When I was actively training at the Karate Dojo, every workout included time spent repeating individual techniques over and over and over and . . . well you get the idea. We would stand in a circle and count off by tens and twenties, punches, chops and kicks, as the Sensei and senior students came around correcting our form. During one of these sessions, a senior student explained the concept of Muscle Memory and why it is important to repeat the movement so many times.
Muscle Memory, or, if you like technical terms, Neuromuscular Facilitation, occurs when you have repeated an action enough times to have etched the pattern into your brain. The action becomes automatic, requiring no conscious input on your part.
Neuromuscular Facilitation or Muscle Memory allows you to walk, get dressed, tie your shoes and start the car without thinking.
Many, if not most of the activities in our daily lives are run by Muscle Memory. This is usually a good thing. But what if the pattern is holding us back or contributing to poor health. For instance, what about a muscle memory that causes you to slouch or clench your jaw when youre tense?
If you golf, you know that...