Controls Mental Health

Did you know that adequate sleep also has specific cognitive roles to play in your body? Cognition depends upon sleeping habits and your mental health. Further, proper sleep is likely to improve your cognition, uplift your mood, and reduce the chances of mental issues. It takes a toll on the stress hormones like cortisol and enhances the release of feel-good hormones. As your mental health improves, you may not experience physical issues like headaches, myalgia, or soreness. Make sure to get adequate rest before starting the day for maximum efficiency.

Sleep Hygiene For Athletes

If you’re unable to sleep throughout the night, you can try the tips and tricks to enhance your sleep hygiene. It involves the habits that enhance your quality of sleep and promote the duration. Also, the tips work well for athletes in need of adequate rest and regeneration. Try to avoid caffeinated drinks before bedtime and reduce your screen time as well. Along with this, you must follow a definite sleep routine and adhere to the timings. Keep the bedroom dark, cool, and dry for a rejuvenating bedtime routine. Not to forget, then you can try herbal aids for a restful, refreshing, and peaceful sleep.

Takeaways

Sleep is one of the essential aspects that govern your stamina, endurance, and ability to cope with stressors. If you’re an athlete, the need to achieve proper rest increases. You must follow a strict sleep routine and avoid caffeinated beverages before bedtime. Also, adequate sleep increases your cognitive functions, boosts mental health, and enhances athletic performance. You must get your hands on reliable sleep aids in the form of herbs and tinctures to support the sleep cycle. With the proper sleep routine and nutrition, you can excel in physical activities and improve your stamina.

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The Olympics represents the embodiment of human excellence through sport. Whether it's through exceptional speed, strength, stamina, skill or mental grit, modern Olympians push the vanguards of human performance. Here we'll cover the top 5 most demanding Olympic sports that test very the limits of what it means to have lightning fast reactions.

1. Badminton

Badminton, or Battledore as it was originally called, is our surprise sport topping the list – and for good reason. If asked what’s the fastest moving human-powered projectile in sports, most people would opt for a hockey puck or golf ball. Believe it or not, the world’s best badminton players can smash a shuttle cock or ‘birdie’ close to half of the speed of sound! And this sport tops the world record speed charts by a considerable margin.

• Badminton – 493 km/h.

• Golf – 339.6 km/h.

• Jai Alai – 302 km/h.

• Squash – 281.6 km/h.

• Tennis – 263.4 km/h.

• Hockey – 183.7 km/h.

• Baseball – 174.0 km/h.

• Cricket – 161.3 km/h.

Perceiving and predicting a shuttlecock's trajectory and then getting a racket to an object moving at those kinds of velocities, truly demands lightning-fast reactions. Enough said!

2. Track and Field 100m

From Jesse Owens through to Usain Bolt, this sub 10 second sprint has hosted many of the most famous track and field legends to ever grace the sport. Maybe it’s because it’s the shortest lasting event in the Games, but this race consistently produces the most iconic moments in the modern Olympics. Not convinced, then check out this video of the top 10 most exciting 100m races in history.

Nothing elicits the drama and tension around a single sports reaction as the start of 100m final of the Olympic Games. Entire stadiums fall to an eerie silence in anticipation of the start gun firing.

The importance of a fast reaction out of the blocks is epitomized by the IOC’s dramatic 2010 rule change to punish false starts with immediate disqualification. Until that year false starts were becoming increasingly common in big races, due to sprinters trying to effectively predict, rather than react, to the firing of the gun. This leveraged a miniscule but very real winning advantage.

3. 50m and 100m Freestyle Swimming

This year’s 50m freestyle swimming finals included new Olympic records in both the men’s and women’s finals. But it was the 100m men’s freestyle final which showed just how much fast reactions of the blocks count in terms of medal positions. As we reported in our last blog, the difference between gold and silver was a mere 0.06 seconds – less than one sixth of the time it takes to blink!

Maybe it’s because elite swimmers push the very boundaries of human performance, but aquatic sprints at the world-class level consistently produce extremely close finishes. An analysis of the Rio 2016 Games revealed that changing race time results by just 0.1 second would have caused 30 medals to have changed hands.

It's the reason why professional swimmers undergo intensive periods of drill training to hone their off-the-block reactions. Even though this typically produces improved dive reactions of just 0.03 seconds or less, hundredths of seconds literally make or break dreams in big finals.

4. Taekwondo

In combat sports across the board, reacting to rapidly dodge incoming punches or kicks is half of the battle. Elite Mixed Martials Arts coach Dr. Velasquez sums it up succinctly,

Literally just one blink at the wrong time, and you got hit!

A mere fraction of second response time can mean the very real difference between being conscious or unconscious. Taekwondo developed out of 2,000 years of martial arts on the Korean peninsula, becoming the dominant form of weaponless fighting skill. Today it’s practiced by a whopping 80 million people in more than 200 countries. One of the world's most popular sports, it has been an official event in the Olympics since the Sydney 2000 games.

Compared to other combat sports, high-speed reflexes are particularly essential for success in Taekwondo competitions. Striking attacks involve moving the minimum amount of body mass necessary, in order to accelerate kicks and punches as quickly and effectively as humanly possible. Occasionally this involves blisteringly fast roundhouse kicks to an opponent’s head to land knockout blows.

Naturally then, these athletes need to be faster then their opponents attacks to be able to compete. German sports scientists showed that Taekwondo athletes not only move speedily and efficiently, but that their visual perceptions are exceptionally acute at detecting body movements at the precise moment an attack is first initiated.

5. Tennis

Although long rallies in tennis can demand as many as 50 quick reactions in succession, it’s the infamous serve where the limits of human perception and reaction are truly tested.

The most powerful serves in the game can propel the ball in excess of 160mph. That’s just a number, but this virtual 1st person video from the receiving end shows just how little time there is to respond.

The window for reactions is so small that it is impossible to react quickly enough in the traditional sense of response time. This is because converting conscious visual perception of ball velocity and trajectory into nerve signals to execute motor function responses on these timescales, is simply beyond human ability.

For this reason, tennis players have to develop the ability to read subtle movement cues in their opponents serve action. This effectively allows them to predict where the ball will be and start moving into position before it actually leaves the racket. It’s a sport where inexperienced players, no matter how fast their reactions are, simply can’t compete with the pros.

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Mastering the proper regime for your health and overall performance can be a difficult task. Neither is it easy for athletes, as they are constantly revamping up their training. However, we know that not every size fits all; likewise, not every method and training suits everybody. Each person differs in their requirements. With so many alternatives, deciding what will be the most productive use of your time as an athlete might be difficult.

It's all about enhancing your physical strength, responsiveness, and mental toughness on the field regarding athletic exercise. Food is also an important component that contributes to overall athletic performance. If you want your body to function and perform at its best in athletics, you must consume enough food and train consistently. Here is a list of realistic strategies for taking your training to the next level. Read on, to know more.

1. Consume High-Quality Food

Whole foods are high in vitamins, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory chemicals, are easily digestible, and include no artificial substances. Food-derived energy helps to reduce inflammation, battles sickness and enhances speed and agility through physical exercise. You won't perform at your best if you don't get the nutrition you need. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds are all beneficial to your health. While it is true that athletes stick to a stringent diet, they still need to consume the required food.

Simple carbohydrates, sugars, and lipids often interchange for complex carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Raw foods have the maximum concentration of nutrients and enzymes, which power your body's processes. Another crucial supplement is omega-3 fatty acids. It helps to repair inflammation and other major illnesses.

2. Supplement with CBD

CBD or Cannabidiol is more in use than we think. It can act as a pain reliever, stress reliever, mood booster and provides significant health advantages - all without the euphoric effects of marijuana. Additional clinical and non-clinical communities, including athletes, have become interested in its therapeutic effects of late. CBD may have various physiological, biochemical, and psychological impacts that prove helpful for athletes. Since it is a natural derivative and only has less than 0.3 percent THC, it is labeled as a safe go-to for maximizing athletes' performance.

Athletes can consume it by vaping, ingesting it via edibles, or applying it straight to their skin. The recent move of the National Football League and NFL Players Association in endorsing and researching the potential of cannabis and its components like CBD as a pain and rehabilitation management solutions bears testament to the belief that marijuana is not just a "high inducing substance". They invest equally in knowing how cannabis consumption affects athletic performance in general. One can opt for CBD-infused supplements like from Weed Smart Online Dispensary to accelerate biological recovery and aid relaxation after high-powered athletic performances.

3. Use Functional Exercises

It is critical to have the proper training for the right sport to hone athletic abilities. Goblet squats, deadlifts, Olympic lifts, split squats, and variation isolation exercises are functional exercises. Its goal is not just to improve movement but also to reduce the risk of injury. Functional exercises are a must-do in gyms strictly. You will help your body perform better as a whole by training numerous muscle groups simultaneously.

4. Optimally Hydrate

Water plays crucial roles in the human body, including controlling blood volume and regulating body temperature. It is vital to drink fluid during exercise to replace fluid lost through sweat, and the volume of liquid ingested should correspond to the amount of water lost through sweat. Physical and mental performance both suffer as dehydration progresses. Overhydration, on the other hand, can be a concern.

Hyponatremia (low salt levels in the blood) can result from excessive hydration during exercise. It can cause headaches, disorientation, and, in severe cases, coma or death. However, it is not so common. Dehydration is a common issue that hampers athletic performance. Different sports present different hydration issues. The volume and timing of fluid vary depending on the individual's needs and preferences and the sport's standards and policies.

Hydrogen infused water is also a new hydration modality that some sports professionals are adopting. Aside from medical and therapeutic benefits being discovered in the latest research, it's it also showing it's value as a healthy and more effective performance liquid than high-sugar sports drinks.

5. Add Balanced Supplements

Athletes use supplements, particularly professional athletes, to improve endurance/strength, improve shear strength, raise fitness levels, and achieve exercise goals more quickly. Beet juice, betaine, branched-chain amino acid, caffeine, creatine, glutamine, iron, protein, and sodium bicarbonate are trending. Athletes of both genders use similar supplements, with women taking more iron and males consuming more vitamin E, protein, and creatine.

Supplements give you the vitamins and minerals you need to keep all of your body's processes running smoothly. Multivitamins are widely accessible at most supermarkets. They can provide you a suitable dosage of vitamins A, C, D, E, B12, and other nutrients. They also contain essential minerals like iron, calcium, zinc, and magnesium. You can also take supplements to enhance performance but make sure always to consult an expert first.  Source: Pixabay

The Bottom Line

These are a few tried and tested methods to help athletes grow and perform exceptionally on their field and the personal quarters of their lives. It is pertinent for professional and aspiring athletes to follow a strict regime for efficient athletic performance. Follow the strategies above for a holistic approach to maximizing one's potential in the field. Whether you're an athlete, trainer, or gym owner, using these tips as the cornerstone of your training strategy will generate considerable benefits.

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Kids play video games for fun and enjoyment. Young as they are, they usually do not care about the effects of this hobby on their cognitive and social development. Even some teens or young adults may not be aware of the pros and cons that video gaming can have on both their life and their brain. Here we will cover what scientific research shows on whether gaming is actually more beneficial or harmful for our body's most important organ.

Popular Opinion

According to the Pew Research Center(1), video gaming is popular among teens, especially teenage boys. More than 84% of teens in the United States have a game console or have access to one with reliable connectivity.

At least six in ten respondent-parents (62%) believe that video games do not affect their kids; 13% of them say that video gaming has a negative influence on their children; 19% claim that it has a positive influence, and; 5% assume that video games have some positive and negative influence, depending on the game(2).

However, the given research data may not be conclusive, and this topic still deserves a thorough discussion to see a clearer picture. Notably, young and adult players must know whether video gaming has more benefits than harm, or vice versa, by analyzing how gaming impacts cognitive processes.

Video Gaming Can Affect the Brain

There is scientific evidence that shows video gaming can affect the brain and even cause changes in various brain regions(3).

Kuhn et al., 2019, on the effects of computer gaming on cognition, brain structure, and function, concluded that video gaming has a beneficial impact on cognition reflected in brain structure and function.

However, they clarified that cognition is just one aspect. Other possible consequences of video gaming on social, emotional, and physical well-being are significant as well(4).

Researchers from the University of Arkansas also observed that expert gamers have more brain activity associated with attention compared to non-experts. They concluded that short periods of video gaming could change brain activity and improve attention skills(5).

Is Video Gaming Good or Bad for the Brain?

Anyone can play video games, but not all players can benefit in the same way as others do. Likewise, the harmful effects of video gaming may vary among different age groups.

Nevertheless, some of the common pros and cons of playing video games include:

Benefits of Video Gaming

Here are 4 ways in which gamers can benefit from this kind of cognitive activity.

1. Video Games May Reverse Negative Effects of Brain Aging

Scientists from the University of California(6) reported that the use of video games designed to improve cognitive function might reverse some harmful effects of brain aging.

Their research findings revealed that a specially designed 3-D video game, for example, could improve brain performance in healthy older adults.

Participants in their research have undergone 12 hours of training on the game and were given one month to play.

Results showed that players aged 60 to 85 years old showed improved cognitive performance and exceeded that of younger groups in their 20s playing the game for the first time.

The training also enhanced two important cognitive areas, such as working memory and sustained attention.

2. Video Games May Improve Basic Visual Processes

An article published on the University of Rochester’s website stated that playing video games with high levels of action can increase real-world vision(7). According to research, practiced action gamers become 58% better at contrast perception.

Researchers said video games can train the brain to process the existing visual information more efficiently, and the improvements last for months after playing is stopped.

3. Video Games May Enhance Executive Functioning

The ability to solve problems rapidly and efficiently, called executive functioning,  may improve with playing video games(8).

Gaming may also be beneficial for developing multitasking skills, mental flexibility, and can reverse cognitive decline among some age groups(9).

4. Video Games May Improve Everyday Skills

Video gaming has also been found to enhance hand-eye coordination, lengthen attention spans, and boost working memory and rapid decision-making abilities(10).

Video Games May Helps Ease Anxiety and Depression

Another interesting finding is that video games can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Playing Tetris, for example, may ease the symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder(11).

Negative Effects of Video Gaming

On the flipside, here are 4 reasons why gaming can pose risks to wellbeing.

1. Video Games May Cause People to become More Violent

Some researchers have found a correlation between violent video games and an increase in aggressive behavior. This tendency is mainly connected with video games that simulate the use of firearms(12).

2. Video Games May Decrease Player’s Ability to Concentrate

There is also a link found between playing video games and the ability to remain focused. Video gaming may also exacerbate impulsiveness among individuals who have such natural inclination(13).

3. Video Games May Cause Addiction

Youth gamers commonly develop video game addiction. This can affect family and social relationships and can have adverse psychological effects(14).

4. Video Games May Increase Depression and Anxiety

Ironically, video gaming can also cause and worsen depression and anxiety. The younger players are found to be more prone to developing symptoms of depression(15).

Academic Use of Video Games

Another notable thing about video games is that it has a special place in education and research. Farrell et al., 2017, found out the following results in their study on academic uses of video games through a qualitative assessment(16):

● Academic libraries develop collections and services for scholars who use video game connectivity in teaching and research.

● A total of 28 interviewees at the University of Minnesota Libraries used games in research, and 23 used games in teaching.

● Strong disciplinary trends were identified from a variety of information and technology needs.

The findings of the authors are considered essential to encourage the creation of multidisciplinary strategies in developing video game services and collections that are relevant to unique academic communities.

Advice for Video Gamers

Video gaming can help young people develop their creativity, nurture relationships with other people, and become better strategic thinkers.

Playing video games can also build resilience and perseverance to attain goals. Gaming may also help enhance critical thinking and improve communication skills.

Video games popular among kids and teens include:

● Strategy Games

● Simulation Games

● Action Role-Playing Games

● Puzzle Games

● Sports Games

● Action-Adventure Games

Video gaming has become part of younger people’s lives. It can work to their advantage or disadvantage depending on how it affects their behavior and cognitive performance.

Takeaways

There are some positive implications showing that education and career advancement are enhanced through the benefits of playing video games. However, it is also crucial to evaluate how video gaming can impact the brain, affecting the player in aspects of overall wellbeing. Parental guidance among children and teens may be essential to use this technology in constructive ways.

References

1. Pew Research Center, 5 Facts about Americans and Video Games  

2. Pew Research Center, Parents and Games

3. NCBI, PMC, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Effects of Computer Gaming on Cognition, Brain Structure, and Function: A Critical Reflection on Existing Literature

4. NCBI, PMC, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Effects of Computer Gaming on Cognition, Brain Structure, and Function: A Critical Reflection on Existing Literature

5. University of Arkansas, One Hour of Video Gaming Can Can Increase the Brain’s Ability to Focus

6. EurekAlert, Training the Older Brain in 3-D: Video Game Enhances Cognitive Control

7. University of Rochester, Action Video Games Improve Vision

8. Concordia University Texas, Exploring the Pros and Cons of Video Gaming  

9. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute on Aging, Video Games Show Potential in Improving Key Aspects of Memory in Older Adults

10. NCBI, PMC, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, The Virtual Brain: 30 years of Video-Game Play and Cognitive Abilities

11. NCBI, PMC, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Tetris and Word Games Lead to Fewer Intrusive Memories When Applied Several Days after Analogue Trauma

12. Frontiers in Psychology, The Relation of Violent Video Games to Adolescent Aggression: An Examination of Moderated Mediation Effect

13. Journal of Young Investigators, Violent Video Games May Kill Your Short-Term Focus: Violent Video Games May Negatively Affect a Player’s Attention and Concentration on a Short-Term Basis after Brief Exposure

14. IOWA State University, Graduate Theses and Dissertations, The Effect of Video Games on Family Communication and Interaction

15. NCBI, PMC, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Daily Violent Video Game Playing and Depression in Preadolescent Youth

16. College and Research Libraries, Academic Uses of Video Games: A Qualitative Assessment of Research and Teaching Needs at Large Research University

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Neurotechnologies are tools that measure and enhance our cognitive abilities. In recent years their sophistication and effectiveness has increased dramatically, often backed by serious research evidence. This has led to them to be widely adopted in human performance domains like professional sports and elite military performance. But should the benefits be kept to such exclusive groups? The answer is a clear no! As the managing director at Mind Mastery Wellness I see the huge value that neurotech solutions bring to our everyday working lives, particularly for improving corporate wellness. Here I’ll share why this vision is so important, and how we have developed services that get the most out of the synergistic use of multiple neurotechnologies.

The Challenges of the 21st Century Workplace

It’s been estimated that around 56% of Americans work at medium to large size companies. Employees today typically interact in large teams and their roles crossover with many other personnel in a company. This means most people’s work involves relatively complex social networking.  Particularly in the digital age of the 21st century, people’s careers likewise involve a lot of different roles, multitasking, and high demands for information processing.

In addition, larger size companies are typically becoming much more dynamic in terms of how they evolve to rapidly changing marketplaces – competition is fiercer than it has ever been! Accordingly, employees have to be increasingly flexible and adaptive in order to thrive, and the risk of burnout has become officially recognized as a very real threat in the modern workplace. With the remote work challenges of COVID that are new for most employees, this has never been truer. The pandemic will also likely have lasting effects in terms of how most organizations restructure their practices post-COVID.

Why Career Wellness is so Important

According to the Center for American PROGRESS on the topic of work and family life balance of Americans, the US is the most overworked nation in the world. Partly this has been driven by the pervasiveness of digital communications and smartphones reaching outside of the office, with US employees averaging 6 hours of work per weekend.

The key point is that our career activities take up a large chunk of our everyday lives. If performing at work is overtaxing or stressful, it can have major repercussions in both our daily and long term wellbeing. This is why our goal at Mind Mastery Wellness is to help people rise to the demands of their jobs, rather than succumb to them. When we unlock the ability to operate at a higher capacity, not only are our work goals achieved more calmly and effortlessly, but the experience is more enjoyable.

The Cognitive Dimension of Corporate Wellness

Put simply, we believe the key to corporate wellness is utilizing the latest neurotechnologies to assess and enhance people’s cognitive abilities. To help our clients rise to the challenges of any work situation, our approach integrates high-touch coaching experience from our expert trainers with cutting-edge transformational neurotechnologies.

The first step is to understand the mental strengths and weakness of an individual, in relation to the demands of their job. There are now many exceptional cognitive assessments products that have been validated through research. Once we identify a person’s cognitive growth opportunities, we design custom training programs out of our expanding toolbox of neurotechnologies. At a more granular level, we also customize the how each technology is applied to the needs of the individual.

Here are some of the key technologies that we currently use.

NeuroTracker - a highly effective tool for enhancing high-level cognitive functions, including attention, executive function, working memory and processing speed.

Vizual Edge - easily accessible vision training for anyone, through an interactive online platform.

Mind Alive – for improving health, mental functioning, sleep, mood, and cognition.

NeurOptimal - Neurofeedback conditioning to help with focus, sleep, stress, anxiety and performance enhancement.

CogniFit – specific cognitive exercises to precisely measure and train cognitive skills.

Senaptec – for enhancing sensory systems and information processing speeds.

Ryzer – neuropsychological assessment for evaluating 12 essential performance traits in comparison with physical metrics.

Halo Sport – neuroelectric stimulation to increase neuroplasticity and accelerate learning in the motor cortex.

HeartMath – sophisticated heartrate biofeedback correlated with mental state to improve self-awareness and wellbeing.

Dynavision - to evaluate and train perceptual-cognitive motor function reactions and peripheral visual awareness.

Mastering the World of Neurotechnology

The biggest part of the service we provide at Mind Mastery Wellness is developing the know-how of not just how to get the most out of each neurotechnology, but how to combine their use in ways which deliver the optimum edge for each person.

For example, if work or even personal related stress is a primary factor in reducing wellness, Neurofeedback becomes a frontline technology. This is because most people generally aren’t self-aware when it comes to what influences their emotional state on a moment-to-moment basis. It makes it really difficult for anyone to solve underlying causes of stress, unless they can readily perceive the psychological, social, or environmental triggers.

With Neurofeedback we can efficiently train-up these crucial self-awareness skills, which opens up the opportunity to immediately start using self-regulation techniques to minimize or simply avoid stress responses. Then we can move onto training-up cognitive abilities with much greater benefits. The human brain has a staggering amount of potential when we can tap into it through mental conditioning techniques. For example, when applying optimal training methodologies, there is evidence that actual brain neuroplasticity is enhanced, creating increased learning capacities and cognitive flexibility. So the aim is not to give a man a fish, but to teach him how to fish!

When our core cognitive skillsets like executive functions, working memory, attention and processing speed are improved, then we simply become much more better at in key work abilities like mental focus, information processing, self-control, and effective decision-making. These are essential mental skills that affect all areas of our daily performance.

Thriving in a 21st Career

Not surprisingly then, the actual outcomes our clients report from our coaching programs typically include increases their concentration, emotional control, and an overall gain their mental prowess. In turn this improves their sense of job competence, work efficiency, and most importantly, their self-worth and career satisfaction.

There is no doubt that COVID-19 has created many challenges and even tragedies in the businesses world, as well as personal life outside of work – everyone has been impacted. These uncertain times have only made our mission more important, and the services we provide more critical to helping people move forward. Neurotechnologies are still very much in an emergent phase, but they already yield tremendous value when it comes to corporate performance and wellness. For 21st century careers they are now rising to the forefront, as tools that not just allow us to work better, but to be better and thrive.

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The early 2000s came with incredible technological breakthroughs that saw many people have a newfound excitement for what was to come. However, the majority of individuals were wary of these advancements. You see, many people were used to doing things a certain way. With technology, it meant that everyone would have to get out of their comfort zone and do something a bit different to enjoy the incredible benefits technology offers. For most people, especially business owners, this was a daunting realization, but many took the leap, and the benefits far outweigh the cons.

Technological advancement has been on the rise ever since, and one thing remains constant; we’re constantly being pushed out of our comfort zone. But it’s a good thing. Technology doesn’t just influence your social-economic standing; it offers numerous benefits that have made life easier. We look at some of the positive effects of technology in this article.

1. Higher Standards of Security for Organizations

For a long time, password authentication was among the few ways organizations could secure their data. However, hackers become more intelligent as technology advances, and security measures like Aws Key Management service plays an important role in keeping the data safe. One technological advancement that has proven highly effective is Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).

PKI uses Secure Shell to authenticate all logons and all privileged users accordingly. Not to mention, it allows a safer transfer of information and data over clout and the Internet of Things. That’s not all. PKI is also very cost-effective today, considering that there are many outsourcing options. This means that it’s accessible to both large and small-scale organizations. PKI is also government-approved.

2. Safer Management of Money

Technology has also revolutionized how we manage our money. Gone are the days when you’d have to pile up all your receipts to do your taxes or stay on top of your bills. Today, with a few ups and the click of a finger, you can have all your documents in one place, pay your bills and remit your taxes with ease.

Furthermore, you don’t have to carry cash with you. Thanks to mobile money wallets, credit cards, and debit cards, your money is safe in your account, and you can transact with ease. Not to mention, investing and tracking your portfolio is so much easier because you can do it right in the comfort of your home. And if you enjoy tracking your money to see where you’re spending it, expense trackers come in handy for that as well.

3. Fast and Easy Data Retrieval

Before the introduction of technology, losing documents was a huge hassle. You’d have to redo the work again because there were minimal ways of retrieving lost data. This isn’t the case today. Whether you’ve accidentally deleted or altered data, you can easily retrieve it by following a few simple steps or using data retrieval software.

Not to mention, there are numerous ways of keeping your data safe. For example, you can backup your data up in the cloud in case your devices crash or get infected by a virus. If you don't have a backup and your device gets infected, computer experts can still help you retrieve your data as well.

4. Improved and More Effective Advertising Options

Technology has also revolutionized the world of advertising. While traditional advertising methods like TV, newspaper, and billboards are still in use today, numerous advancements have changed how people get their products and services in front of their target audience.

From Social Media Marketing (SMM) to Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and influencer marketing, there’s no shortage of ways for businesses to build and expand their brand. Google Analytics plays an important role in making a change to your marketing strategy. The best thing about most of these advertising options is that they’re affordable, and anyone can take advantage of them.

5. Easier Access to Education

Back in the day, the only way to get an education was to attend a brick-and-mortar school or get homeschooling. This meant that if you wanted to attend a dream school in a different country, you’d have to relocate. With the introduction of online learning and web seminars, students and professionals can benefit from My GRE Exam Preparation online learnings with high-quality training no matter where they are. And for people in low income situations, Kahn's Academy is a nonprofit with the mission to provide a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.

6. Technology Simplifies Everyday Life

While most technology has been made to improve company operations, it also benefits individuals. Outside of business, technology has made our lives simpler in many ways, including:

● Improved transportation

● Elimination of routine chores, e.g., washing machines and dishwashers

● Better connectivity thanks to the Internet of Things. Today, you can connect almost every device in your home to one device and control it wherever you are.

● Better time management thanks to productivity apps.

● Improved health thanks to easy access to fitness routine, biometric devices, and diet management software.

● Easier and cheaper communication with friends and family.

● Increased job opportunities due to the introduction of remote working.

Wrapping Up

Humans are always looking for better ways to improve their lives. Therefore, we expect even more technological advancements in the future that will make out lives even easier. As you embrace technology, keep in mind that it has its downsides. However, if used correctly, the benefits of technology outweigh the cons by far.

If you'd like to learn more about balance your use of technology, then also read this blog.

How Does Technology Affect Your Health and Well-Being?

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The internet is easily accessible with today's advanced forms of digital technology. It means more and more people have started using online platforms to gain information, access entertaining activities like watching shows online on Thoptv pc, or ways to make money. But, it does not negate the fact that overuse can lead to internet and technology addiction. The enticing and attractive features of technology can trap people in their virtual web. If you wish to know more about how today's technology entices us, keeps us hooked, and its downsides, you have come to the right place.

About Digital Technology

Digital technology refers to the tools, resources, devices, and systems used to collect, store and share data or information. While digital technology can promote better connectivity, learning opportunities, automation, and better storage of information, it can also lead to obsessive use of electronic devices. Ultimately, it can result in a real form of addiction.

Many of us have the misconception that using recreational drugs or products derived from cannabis causes addiction. But, edibles from Weedsmart Dispensary can offer benefits to the body when used in the right way. Do you know digital technology causes addiction? Your use of technology over time can make you hooked on them. Many of us have no idea how technology can facilitate addiction. So let’s learn how you can become addicted to the internet or technology.

4 Ways Does Digital Technology Keeps Us Hooked

Why does digital technology feel so enticing and alluring? It is because it fulfills our need for interaction and stimulation both quickly and efficiently. When we experience emotional stress due to work pressure or personal problems, technology offers a way to forget about it, or simply distract ourselves. It feels like a quick and easy fix. Over time, digital technology becomes addictive. How does it happen? Here are some of the ways:

1. By Persuasive Techniques

Digital technologies such as online gaming sites, online shopping platforms, and social media networks use persuasive techniques to encourage people to return to these platforms. These includes the following:

● Scarcity - Persuade quick viewing of temporarily available status or snap purchases

● Social Proof - Encourage viewing of the viral retweet, products, or online articles

● Personalization - Show news feed based on the personal preferences of the viewer

● Reciprocity - Invite more friends for getting reward points

These tactics can make it difficult for you to leave a digital service or product.

Related to this, with the rise in cyber crime it’s very important to have a safe browsing experience. You can add some of the best chrome security extensions for better security before browsing the web.

2. By Triggering Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO)

Most social media platforms tap into the basic need of humans to connect with other people. It offers a sense of belonging. Hence, the FOMO encourages people to remain active on social media or make compulsive purchases. This taps into a psychological factor of loss aversion, scientifically known as Prospect Theory. Behavioral economics research shows this is a powerful driver of behavior, where we typically have much stronger emotional reactions to losing something, versus gaining the same thing.

3. By Encouraging Active Participation

Social media forums and groups encourage active participation with notifications and other features that shed light on other people’s availability and actions. These actions facilitate conversations and instant reactions. The dopamine-inducing environment of social media can trigger a chemical response in the brain. It is similar to the ones produced with the use of recreational drugs like cocaine. By creating a sense of community driven activity, we are more compelled to join in or follow the crowd.

4. By Setting A Trend Of Sharing Information Constantly

Most social networking sites preach that not having any news to share indicates something amiss. The reasons why people share information online include to:

● Try to make other people’s lives better

● Post content to reflect online identity

● Grow and enrich relationships

● Like others to comment on their post

● Wish others to spread ideas posted online

Most social networking sites remind people that they need to post content. For example many people, especially celebrities, use their Twitter handle to give updates on the latest happenings and to become relevant to their followers and friends online. Social media encourages engagement that most people tend to follow instinctively.

The Downside Of Digital Technology Addiction

Getting interested in digital technology is not bad. But, when it starts affecting your life in negative or compulsive ways, it may mean you have a tendency to become addicted to it. Unlike other types of drug addictions, many people ignore digital addiction. Why? Because many of us feel that digital technology makes us aware of things around us. It keeps us up-to-date. But, when someone uses their phone, laptop, or computer uncontrollably or anxiously, it means they have become addicted to it. In some cases, people need professional help to get them out of this specific type of addiction. Technology-related addiction can trigger severe issues similar to some forms of drug addiction. The main problems linked to digital technology addiction are:

● People have more likelihood of suffering from interpersonal and anxiety problems.

● People suffering from technology addiction can develop physical and mental health issues.

● Internet addiction can increase the chances of developing multiple addictions. For example, leading to online gaming, pornography or gambling addictions.

● Technology-related addiction like drug addiction can lead to strained personal relationships.

● People developing internet addiction can develop issues with impulse control and have lower autonomy.

● Teenagers or young adults addicted to technology are more likely to experience stressful life events.

● The risk of making people susceptible to self-harm, and having trouble academically or in careers.

● Spending too much time on the internet can also affect the self-esteem of young people.

The Bottom Line

The rapid developments in 21st century technologies combined with the exponential growth of the internet, pose growing concerns over their addictive nature. It makes both children and adults vulnerable to technology addiction. While there are countless ways that technology is important to us in our daily lives, it's clear that some level of self-control is needed to balance the pros and the cons. Understanding the downsides of digital technology and taking precautions can help you protect yourself or your children from becoming over-dependent. However, if you feel you or your loved ones suffer from serious internet addiction, it's recommended to seek help from a qualified professional. Otherwise the dependency experienced is likely to continue and could lead significant negative life style behaviors impacting your long-term health, career and social relationships.

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The human brain works just as mysteriously as the universe. As with medical science generally, much of the human brain works remains unidentified. The medical world is still, even now, trying to figure out the many ways in which neurons function in the brain. One of the key discoveries in modern neuroscience is that the brain can grow new neurons, known as neurogenesis. This growth of new cells is variable, but there are many ways you can stimulate the brain to produce neurons, and exercise is known as a key way to boost way to neurogenesis. Here we reveal 5 types of physical activities that are great for developing your grey matter.

1. Brain Exercises

If there is a need to boost the number of new brain cells, there is hardly any better way of doing it than exercising the brain directly. Working out is just not confined to the body or physical health, there is lots of evidence that both physical and mental activity aids cognitive health and overall wellbeing.

One of the most potent advantages of intensive brain activity, is that it can stimulate the birth and growth of new cells in the brain. Brain exercises do not always have to include solving complex mathematical problems, remembering chemical formulas, or solving crossword puzzles from crosswordanswers911.net. For example, social interactions are highly demanding from a cognitive perspective. In fact, being socially active actually is one of the strongest predictors of long lifespans. Here are some of the key traits of brain exercises that produce the most benefits.

1. Mentally stimulating – for example, competing in any kind game with a friend.

2. Challenging – achieving something expected to be difficult.

3. Novelty – involving new experiences.

4. Creativity – using imagination and problem solving.

2. Cycling

Psychologists and anthropologists say that the evolutionary origins of a cyclist's brain go back over a million years. When humans transformed from a sedentary ape-lifestyle, the ancestors began to be involved in physically demanding and mentally complex activities. For instance, chasing prey and avoiding threats in the wild.

Cycling is a surprisingly complex activity, which is perhaps why it takes a while to master, but is something you never forget how to do. It stimulates the human brain through perceptual processing and motor coordination demands. Distance cycling or mountain biking is also a great way to discover and experience new places or environments.

Cycling can improve fat hormone levels, known as leptin. Leptin indicates a high amount of energy in the body and helps increase endorphins. It can also boost the number of neurons in the brain and initiate healthy brain cell growth.

3. Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic activity is a powerful way to condition your cardiovascular health. But more recently, medical science is also beginning to see significance in its brain health benefits. Many patients suffering from anxiety, depression, or mental health conditions can practice this form of workout to boost wellness. Aerobics can include lots of different kinds of exercises such as stretching, jumping, sprinting, or just running. These interesting forms of activities help in producing new neurons in the brain.

Scientific researchers have shown that this type of workout can significantly slow the brain aging process or retain brain health. This is the best type of workout option for being practical, as it can be done pretty much anytime, anywhere. Another great benefit of aerobics, is that it improves fitness levels more quickly than other types of exercise. Overall, it helps keep people in good shape and increases blood flow throughout the body.

4. Yoga

Yoga is one of the most ancient forms of physical exercise or health practice. Today, the entire world is aligning to its wonders and gradually uncovering all its benefits. Yoga is one of the unique and rare exercise forms that can benefit the body and the mind.

The human body produces BDNF via a gene that regulates protein substances, which is vital for stimulating the brain cells. This often includes maturation and growth of the brain cells. Yoga can reduce chronic inflammation and contribute to long-term memory. It can also help in maintaining and building a more resilient brain that is better able to cope with stress.

5. Dancing

Last but not least, don't underestimate the power of tapping your toes once in a while. Here are some reasons why dancing involves a cornucopia of physical and mental stimulation.

1. Most obviously it involves enjoying music, which itself has numerous benefits.

2. It can be intensely social, especially when dancing with a partner.

3. It uniquely tests sensory perception, particularly balance, proprioception and motor-skills.

4. It can be highly creative – think Michael Jackson’s moonwalk!

5. Depending on the type of dancing, it can be a great workout.

6. It integrates all the above into a single experience, providing powerful endorphin boosts.

As dancing can boost memory and enhance brain functionality, it can produce new neurons as well. Many researchers state that dance and music have a connection to lowering changes and symptoms of dementia, and can help keep cerebral condition healthy and enhance spatial.

Since dancing needs plenty of coordination and keeping up with the beats and rhythms, it is an excellent exercise for the brain. It is a great way to help you keep in shape and boost your brain health. To make the art of practicing dance daily, you can keep it simple by sticking to your favorite pieces of beats and rhythms.

The Bottom Line

A scientist duo from Sweden and Fred Gage and Peter Eriksson from the US back in 1998 found that humans can grow new brain cells their entire life. It does not stop with the aging. Different human brains have different ways of producing neurons. Boosting neurogenesis can come with a range of benefits, including reducing stress levels, keeping chronic pain away, enhancing mental health conditions, enhancing mood, and more. The exercises we’ve covered aren’t only great for your neurogenesis, but your overall wellness too!

If you’d like to learn about other ways to enhance your neurogenesis, check out this blog.

5 Ways to Boost Your Neurogenesis

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CBD has shaken the health industry by its innumerable and unbelievable benefits. Though it was also used in the past for medicinal purposes, now the legalization has given it a boost to go on. CBD has changed the perspective of how people used to see the cannabis plant. Since CBD can let you enjoy the benefits for your health without getting high, nearly every age person wants to try it. CBD is well known in society for the benefits it has for physical and mental health but do you know that it has cognitive benefits too? Yes! CBD can help you to improve your cognitive abilities. You can get CBD gummies online as well as in offline stores. There are many CBD products like CBD gummies, oil, cream, chocolate, and many more. This piece of writing will be completely focused on the cognitive benefits of CBD which you must know. Let’s explore more about it starting from the base.

What is CBD?

CBD stands for cannabidiol that is extracted from hemp plants. Many people assume hemp and marijuana to be the same but though they belong to the same cannabis family, they have different natures. Hemp consists of low THC chemical which makes it free from any ‘high effect’ THC is mainly responsible for the high sensation. Hence, CBD is a non-psychoactive substance i.e. you will not get high after consuming it.

How Can CBD Work to Improve Cognitive Skills?

Cognitive skills means those skills that the brain uses in order to remember things, react, pay attention, read and learn. CBD can help you to provide you multiple benefits. The answer lies in the fact of how CBD works when it enters the human body. CBD has the ability to interact with the endocannabinoid system (ECS) of the body which regulates the emotions, immune system, and nervous system. By activating ECS by reacting with the cell receptors, it makes the human body come to the normal state. Hence, all your problems vanish. Indirectly, when your mind is calm, you can focus more and remember things without getting irritated.

Effects of CBD on Cognitive Functions of the Body

Promote Neurogenesis

Promoting neurogenesis is a great task. CBD can help to give you a positive impact on your cognitive abilities improvement as research has shown that it can do it. Yes, CBD can help you in order to promote neurogenesis. ‘Neurogenesis’ is the process of the formation or generation of the new neurons, the nervous system cells, in the brain. So One major effect of CBD is the stimulation of neurogenesis. There are two parts in the brain where new neurons are created - the hippocampus and the subventricular zone of lateral ventricles. These two brain regions have dense populations of cannabinoid receptor CB1. When CB1 is activated, neurogenesis stimulation occurs. So CBD boosts the CB1 receptors in multiple ways, promoting neurogenesis.

Improves Memory

CBD can improve your memory too. Don’t be so surprised, CBD is a magical boon of nature that has a number of benefits for giving the perfect touch to your healthy lifestyle. A single CBD dose increases the blood flow to that particular part of the brain which is responsible for memory function, this has been demonstrated in research. In this way, CBD can enhance your cognitive ability to remember things.

Can Help Dementia and Brain Trauma, Patients

CBD can help you if you are suffering from problems like dementia and brain trauma. Both the diseases are associated with the brain and what is the common thing- memory loss. In Alzheimer’s, which is one of the dementia diseases, brain cells get damaged and it directly affects memory. It results in a lack of coordination and memory loss. It can be caused by inflammation or accumulation of free radicals in the brain. CBD can help the patients by reducing its causes because it's a well-known anti-inflammatory agent and antioxidant agent.

In the case of brain trauma, endocannabinoids are released in the body to reduce the trauma’s effect on your brain. CBD, when consumed, has the same effect as the endocannabinoids by interacting with the endocannabinoid system of the body. Hence, it helps the patients to improve their condition and boost memory. As such it can easily be included as part of a broader approach to maintaining wellness in aging.

Improves Focus

CBD can help you to improve your focus. Have you ever stuck in one place unable to give output? Wasting hours and nothing productive? This happens when you lack focus. CBD can improve your focus by giving you relaxation and calmness of mind as well as body. It’s been shown to be effective for reducing symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In addition, it facilitates better memory retention. So CBD can be very effective in improving cognitive processes like attention, working memory, and executive functions.

If you'd like to learn more about the benefits of CBD for the challenges of COVID-19, also check out this blog.

CBD and Coronavirus - 6 Mind-Blowing Facts You Need to Know

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Inspired by the glorious successes of world-beating athletes, most of us can relive memories of spectacular sporting moments as part of our own lives. And through the media we see all the celebrations, the beaming smiles, cries of joy, and the trophy lifting. What we don’t see are the plethora of challenges faced behind the scenes. These are the grueling demands of extreme training in today’s ultra-competitive sports, the pressures being a global celebrity in the digital age, the extreme highs and lows of competing, and the ever-present fear of injury. Here we’ll see why when it comes mental health, athletes aren’t super humans - they’re simply humans like the rest of us.

It’s Tough at the Top

In recent news Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka took a personal stand that raised attention over the mental health of professional athletes. Having struggled with depression and anxiety over public speaking, she refused to conduct interviews with the media after her matches at the French Open. This was based on concerns over her own mental well-being.

In response the tennis authorities fined her and threatened further action, and in return she pulled out of one of the biggest tournaments of the year. On one side, today’s omnipresent media culture expects high-paid athletes to stick to whatever their contract demands. But on the flipside, many fans and athletes sided with Naomi as being 'courageous', perhaps from their own understanding through facing the many challenges of COVID-19.

Steph Curry was one of a number of sports stars who openly supported Naomi in her struggles, tweeting, ‘‘You shouldn’t ever have to make a decision like this - but so damn impressive taking the high road when the powers that be don’t protect their own.’’

Another was Seattle Seahawks star receiver Tyler Lockett, who has spoken about his own struggles with mental health, ‘‘As human beings we have to do better at supporting each other. Mental health is real.’’

A Growing Level of Awareness

In the years prior to COVID-19 there was already a growing movement of athletes from different sports raising awareness that being a professional athlete is not always the dream job people imagine. Here are 4 challenges of sports careers that are starting to change the way we view athletes.

1. Concussions

The most prominent public awareness of concern for athletes came out the long-term health risks of sports concussions. Traditionally a 'ding' to the head was just something most athletes, coaches and fans thought you simply recovered from after a short rest. However, research into Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) showed that repeated head injuries can have severe and life-long repercussions, with a number of sports celebrities committing suicide as a direct cause of the delayed effects of mTBIs.

‍A leading voice in the athletics world is two-time NHL Stanley Cup winner Daniel Carcillo, who talks candidly about the cost of the sport in his own life.

Hockey is a great game, but it’s also a tough game. What I wasn’t ready for was the factors that led me to prolonged depression and even suicidal ideologies, due to the mental health complications derived from my 7 documented concussions. Sleeping until 3pm, experiencing light sensitivity, slurred speech, insomnia, anxiety and depression, are all things I’ve had to face which culminated in life-threatening situations.

2. Pain Management

Outside of concussions, there was also widespread adoption of cannabis medication in the NFL. It use by players is a means to help psychologically and physically manage the pain during recovery from the severe physical punishment the game typically inflicts. Rather than NFL players being treated as pariahs of the sport, medical evidence has recently led the NFL to officially support the use of cannabis, with 11 NFL stars currently operating their own cannabis businesses.

3. The Psychological Impact of Defeat

Regarded as one of the greatest British fighters, former world boxing champion Ricky Hatton had a dramatic rise in success on the world stage, followed by two devastating defeats to American Floyd Mayweather, and Filipino Manny Pacquiao. Hatten later spoke candidly about the mental problems that followed, including alcoholism, drug abuse, depression and suicide attempts. Believing mental health issues are prevalent in the sport today, he is now a dedicated advocate for raising mental health awareness.

If a boxer can come out and say they're struggling and crying every day, it's going to make a huge difference. Having gone through it, I now see it as my job to help those suffering with mental health.

In a recent Netflix documentary legendary tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou took an in-depth look at the bizarre phenomena of world-class tennis players throwing matches, known as 'tanking'. They do so by purposely missing or making bad shots, game after game. He concluded that the fear of being seen and trying, but losing, threatens their self-belief in their own talent and potential. So much so, that they risk their careers and reputations that they have dedicated their lives to. Both coping with failure, and fear of failure are potent psychological factors in the world of professional sports.

4. Media Pressure

Although it varies from country to country according to differences in culture, there is a general public perception that sports stars have things too easy. In the UK in particular, soccer stars are seen as earning unjustly exorbitant salaries, yet this doesn’t apply to anyone who is successful in business.

Ex-professional EPL player Kevin George is the UK’s leading spokesman for the mental health challenges that come with soccer stardom.

We let things happen in football that we wouldn’t let happen anywhere else. In today’s game players are simply labelled by their salary, even by their fans, rather than for who they are in terms of their hearts and minds. Professionals who dedicate their life to their sports career become victims in the media overnight for even the most irrelevant things. Players struggle to view themselves from a human perspective, trapped in a bubble. For some reason there’s a misunderstanding that we don’t need to look after the mental well-being of players. The truth is the opposite.

A New Level of Mental Health Awareness Through COVID-19

It’d be hard to find anyone who hasn’t experienced the many challenges of the pandemic, but at least one upside appears to be how it is revealing the psychological vulnerability of athletes.

Recently released NCAA research during the 2020-21 school year showed that up to 36% of athletes listed COVID-19 health concerns as a factor negatively impacting their mental health. Quarantine periods, combined with COVID testing 3-6 days per week and dealing with the associated pressures of the pandemic has placed a heavy mental toll on many student-athletes. The frequency of self-assessed mental health concerns is twice as high as the prior year, with around a quarter of all college athletes in the study reporting feelings of overwhelming anxiety.

There is also the emotional impact on athletes who have their career goals crushed through cancelled competition events. As Michigan State University Gymnast Lea Mitchell explained, “Personally, it was very sad, because it was my senior year and you work 17-plus years for this moment and for it to be cut short was just heartbreaking.”

The Need for Support

Mary Fry, professor of health, sport & exercise science at Purdue University contextualized COVID mental health research findings, and how they also point to a solution.

For a lot of athletes, this pandemic might be the biggest challenge they've faced in life. We found that those athletes who perceived they were part of a strong, caring team environment reported experiencing greater psychological well-being and support and care from coaches and teammates.

In an effort to enhance the mental wellbeing of NFL players, the Washington Football Team hired psychologist Dr. Barbara Roberts as the team’s first full-time Director of Wellness and Clinical Services. However, she is only fourth full-time clinician with a Ph.D in psychology currently working for the NFL. Once professional teams start to understand their athletes from a wellness perspective, everyone will benefit.

The takeaway? Athletes need to be heard and supported just like everyone else – it’s not about being superhuman, but just human.

Want to delve deeper into the human side of sport? Then also check out this blog.

Understanding the Whole Experience of Football

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COVID-19 has affected various aspects of our lives, including economic, psychological, and emotional health. Most people, especially males, may have developed conditions leading to a loss of confidence and motivation due to retrenchment, uncertainty, and fear of the virus. Their struggles and concerns may be related to protecting their assets and businesses, work, and personal relationships during this pandemic. But we should keep in mind that children are not exempted from the stress and anxiety caused by COVID-19.

Although they only have trivial knowledge of what’s happening globally, children may be affected by changes and troubles in the household. As such parents should be aware of these emotional strains and address them to prevent adverse effects on their mental and physical health. Here are lots of everyday ways you can boost you child's wellness.

10 Tips for Supporting Your Child’s Wellbeing

1. Recognize Emotions

The first step in supporting your child is by recognizing and acknowledging their emotions. Know that they are undergoing stress like you, and they may handle it differently.

During the pandemic, children may feel anxious about what will happen the next day or worried that their family might get infected with COVID.

There are also instances when kids may feel frustrated and sad that they suddenly cannot do activities they used to enjoy, like hanging out with their friends and seeing them face-to-face or going on family trips.

It is vital to assure them that what they feel is normal and that it is okay to talk about it.

2. Set Media Consumption Limits

Being aware of what’s happening around you is good. But too much consumption of news and information about a traumatic event can induce anxiety, especially in children.

In addition to this, their social media consumption may also affect their state of mind regarding the current situation and add to their emotional stress.

Plan activities that involve the whole family. These activities may be done in your backyard or inside your home.

3. Build New Routines

Having a routine may help your children have a better sense of normalcy in their everyday lives. You can retain some of the activities your child enjoys before COVID or incorporate new and creative leisure activities.

These recreations should encourage your kids to participate and be involved in your daily activities as a family.

Introducing new routines at home may soothe their anxieties about the unknown future.

4. Practice Compassion

Everyone is having a difficult time this pandemic, even you, the parents. Help your children understand the importance of sympathy and sensitivity to other people’s feelings.

Be a role model and start by conveying kindness and patience towards your family. A simple text, video call, or compliment can provide comfort and support that your children and family may need.

5. Stay Healthy

Knowing that your child is healthy is one way of easing your anxiety and your kids’. Help them understand that eating healthy and taking vitamins can keep the virus away.

Motivate them to exercise and move around the house to boost their mood and strengthen their body.

6. Implement Positive Discipline

When your kid is acting out their frustrations and stress, try to find other avenues that will keep them busy. Some children act out because they are bored and weary. Encourage them to do creative play by drawing, painting, or making a fort.

Redirect their attention by establishing a simple reward system to reinforce good behavior. Set time-outs to stop them from having tantrums.

7. Pay Attention to Them

Listening to your kids is the first step to understanding them. Make a safe space for your child to express their emotions and thoughts. Make them feel that their feelings are valid and that you relate to them.

Encourage them to speak out and ask questions that are confusing them about this pandemic. Being attentive parents may help them feel secure.

Give them opportunities to talk about their concerns and try to address these issues accordingly.

8. Discuss Their Fears

It is normal for children to be curious and ask questions about what they hear in the news. Try to answer them as honestly as possible.

You can tell them that people are getting sick, but assure them that following the guidelines of frequent hand-washing and staying at home can help them stay healthy.

9. Console Them

Make your children feel supported by comforting them and calming them down.

You can also bring them comfort by spending time with them, and doing activities like:

● Telling them happy stories

● Joining them in doing what interests them

● Assigning them simple household tasks, like cooking and cleaning

● Playing with them

Commending them as much as possible for their strengths, helpfulness, and compassion may also bring them comfort during this stressful time.  

10. Reassure Them

It would be best if you assure your child that they are safe. Give them information that can make them feel safe and secure.

Convince your children that you will do everything to keep them healthy. Feed them positive thoughts and plans that they can look forward to in the future.

Recognizing Distress Among Children

Even though you are spending more time with your children during this pandemic, be extra observant about their behavior.

Children have their way of expressing distress and anxiety. Be mindful of the following behavior in your children:

1. Separation Anxiety

Children may express anxiety by being too clingy and withdrawn from other people and activities. Their reluctance to explore may be a result of fear and worry.

2. Irritability and Tantrums

Kids who are under a lot of stress tend to be more irritable and prone to tantrums. You may notice that they might get scared and cry more quickly, and it may be more challenging to make them stop.

3. Sleeplessness

Pay attention to their sleeping habits as well. They may tend to wake up in the middle of the night and have difficulty falling asleep again.

Potty-trained kids may regress to wetting their bed due to stress.

4. Aggression

Observe and take note of the themes in their play. It may involve death, violence, or illnesses due to what they think is happening during the pandemic.

For adolescents and older children, you may observe the following behaviors:

5. Mood Swings

There may be rapid changes in the mood of your teenage child due to their mixed and confusing emotions about the pandemic. These mood swings may manifest in the form of irritability, hopelessness, and anger.

6. Loss of Interest

Due to the uncertainty brought about by COVID, some kids may lose interest in hobbies they once found enjoyable. These interests may now become tedious and mundane for them. Some kids may even look for riskier activities.

7. Appetite Changes

Your children’s previously healthy eating patterns may change. Some may lose appetite, while some may stress eat and gain weight. These behaviors can be caused by stress and anxiety.

As you can see, the most important things are being aware of your child's behaviors and moods, then taking simple steps that can help them on a daily basis. The last, but not the most obvious thing, is to look after your own wellness - here is a useful blog to checkout.

7 Blogs to Boost Your Wellness

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Motorsports are all about pushing the very limits of man and machine. As a Mercedes AMG F1 Team Leader Engineer since 2013, I know that a huge amount of time, expertise and money are committed to ensure racing cars performance at their best. But for the person inside the car, not so much. Likely a lot of the success of drivers or pilots comes from them nurturing their own talent. As a Formula BMW race driver myself, I've been searching for ways to find an extra gear of motorsports performance. Here I'll cover why the cognitive dimension of racing is so important, and why discovering NeuroTracker has accelerated my career development.

Honing Performance

Achievements in F1 are mostly earned in preparation for racing. Obviously, a lot of work goes into the car, but the driver is the most important part of the car,, and their preparation is paramount. So on top of all my engineering, I actually focus a lot on ways to develop myself as a driver. Aside from physical exercises, this includes things like simulator training, race video review and track performance stats analysis.

There’s a lot to think even before you start a competition, but one thing that is critical is being mentally sharp and on top form when the race begins. If you're not fully prepared, you're not racing!

Discovering the Racing Benefits of NeuroTracker

As I’m a person who’s very interested in personal development, the first time I tried NeuroTracker I was very intrigued. That led me to look into a lot of the sports science research done with elite athletes. The rapid benefits from training told me there was something potentially very useful here. So I jumped right into using it for myself and quickly started to realize that speeds I thought would be impossible for anybody, became surprisingly achievable with training.  That was a great realization.

One of the first things that struck me in terms of the training transferring to the track, was for peripheral vision awareness when you’re trying to maintain situational awareness. Typically, when you have several cars around you, your attention is constantly overloaded. It’s not simply a case keeping an eye on different things, but predicting multiple racing lines and driver behaviors to anticipate overtake opportunities and threats, or to avoid crashing.

With NeuroTracker training I found that I needed to rely less on actually looking at many different things separately. Instead, I could monitor a whole load of things going on at the same time. The upside to this is being able to confidently push myself harder in competition.

NeuroTracker in the Race Simulator

Not many people realize that race drivers regularly push their cars to the limit, but rarely push themselves physically or mentally to the limit, simply because the risks are so high on the track. Using physical dual-tasks like exercise bike to elevate heartrate is one way to allow me to overload myself both mentally and physically to simulate the pressures of the track and develop resilience under fatigue.

Unlike on the track, I can push myself safely to my very limits, and also it really helps that NeuroTracker scores show when you are actually adapting to these kinds of demands.  This concept led me to experiment if I could get more out of my racing simulator and NeuroTracker training by combining them. In the video below I introduce how I integrated the NeuroTracker training directly into my race simulator application.

Taking Things to the Next Level

This approach follows the NeuroTracker dual-task methodology that’s been studied in research, but in this case, the dual-task is the exact same training I would normally do. The goal was principally to push myself beyond the normal limits of simulator training, but it also works the other way with NeuroTracker.

As you can see in the video it’s extremely difficult, which mirrors research done combining NeuroTracker in a jet plane simulator and live flight. This is why I lowered the number of targets tracked, but again I’m adapting quite quickly with training. It’s opened a whole new real estate for self-improvement that’s highly specific to my performance needs.

One way this has impacted a key aspect of my driving skill, is that I now have the confidence to keep my gaze centered around the horizon of my race line. This is where it needs to be in order to optimally position the car for each upcoming corner - which is why it’s one of the key things stressed in professional driver training. That said, it’s also very difficult to do under the pressures of chaotic high-speed racing. So often you find you just have to focus things around the car.

This increased ability to confidently look where I know I want to look, rather than where I feel I have to look, really paid dividends. First on the simulator and then on the race track, I saw drops in lap times as a result of better racing lines. When you dedicate yourself to betterment, yet find it increasingly difficult to keep making strides, it can come as a Eureka moment when you discover a new way to untap your potential.

Follow James Wingfield Racing

I’m really excited to apply this form of cognitive training to racing and take it as far as it will go. If you’re interested in motorsports performance, then you are more than welcome to join a like-minded community and follow James Wingfield Racing. I’m also more than happy to engage in discussions or provide advice on anything I have expertise in.

James Wingfield Racing | YouTube

James Wingfield Racing | Facebook

Lastly, here is an interview I did recently with the NeuroTracker team.

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With covid-19 continuing to affect the world, researchers have looked into options for treatments. Choosing CBD products for COVID-19 can have innumerable benefits. Now that CBD products are legal throughout the country, they can play a crucial role during this pandemic.

CBD has several compounds, such as terpenes, flavonoids, and cannabinoids, that can benefit covid-19 patients. Cannabinoids are immune modulators that influence macrophage activity in the body. When you choose CBD for coronavirus, its anti-inflammatory properties can help reduce the effect of the virus. However many of these benefits also apply to the wellness challenges we have all been facing during prolonged lockdowns. Here are mind-blowing facts about CBD and coronavirus.

1. CBD Can Prevent the Severity of COVID Symptoms

Choosing CBD as a health supplement for coronavirus can help reduce the severity of the symptoms in the body. The compound increases the levels of an apelin peptide that reduces lung inflammation.  It works by lowering the cytokine storm damaging the lungs in covid-19 patients. This cytokine superstorm contributes to the symptoms of cough, fever, and muscle pain that can damage a patient.

When you include CBD in your COVID-19 treatment, you can induce an immune response associated with coronavirus. According to researchers, the extracts impact the expression of ACE2 proteins in human cells that are an entry point for the virus. Using CBD in a mouthwash or throat gargle may help prevent covid-19 infections.

2. CBD can Reduce Immune System overactivity

Coronavirus acts on the immune system overactivity that increases the risk of mortality in individuals with pre-existing conditions. The virus targets the lungs and causes inflammation that threatens its functioning. Using CBD can reduce the inflammation that leads to sepsis. The compound has antifungal and antibacterial properties that reduce inflammation and ease several symptoms.

Individuals with underlying conditions such as diabetes can benefit from CBD products by Sunday Scaries to improve overall body immunity. CBD can help reduce this impact for better health outcomes. Cannabinoids in CBD act on the CB receptors to reduce the acute inflammatory response that helps the lungs work.

3. CBD May Help Prevent the Progression of COVID-19 Symptoms

Lung inflammation due to coronavirus could lead to pneumonia that causes breathing difficulties for patients with a weakened immune system. Without treatment, the symptoms can progress from fever to fatigue and problems in breathing. CBD therapies taken through inhalation can provide the relief needed to prevent this progression.

Adding CBD to your nutritional regimen can help prevent the progression of covid-19 symptoms. The compound can reduce excessive lung inflammation, enabling improvements in lung function. It may also repair some structural damage to the lungs and improves oxygen levels. The compounds in CBD can help improve the regulation of apelin. These cannabinoids could reduce the risks associated with dangerous levels of lung inflammation caused by covid-19.

4. CBD to Reduce Anxiety and Depression

CBD has therapeutic benefits beyond the anti-inflammatory properties. It can be effective against symptoms such as anxiety and depression. The compound is a mood enhancer that can improve the mood of anyone feeling anxious and stressed. When you add CBD to your nutrition, the cannabinoid works on the body’s endocannabinoid system to induce a feeling of calmness and relaxation needed to beat depression.

The pandemic has caused uncertainty in several areas such as social networks, job security, and the economy, leading to a rise in depression and anxiety. People are living in fear and uncertainties that can cause detrimental mental conditions. They may experience psychological and social stressors from the virus since they isolate themselves from their family and friends. This is why it is important to integrate CBD products into your treatment regimen.

5. Covid-19 Can Cause Muscle Relaxation

People have been using CBD products to stay calm and relax amidst the storm of a pandemic. One symptom of the virus is muscle fatigue and tiredness due to an inflammation of the body tissues. The condition causes the body to lose weight as a nondescript symptom. Cytokines cause the fatigue that the immune system produces when under attack.

People are experiencing extreme fatigue where they feel dull and find it difficult to concentrate on anything. As the body works to fight off an infection, you become tired and experience aches and pains.

CBD may boost the supply of endocannabinoids in the body to cause relaxation and help deal with fatigue. Many people use CBD to get better quality sleep and facilitate recovery from fatigue. The body needs sleep to balance hormones and performance biological maintenance, as well as consolidate memory formation. Patients can use CBD to improve sleep quality during the pandemic, without causing drowsiness.

6. CBD Can Provides Pain Relief

Choosing CBD for coronavirus can help reduce all forms of pain, such as headaches resulting from the infection. The anti-inflammatory properties of CBD can help the body deal with pain and inflammations caused by the virus. If you report chest pains, adding CBD can reduce the discomfort.

The cannabinoid compound in CBD products works on the body’s endocannabinoid system to treat pain and promote a calm feeling. Rather than using synthetic drugs such as aspirin, you can use CBD to treat the pain symptoms and ease inflammation. This makes it a noble companion for individuals who contract the virus.

The Bottom Line

As the threat of coronavirus persists worldwide, people are looking towards CBD products to supplement the treatments. CBD has a high safety margin and can effectively reduce COVID-induced lung inflammation and reduce the psychological effects of the virus. Integrating CBD products can help reduce the extent of the infection on the body, as well as offer many benefits in coping with the physical and psychological health challenges of ongoing confinement.

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If you're interested in improving sleep quality during the pandemic, then also check out this Expert's Corner blog.

What is Coronasomnia and How to Beat It?

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I'm proud of my four sons. Two achieved incredible things in Olympic Weightlifting, breaking a number of British U23 and schoolboy records, and two played for Manchester United's First Team and Reserves. All of them have become exceptional coaches in their fields. However it's Shaun, the youngest, who epitomizes something I've always believed about 'power' - it's much less about brawn and strength, and more about speed and agility. There's a video here of him launching almost twice his bodyweight from the floor into the air.

Power Versus Strength

Most people might think it looks like raw strength, but in fact it's dominantly explosive power where speed is absolutely critical. Surprisingly, if you suddenly removed the bar mid-lift he would literally shoot up into the air! In fact, one of the training exercises my lads did early on was two footed jumps onto mats from standing – launching up onto a pile stacked neck high!

With those sorts of forces, you need agility and skill to make sure every muscle and joint channel that power in the most bio-mechanically efficient way. When it comes to Olympic Weightlifters, it's better to think of their closest athletic contemporaries being gymnasts rather than strongmen.

I took what I learned from coaching Olympic Weight-Lifting at the international level, and applied it to my sons' football careers. The results? They earned their places at the world's biggest sports club, and it was primarily through physical prowess, rather than talent. This stood out to the coaches at Manchester United, as well as 'the boss' Sir Alex Ferguson, which is why they hired me at a time when strength and conditioning was virtually non-existent in the Premier League. Carrying the baton, my eldest son Michael Clegg, is now the First Team's strength and power coach.

The Ronaldo Example

Building up power was something I focused on a lot with Cristiano Ronaldo in daily training during his meteoric 6-year rise with the club. You can see the sheer power he has developed over his career in slow-motion videos, for example jumping off one foot with phenomenal height while mid-sprint.

A true athlete in every sense of the word, and unlike most other pro soccer players, Ronaldo would obsessively practice every move and every skill to the Nth degree. In this way he epitomizes athletic power, combining dynamic muscular ability with extremely precise motor-skills.

The Takeaway

The key point here? The truth about power for performance development, is that athletes need strength combined with speed and agility, far more than raw strength. For example, with a typical pro football player, it's not about giving them an extra 5 or 10kilos of muscle weight to lug 10km around a pitch - it's about increasing their body's physical outputs in ways that can be applied explosively, efficiently, and consistently, to the demands on the field.

As power development coach at Manchester United for 11 years, I met a lot of top strength and conditioning coaches. This wasn't only in the EPL, but also in sports like the NFL while on tours with the club around the USA. What I found was a myth that power comes from primarily from strength, and with that, too much emphasis on building up muscle, rather than a focused understanding on how it actually relates to performance on the field.

It's much better to think of athletes the way engineers think about Formula 1 - power-to-weight ratio efficiency! What I learned over decades of coaching my lads, is that you can increase power a hell of a lot of with the same body mass.

If you're interested to find out more insights from what I learned coaching Cristiano Ronaldo, you can also read my previous blog.

Mastering Performance the Ronaldo Way

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When it comes to human performance, learning and implementing new technologies is huge if you want to stay ahead of the game. Over the last 20 years I’ve built up a core battery of technologies for vision related training, testing and health, along with neurocognitive enhancement. As a passionate vision specialist, part of my role is spearheading the use of emerging technologies for performance and therapy. Here I'll cover why NeuroTracker is a role model neurotechnology worth shouting about!

‘Must-Have’ Technological Tool

I’ve spent 3 years using NeuroTracker for performance, vision enhancement, and rehabilitation. It’s a wonderful technology which quickly became a ‘must-have’ tool as part of our practice. The sports performance role for NeuroTracker was already well-known, and applying it for training NBA, NFL, MLS, and MLB athletes we made great strides. Once these athletes see the difference NeuroTracker is making on the field, they become completely devoted – they want it on the road with them, they want it in their training facility, and we work with those teams to make sure it’s onsite for them. It’s the biggest testimonial for a training tool when your clients say ‘Look, I can’t live without this’, which is great confirmation for us.

Advanced Rehabilitation

What’s less well-known is the application of NeuroTracker for injury recovery. We treat a very wide range of patients suffering from cognitive and physical injuries. With the latest research showing that the brain and body are intimately connected through the central nervous, it's important to have holistic approach to recovery. For example with ACL injuries, which are notoriously difficult to treat, it's been shown that the injuries causes mild cognitive impairments which in turn affect motor-coordination and inhibit physical healing.

NeuroTracker is a nice example of a flexible neurotechnology for this kind of therapy. First of all, it can help maintain an athlete's cognitive systems when they are out of action for a long time and avoid 'game rust'. Secondly we can identify cognitive weaknesses issues, that may actually be related to the cause of injury, and then focus on recovering them.

Lastly NeuroTracker is great for the return-to-play phase of recovery, because we can measure if an athlete has returned to the baseline level they were at pre-injury, as well as use dual-tasks to really test if they can safely execute complex skills under high cognitive load. This video gives an idea of how specifically this kind of performance readiness assessment can be.

Neurological Change & Numerical Data

I presented at a conference on this cognitive measurement perspective, because I think it’s important practitioners realize this can become an exceptional part of their practice. One of the key benefits of NeuroTracker is we’re not just asking the athlete or patient how they feel, we’re truly looking at neurological change correlated by numerical change in data, so we can quantify the intervention and correlate with subjective assessments.

Neurocognitive Recovery

Most importantly we see the beneficial effects. Patients make gains from NeuroTracking by building back neural networks and skillsets that were deficient. It helps a lot that we can adapt the training difficulty to any patients’ condition in short, manageable chunks with constant revaluation.

Assisting recovery neurocognitively really helps with getting patients back to doing things that were once automatic, like navigating busy environments, driving a car, functioning in the work day, or being able to handle the sights and sounds of a ball game on the weekend. Sometimes it happens with dramatic changes, an athlete might say they feel like a light’s gone off because they can suddenly process the world and they can handle things they knew they couldn’t do before – changes that are often reflected in the session data.

It’s rare to find a technology that really works like this, and at a practical level, so I’m hoping to see this neurocognitive approach grow in both its role in therapy and in numbers of practitioners.

If you're interested to learn more about the integration of brain and body for rehabilitation, also check out this blog by another specialist in this domain.

3 Reasons Why the Brain Rules Everything in Sports

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I’d like to thank everyone who attended my webinar, it was great to see so many people from the NeuroTracker community attending. There were a lot of great questions but not enough time to cover them all, or in enough detail. Hopefully this Q&A solves that problem - I hope you find it informative! There were also some questions from personal users of NeuroTracker, look out for a dedicated webinar for this by the NeuroTracker team, coming early summer.

If you didn’t attend the webinar, you can watch the recorded version here.

Q. You talk about NeuroTrackerX, but I also see NeuroTracker mentioned without the "X". Are these 2 different versions?

Yes they are.

The original NeuroTracker commercial software has been around for 10 years. It’s a Windows based platform that can only be run from a single computer. As of April 2021, the original software is no longer supported.

The name NeuroTrackerX refers to a major upgrade from the original software. It utilizes the latest 3D rendering software (Unity), and can be run on Windows and Mac computers (Android coming soon). Any NeuroTrackerX software license can be used on any number of computers. NeuroTrackerX also has a plethora of features that did not exist in the original software, such as advanced data analytics and custom program building. Here is an overview of NeuroTrackerX features.

5 Reasons to be Excited About NeuroTrackerX

Lastly, the name NeuroTracker still represents the company and the patented methodologies, scientific research and validation behind the commercial product. So generally speaking, NeuroTracker is now used to represent the science and technology, and NeuroTrackerX refers to the software platform.

Q. I have the original system at my clinic. Can you advice me on how best transition to NeuroTrackerX?

Yes, once I understand your needs I can advise on the specific applied and business benefits advantages you can expect with the upgrade. The NeuroTracker support team provides great on-boarding once upgraded. It’s a fairly seamless transition, so you can get up and running with it from the get-go. If you haven’t seen it, there is great testimonial interview with Katie Mitchell where she talks about her experience of upgrading her business to NeuroTrackerX.

NeuroTracker Testimonials - Katie Mitchell

Q. How many balls did the ADHD athlete start with?

This is a simple question, but a good one. I was using 3 balls (or targets) with that 14-year-old hockey player. For athletes I believe 4 targets is ideal, as it represents well the attentional distribution challenges they typically face in sports competitions. However, if the athlete’s initial baseline is lower than expected, I will adapt to 3 targets, as was the case with this client due to ADHD. In my experience, healthy athletes from the age of 14 upwards, tend to be best suited to 4 targets from the beginning of their training program.

Q. Maxime, if clients do sessions at-home, do you also do remote consultations with them, or do they still come into your office?

Yes I do still see clients in-center. Most of the time the focus is on assessments at my clinics, followed by a custom protocol from them to work on from home. The training also complements the in-clinic assessments, because I ask them to train under different conditions, for example at different times of the day, combined with remote consultations. This allows me to look into trends related to things like sleep, circadian rhythm, diet and so on, to see how those influence attentional capacities, and how best habits can be implemented.  

Typically I see clients in-center once per week, two weeks, or sometimes monthly. This is a nice balance, because obviously there are still things I can only do with clients in my clinics. However, some of my athletic clients are more restricted by COVID, so I currently don’t see them for months at a time. In these cases, we focus more on Zoom consultations where we review their training data in detail, and also work more on the sports psychology perspective. They still find this really useful, but I expect them to start coming back to my clinics regularly, once they able to.

Q. Did you do any formal pre and post neuropsychological testing with the young client with ADHD?

Yes, I’ve used a lot of different tools over the years and also work with specialists in neuropsychological assessments. With this client I used the IVA-CPT assessment focused on visual and auditory attention. For young clients with attention issues, this gives useful metrics that have been found to be reliable for detecting the benefits of NeuroTracker training. This makes it’s particularly useful for showing parents the progress their child is making.

Q. Can you talk about the best technique to improve score. It is instructions? Or is it learning to track all the balls?

Very interesting question. There are essentially two answers.

The first refers to the NeuroTracker principle called ‘consolidation’. The consolidation phase is a rapid learning response to initial NeuroTracker training. This has been shown in many NeuroTracker studies to occur over the first 15-30 sessions, which will yield much faster improvement than subsequent training due to typical neuroplastic responses.

During this phase, clients simply need to perform the basic task – keeping their gaze towards the center of the screen (i.e. on the visual pivot), and distributing their visual attention across their targets using their peripheral vision. Past this there are really no techniques involved, for example you can’t tell someone to use a particular task-based strategy to improve their scores.

In fact, this is one of the key advantages to NeuroTracker, in that changes in scores have negligible influence from technique or strategy-related effects. Unlike most other forms of cognitive training, changes in brain function are well represented by changes in NeuroTracker scores. An analogy might be how much someone can bench press. If they end up lifting twice as much as they could before, you’re quite confident it’s strength-related, and not down to things like how they hold the bar. So, as long as a client focused on the session and following the basic technique during consolidation, they are likely to get optimal benefits.

The second answer relates to post-consolidation, when there is sufficient learning and increase in attentional capacities to progress to more advanced forms of dual-task training. Unlike performing just NeuroTracker, the rate at which improvement occurs is sensitive to both the individual’s cognitive status, and the complexity of the task added. For example, we can look at a simple dual-task, like standing instead of sitting while performing NeuroTracker. If it’s introduced too early, or with a client who is just not cognitively ready, there will likely be a significant drop in both NeuroTracker scores and session on session improvement rates thereafter.

NeuroTrackerX provides preset protocols that can be assigned to end users relative to different populations. These are based on are scientifically validated learning methodologies, and so they’re definitely a great place to start. Here's a video covering what learning progression through dual-tasks can look like.

That said, I find that this is an area where a coach or clinician’s expertise is also very valuable. Personally speaking, I will make an informed judgement based on each individual’s progress, and what I’ve learned about them, to decide when to introduce dual-tasks, and when to step up the complexity. I’ll then adapt the program accordingly, based around ongoing observations, client feedback, and session’s results. This is where the NeuroTracker data is particularly useful, because if the dual-task complexity is progressed correctly, you will see nice learning curve responses, and vice versa.

Q. Do you use NeuroTracker to monitor recovery?

Absolutely, it’s my go-to tool that I use for all kinds of injury and rehabilitation that I do with clients. As I mentioned in a recent blog, cognitive assessment has been shown to be very relevant for physical injuries with a lot of new research demonstrating the interrelationship between brain and body. There is a NeuroTracker blog by an expert in sports medicine and rehab which explores this topic.

3 Reasons Why the Brain Rules Everything in Sports

The greatest value for me is assessing return-to-play readiness. If for example an athlete returns to training or competition too soon, there are high-risks of reinjury or simply underperforming. On the flip side, if too late, it can hinder their career or they may lose their position on a team.

The key advantage here is that NeuroTracker requires the integration of many high-level cognitive capacities, and it tests individuals at their threshold cognitive capacities. This makes it’s a uniquely valuable reference point for safe assessment of performance readiness. Dual-tasks also allow specific sports abilities, such as motor-skill based drills, to be assessed at attentional threshold to probe for hidden weaknesses. There is a study which actually shows NeuroTracker to be a predictor of injury risk using this methodology.

Q. What is "Open Training"?

So as an Administrator on the NeuroTrackerX platform you can actually build and save your own custom training programs, and then immediately assign to any user. It's a really powerful tool, and as I mentioned in the webinar it's a great time saver, especially when managing a lot of clients. However, it’s also good to allow users to have some freedom to choose their own sessions, according to changes in their personal training goals, or simply for motivational reasons.

The Open Training option allows you to offer three different sessions for a client to choose, and assign this at any points in their training program. Generally, I find this works well when clients have become familiar and comfortable with their training program, so then I assign Open Training more frequently. Or I base it on their feedback during consultations.

Overall, I really like this feature, as do my clients, because it just makes it easy to strike a nice balance between structured programs and giving clients the freedom to choose. It complements remote training very well.

Q. Hi Maxime, if I book a consultation with you, can you share with me how much you charge for remote training, compared to prices in your clinics?

In short it depends on how much remote consultation and follow-up reporting the client wants, versus the number of assessments I do in-clinic, which is quite different for say a professional athlete compared to a clinical patient. But yes, I can go through the different pricing models I use for different client scenarios, as well as make recommendations regarding your clientele, based on my experience with many different types of clients.

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I've been a clinician working in the field of psychology for 13 years now. For almost a decade of that time I've been putting NeuroTracker to use across my practices. Here I'd like to share insights on how that journey was transformed by utilizing this 3D multiple object tracking technology, and how it led me to expand my services from therapy all the way into elite sports. If you are new to NeuroTracker, then here is a short video to watch for an overview.

From Therapy to Neuroplasticity...

Historically my specialty as a clinician was based around Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), where I was working a lot with kids and teenagers. Accordingly, a lot of the focus was on changing behaviors and patterns within the brain across many different psychological disorders. But when I started my PhD I wanted to go beyond traditional psychotherapy, to try and really understand how the brain actually works in order to optimize the services I offer.

I was particularly interested in neuroplasticity, and around that time discovered NeuroTracker. Just from the science that was available I saw its potential as a tool for measuring and stimulating functional plasticity. The opportunity to put this neurotechnology to use actually influenced the direction of my business from that point.

In fact it’s a big part of the reason why I founded Synapse Plus. , a center dedicated to improving human performance and wellness. I chose the name because synapses sit in the nerve firing space between the dendrite and axon - where all the action happens in the brain! I was already using Neurofeedback, but it was actually the opportunity to get on board with NeuroTracker that really allowed me to transition my business to become dedicated to cognitive enhancement.

...to Athletics

With this new focus on cognitive performance I started getting demand to work increasingly with athletes. This was not as big of a jump as I’d expected, because I was surprised to learn that a lot of athletes have issues with things like ADHD, OCD, anxiety and phobias. Then there’s the cognitive rehabilitation side of sports injury – the field of sports medicine has shown that it can be as important to rehabilitate the brain, as the physical injury itself. Lastly, even with athletes, we don’t only work with NeuroTracker for sports performance, but also for benefits in their daily life and overall wellness.

This led me to want to become a specialist in sports psychology, and for that reason I completed studies in both Canada and the US. From putting what I'd learned academically into clinical practice, alongside harnessing the latest neurotechnologies, I feel I'm now in a strong position to offer really comprehensive services. Its resulted in services with numerous high-profile clients, including NHL and NFL teams, as well as professional teams in Europe. It's opened-up a lot of opportunities I wouldn't have imagined were possible.

So a big takeaway with NeuroTracker is that I found a natural crossover between therapy and performance enhancement, which is why I apply it across such a diverse range clients. It’s a great testimonial for a product when it actually shapes your career and drives the evolution of your business in completely new directions.

A Window into the Brain

One of the things I found is that when I use NeuroTracker with clients it's much easier to interact with them in a meaningful way, especially with children. It just open ups a lot of their interest from their perspective about how their minds actually function. Likewise, over the years I’ve found that NeuroTracker is a good predictor of the way people respond in real life situations. For example if they get frustrated or annoyed at missing three trials in a row during a session, then that's how they are prone to react more generally. This makes it a nice way to gain insights on how people respond to challenges they face in daily life, and more importantly, when mindset changes are happening over time.

I use a lot of neuropsychology tools which test various components of cognition, such as attention, working memory, and so on, which is great when you want to isolate certain brain functions. However, the flip side is that we don't get the picture of how they actually integrate in a functional way. In contrast, something I really like about NeuroTracker is that it activates a lot of different functions across the brain, requiring them to be integrated at a high level. It's quite unique in this respect, and as a clinical psychologist, it really helps when you can put all the pieces together to see how a patient is progressing overall. It also makes a big difference when you want to know how well someone is functioning when it comes to real world demands.

A Tool for Performance Readiness

It’s especially important when it comes to high-performance sports, for example a hockey player on the ice has to process a massive amount of information they have to constantly coming in. They have to analyze this, evaluate options, decide how to react, and then execute the right action. And this happens on a continual basis. The bonus is that now I can not just test how well an athlete can put these combined systems to use, but I can also train them to be integrated under the pressure of NeuroTracker’s speed thresholds.

This is invaluable for assessing performing readiness on the field in a controlled setting. It's actually one of the biggest reasons I found the technology to be so useful in my practice. It’s just so useful to be able to bring all these cognitive elements together to test and train them for either a competitive edge, or to improve wellness and quality of life.

In a follow-up to this blog, I’ll dig deeper into where NeuroTracker benefits can go with advanced forms of training like dual-tasks, and explain why the 3D component is so important. In the meantime, if you’re interested to learn more on how to put NeuroTracker into practice, then check out my 3-part blog guide for trainers.

Tips for NeuroTracker Trainers - the First Session

Tips for NeuroTracker Trainers - Managing Sessions

Tips for NeuroTracker Trainers - Advanced Programs

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The neurocognitive sports industry is still small, but growing fast. It’s growing for good reason, because neurocognitive training will revolutionize the ways in which coaches and athletes actualize their peak performance potential. Here I’ll cover the rising demands for this type of neural conditioning for sports, and why it's been so transformative in my own coaching practices with UFC fighters.

From Neuroscience to Fight Sports

Coming out of a brain-based leadership background with a post-doctorate neurobiology, I became a neurocognitive trainer for fight sports four years ago. Although I was a boxer in the US Marine Corps, I didn’t actually choose this path, it instead chose me. It was a pro-fighter preparing for a championship who reached out because of my neuroscience background, asking if I could work with him to enhance his mental performance.

From there I founded Neuro Peak Performance, in which we are totally dedicated to neurocognitive training for athletic performance. Since then, we’ve been blessed to work with some of the world’s best UFC fighters.

I think this speaks volumes about the professional sports industry in general, because today the brain is considered the most untapped resource in high-performance sports. However mental performance is kind of seen as an intangible phenomenon, where coaches and athletes generally don’t yet have the know-how or access to the neurotechnologies to really tap into this resource.

Sports Demands on the Athletic Brain

The human brain is really put to the test when it comes to sports. As an example, inside the octagon it’s well known that a fighter has to rely on plethora of key mental skills. These include critical abilities like perception span, target acquisition, go/no-go decision-making, impulse control and attack avoidance. In fight sports, these typically have to be put to use on millisecond time scales. Literally just one blink at the wrong time, and you got hit! So in fight sports, it’s not enough to just condition them, these skills need to be honed to a level high enough that automaticity is achieved – simply because there is often not enough time to consciously respond.

Then there are other factors like mental stamina, which is impacted directly by physical fatigue – a challenge most athletes are very familiar with. In combat sports in particular, there is also the very real fear of getting hurt, which threatens a fighter’s ability to perform. This is because when a fighter takes a big hit, their amygdala fires up, triggering primitive instincts to avoid getting hurt more. So neurocognitive combat skills don’t just need to be trained up, they need to be conditioned to the extent that they become hard-wired.

Even physical performance is driven neurobiologically, for instance virtually all motor-skills are commanded directly by the brain. Obviously there are many more factors involved, but essentially these neurovisual and cognitive abilities are all trainable. The modern-day challenge is that tried and tested methods to condition them are still unfamiliar to most performance specialists.

The Missing Link

Physical training like strength and conditioning, endurance and cardio have all proven to be important factors in conditioning athletic performance. However, what’s left out most of the time is how the brain handles the vast quantities of internal and external sensory information processing involved in all aspects of sports performance. This means that athletes are typically left to develop their mental capacities simply through exposure to competition experience, which runs counter to practically all other sports science-based training methodologies.

Of course, you could know all the neuroscience research there is to know, but without the right training tools it’s very difficult to put that knowledge to practical use. This is where neurotechnologies come in, which have only started to really develop over the last decade. That said, right now there are a lot of great tools already established on the market. From low-level electrical brain stimulation to EEG Neurofeedback, we try use make sure we combine the best of them in every training session we do at Neuro Peak Performance.

NeuroTracker – a Role Model Neurotechnology

From my own research and experience, I can say that there is one neurotechnology that really stands out. NeuroTracker is a 3D multiple object tracking software, and it has been the core function of all the training we do.

There are a number of good reasons for this.

‍Specificity Advantage - NeuroTracker is a beautiful piece of software in that there so many ways to use the programs. This allows us to take a unique approach in tailoring mental conditioning to each individual athlete we coach. Our fighters love that.

Neurocognitive Metrics – training on this technology requires integration of a whole range of high-level cognitive abilities that are directly relevant to real-world performance. This gives us a great measure of an athlete's integrated mental capacities, which we can compare against physical abilities. Then with the specificity of the software, we can assess things like subcomponents of attention. With detailed metrics on certain cognitive strengths and weakness, we can evolve an athlete’s training protocols accordingly.

Threshold Cognitive Loads – NeuroTracker’s adaptive algorithms excel at pushing an athlete to their mental limits. Firstly, this allows us to rapidly develop the neural circuitries that are critical to competition performance. Secondly, we can get fighters accustomed to the intense mental demands they face in fights, so that they are resilient under pressure, even if they don’t have the experience of a veteran fighter.

Dual-Task Methodologies – NeuroTracker works superbly when additional training tasks are integrated into sessions. For example, performing combat sequence drills at the same time as NeuroTracking, or with other neurotechnologies such as reactive decision-based training with light sensor motion detectors. This is a another reason why we can adapt the training very precisely to any athlete’s performance needs.

Neurocognitive Stamina – as research has shown with elite rugby players, this form of training can dramatically reduce loss of situational awareness that typically occurs in highly fatigued states. As the outcomes of sports competitions are generally won or lost when athletes hit the limits of their mental stamina, this type of conditioning offers a great competitive edge.

Wellness Intervention – when you work closely with fighters, you not only learn tremendous respect for their athletic prowess, but you also become aware of the unfortunate toll the sport can take on their mental health. With this method we can boost neuroplasticity and the brain’s ability to repair itself on a regular basis, as well as use NeuroTracker scores to monitor a fighter’s ongoing cognitive status.

For these reasons we implement NeuroTracker not only in every session, but also at frequent points throughout each session. This allows us to stimulate neural activation and the growth of a true performance mindset. It’s also an extremely flexible training tool. It would be great to see more neurotechnologies of this exemplary standard coming onto the market.

The Future is Now

As I said at the beginning, the sports neurocognitive industry is growing quickly, yet still relatively small. That said, the future of cognitive training is already here with the neurotechnologies now available. I see widespread adoption simply as a matter of time. Just like a strength and conditioning coach is essential for any professional athlete today, in the next five years, having a sports neurocognitive coach will likewise become standard for elite athletes. Ultimately the brain controls everything we do, and so conditioning it is essential for a competitive advantage.

If you'd like to learn more, here is a recent interview I did with the NeuroTracker team.

Lastly, if you're interested in knowing more about the cognitive demands involved in elite sports, here is an earlier Experts Corner blog I wrote.

Harnessing the Athletic Brain

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For most ordinary folks, completing a marathon is about as extreme as things go when it comes to feats of stamina. Occasionally though, there are some athletes who take the idea of endurance to a whole new level. Here are 7 notable feats of stamina that redefine the limits of human potential.

The Longest Brawl in Boxing

Today we associate the high-profile sport of boxing with huge purses and judges who qualify every single punch. However, boxing’s history as a sport grew out of bare-knuckle fighting, where the only way to determine a winner was literally by the last man standing. Interestingly, there were rarely any deaths in boxing until gloves came in, as punching a bony skull with knuckles tends to end up damaging the puncher's hands more than the opponent. With more body hits, fights could go on much longer, providing a true test of physical and mental stamina.

The ultimate Battle Royale of boxing took place on April 6, 1893. Showing severe tenacity to never give up, boxers Andy Bowen and Jack Burke duked it out for unthinkable 111 rounds. The two pugilists pummeled each other for a total of seven hours and 19 minutes, at which point the referee finally called a stop to the fight and ruled it a draw. The epic battle certainly took it’s toll on the fighters, with Burke having to retire after breaking all the bones in both of his hands. 

The Longest Single Breath Underwater

In an incredible demonstration, David Blaine set a Guinness World Record underwater live on The Oprah Winfrey Show. The illusionist held a single breath continuously for a whopping 17 minutes and four seconds. Unfortunately for him, this inspired German veteran diver Tom Sietas, one of the world’s leading free drivers, to top the feat with an achievement of 17minutes and 19 seconds. Sietas has an incredibly high-lung capacity, also holding world records deep diving without the aid of oxygen tanks.

Still, as a street magician with no diving or athletic background, Blaine’s record setting baffles the imagination. Even without superior physical fitness, he demonstrated that mind over matter can push the body beyond what was even thought possible. 

2 Month Swim Across the Atlantic

Benoit Lecomte is one of the greatest long-distance swimmers to have ever lived. The Frenchman’s most impressive feat was being the first person to conquer the Atlantic Ocean in 1998.  Using doggy paddle without aids, he swam 8 hours per day for 73 days. This took him from Massachusetts to Brittany, covering a staggering 3,716 miles of treacherous waters, including relying on a tail boat to ward-off sharks.  

The Ultimate Non-Stop Run

Dean Karnazes is considered the best endurance runner ever, with a prolific range of accomplishments from a young age. His phenomenal abilities are partly attributed to an unusual lack of lactic acid buildup in his system while fatigued.

Probably his greatest run to date took place on October 18, 2005, when the Californian pulled off a nonstop 350-mile run around the San Francisco Bay area. This involved an incredible 80 hours on-the-go at a relentless pace.  

Highest Climbs Without Oxygen

Italian alpinist Karl Unterkircher was both a highly skilled climber a truly elite athlete. In 2004 he accomplished for the first time the summiting of both Mount Everest and K2, without the aid of oxygen. These are not only the two highest peaks on Earth, but are also known to be dangerous, claiming numerous climbers lives on a yearly basis.

Unterkircher’s oxygen levels near the peaks was so low, that at times he almost passed out just from the effort of maintaining his breathing. This is known as the ‘death zone’, where the body literally starts consuming it’s own cells because the air is too thin to actually support respiration. 

The Most Brutal 2 Days of Cycling

The UK has a famous bike ride called Land’s End to John o’Groats, which traverses the whole length of Great Britain from top to bottom. For most serious cyclists, this 874 miles course takes two weeks of long daily rides to complete. However, in 2001, cyclist Gethin Butler shocked the cycling world by completing the whole journey in just two days. The extreme cyclist pedaled at a blistering pace for 22 hours each day. In similar fashion, Butler has also cycled 1,000 miles in two days, seven hours and 53 minutes. 

The Marathon Tennis Match

The most recent feat on this list took place in the 2010 Wimbledon championships. Instead of the typical 3-4 hours to complete a tournament tennis match, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut played a whopping 11 hours. This was by far the longest ever contest in professional tennis history, with a total of 183 games completed over three days.

In an incredibly competitive and closely fought match, this included a gargantuan single set with countless tie-breakers, lasting over eight hours. 28 ball boys were needed, and the players had to persevere through brutal cases of tennis elbow. In the end Isner narrowly took the match.

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