Family Encyclopedia >> Sports

So your body really remembers that you have exercised

It has everything to do with muscle memory. Use it to your advantage, because even if you haven't moved for a while, you still get benefits from this long-term memory of your muscles. Get off the couch and do 'memory training'!

Impulses are formed in the motor centers of our brain that control our muscles. And because our brains function best in a predictable world, 'new' situations up there are compared with recognizable situations. In short:have you exercised for a while, but has it gotten into a slump? Don't panic, your brain and therefore your body will still recognize the movements, patterns and efforts.

Also read:'Tips for exercising immediately after work'

Long-term memory

It goes even further and that's the next plus. Above, we're just describing your brain's short-term memory, so to speak. But your muscles actually have a long-term memory. If you train your muscle fibers, for example with strength training, you also create more cell nuclei. And those cell nuclei remain for a long time. It is these nuclei that make extra proteins for you, and those proteins make your (muscles) stronger.

Start after…

.. a birth, injury or maybe you were simply not feeling well for a while and the sports fell off. Of course you first look at what is feasible for your body. That sprained ankle must be really healed. And going for a run or weightlifting immediately after giving birth to a child is also not a good idea. But as soon as you do start again, your body that has already been subjected to sports has an advantage. Conclusion:your muscle strength will increase many times faster than that of someone who has never or rarely exercised. Your body remembers what you let it do before. Beautiful, isn't it?