PERRY BUCHANAN: Flexing your muscle memory

If you were once active and fit but have become inactive and are now discouraged because you feel all your past efforts were wasted, I have good news. Muscles have memory.

We all know that if you work out consistently, then stop for a few months, you will lose muscle tone and strength. However, if you had been working out a long time consistently before you stopped, you can regain the lost muscle or strength within just a few weeks. This phenomenon is called “muscle memory.”

Think back to when you first learned to ride a bike as a child or learned to play a new sport and the concentrated effort it took. Most of us could probably go 10 years without riding a bike but would have no problem once we got back on. Building muscle and strength is a lot like hopping on that bike. Unlike riding a bike where such effects are attributed solely to motor learning, strength-training increases muscle mass and force mainly through enlargement of each fiber rather than increasing the number of fibers.

The extra muscle nuclei obtained through strength-training seems to be very long-lasting, perhaps permanent, even in muscles that are inactive for a long time. This is good news for those who have suffered setbacks due to injury. The ability to recruit new nuclei is impaired in the elderly, so the younger we begin, the more benefits we will have.

By understanding muscle memory and motor learning, this same process can be used by us in developing any new habit. When it comes to getting healthy and fit, this concept of an automatic response is essential. We are creatures of habit evidenced through the things that we do daily. The way we walk, the way we talk, the things that excite us or depress us, are all results of habits created by practice.

When we try to build new habits, and forge new pathways in our brain, we understand that it really is hard to undo old habits. If we’re programmed to drive through McDonalds after work and go home to watch hours of TV while having a beer or three, it is not going to be easy to make a lot of changes without becoming overwhelmed.

Our automatic lifestyle comes easy and is second nature. It’s what we’ve always done and requires little effort. Change is new and requires a tremendous amount of work. Like a Pavlovian response, certain cues and sensory changes can be a huge help.

So change things up and break the cycle by avoiding cues and triggers. Remove the need for willpower. If you were a recovering alcoholic, you wouldn’t keep a bottle of vodka in the house. If you’re struggling with unhealthy eating habits, remove all junk food from your house. It’s a lot tougher to eat poorly when you must leave the house to go get it.

Although we’re really talking about developing healthy habits here when it comes to our life, thinking of it in terms of “muscle memory” can help us understand why we’ve failed in the past and how to break through those barriers. If you haven’t built up enough of a muscle memory for healthy living, it will be hard to get back on track after life’s inevitable roadblocks and setbacks. We’re capable of great things by rewiring our own brains and muscles.

It has been said it takes 10,000 hours to master any craft. For us to build this muscle memory in our life, we don’t need to spend anywhere near 10,000 hours, but we do need to practice. The best way to practice is to focus on high-quality practice for one new activity you want to build into your system. Once that is learned and becomes second nature, pick another.

Instead of “practice makes perfect,” think “perfect practice makes perfect.” If you spend months and years learning a task improperly, it’s very difficult to get yourself to break those bad habits and relearn. With practice though, your healthy options can become just as much of an automatic response as your old habits. Even with years of bad habits, you really can teach new tricks (habits) to an old dog!