Imagination Makes Learning a New Skill Easier
Combine Left and Right Brain Strategies to Boost Learning
Apr 18, 2009
Just when many older adults are finding a little more free time in their schedule for recreational activities, their favorite sports and physical fitness routines begin to feel little hard on the body. At this point it may be a good idea to rethink that weekly tennis game or daily jog and replace it with something challenging but less strenuous.
Resistance to New Skills Often Comes with Age
Unfortunately, a number of studies have shown that one's ability to acquire new motor skills can diminish with age. This may be due in part to the aches and pains that come from using a different set of muscles or simply a lack of motivation, but since physical activity becomes increasingly important as we move along in age it is necessary to get beyond this difficulty.
Add a Little Imagination to Traditional Training
By combining the following four teaching methods in different proportions, a program can be tailored to individual preference. The first technique calls on the logical left brain to break down the activity while the other three rely on the power of imagination found in the right-brain.
- Paint - by - the - numbers This is the old fashioned approach.Break the activity downstep by step - this first technique will appeal to the brain’s logical side and is familiar to anyone who has tried to learn a something like a new dance step, Tai Chi movement or yoga posture. Break down the activity into steps and focus attention on each aspect of the movement. For instance if one is trying to improve a golf swing, think head down, hands in position, knees bent, hips forward, backswing, follow through: repeat 20 times. There are some out there who are capable of sticking to this regimen but for many the activity will soon lose its luster.
- The zen approachThis method may sound a little out there, but has proven effective for many different people. To continue the golfing analogy, the idea is to think “just hit the target” and your body will know what to do - eventually. This is a little like saying “keep your eye on the prize”, concentrate on your ultimate goal - hit a target, dance with personality, make it to the finish line
- Visual imagery shortens training process Visualization has had its proponents for a number of years. It involves mentally rehearsing an activity to prime the brain’s nervous system to ski better, swim faster, dance more gracefully. A vivid example of this is a story about a man who was held as a prisoner of war for 5 years. To pass the time, every day he would play 18 holes of golf in his mind, and when he returned home he had significantly improved his handicap.
- Take advantage of your “peri-personal space ”In a study at Washington University, psychologists Christopher Davoli and Richard Adams found that “simply imagining a posture may have effects similar to actually assuming the pose”. They believe the results showed that we have a “peri-personal space” around the body that can be extended into a space where an imagined posture would take us. They conclude that “imagination has an extraordinary capacity to shape reality”.
Including a little imagination has been shown to shortcut dreary practice sessions and propel us toward success. It also improves motivation by making skill development more fun, and an additional benefit is that an imaginary bucket of balls certainly costs less.
