The concentration is the ability we all have to focus on a particular task, ignoring irrelevant stimuli for her or unwanted. It is a very necessary skill when we face mental tasks like studying or doing some types of work.
However, currently stress and the modern rhythm of life, often accelerated and at the same time sedentary, have negative consequences on our ability to concentrate, causing our performance to decrease. Luckily, there are different ways to end a sedentary lifestyle and the ability to concentrate can be improved, and sport is one of the best ways to achieve this.
How can you improve your concentration with sport?
When you play sports, you release stress and your brain produces endorphins, hormones that, in addition to being a natural pain reliever, make you feel good. Obviously, this wave of good feelings helps to dissipate mental tensions, and that’s where that feeling of having taken a weight off your shoulders comes from that often comes after a session of physical exercise.
Taking this into account, any sport is good to get rid of those tensions that you need and, therefore, improve your ability to concentrate. However, some sports and disciplines are better than others. In most cases, individual sports work best when it comes to working on concentration. In these types of sports, mental discipline is as important as physical ability when practicing them, since, so to speak, you fight against yourself.
1. Athletics and running
In all its forms and disciplines, from the triple jump practitioner to the runner who goes out for a run three times a week , the practitioners of this sport end up developing a great capacity for concentration. When you run, whether in running or athletics, you should focus solely on your proprioception: being aware of yourself and your body.
A runner ends up learning to read the signals that his body sends, and he focuses on this by discarding the enormous amount of information that parades around him while he exercises. Fight fatigue by learning not to force yourself to avoid injury.
2. Cycling
The cycling is very similar in this regard to the different forms of racing, with the difference that its sessions tend to be longer. Added to this is the fact that you ride at high speed and you have to be aware of the road, the path and the bicycle, as well as your own body. Because of this, it is a sport that requires a great mental discipline and that helps to work the concentration capacity.
3. Gymnastics
Also the different types of gymnastics are very suitable for work to improve concentration. All of them require physical strength, impeccable coordination and hard work to improve technique. Boys and girls especially benefit from this sport, which will also help them to form better neural networks in their motor systems.
4. Martial arts
Some martial arts, especially internal calls, are another great option. These martial arts place a strong emphasis on the correct way to do each movement and on the practitioner’s state of mind when performing them. Control is sought.
In addition, despite being practiced in a group, usually only the training partner is paid attention. Therefore, martial arts such as Aikido, Tai Chi Chuan are especially beneficial in this regard.
5. Yoga
It is difficult to find a more suitable physical activity for improving concentration than this. When practicing yoga, you must adopt and maintain certain forms and postures while concentrating on your own body and controlling your breathing.
It is a great way to work on proprioception and mental discipline, in a session that is also relaxing and liberating. If releasing adrenaline is not your thing, be sure to give yoga a try.
