How to increase your reflex speed. 7 Proven Strategies to Enhance Your Reflex Speed and Gaming Performance

How can you improve your reaction time for gaming. What are the most effective methods to increase reflex speed. Which exercises and habits can boost your reflexes and decision-making abilities. Why is sleep crucial for maintaining quick reflexes.

Table of Contents

The Science Behind Reflex Speed and Its Importance in Gaming

Reflex speed, also known as reaction time, is a crucial factor in many sports and competitive activities, especially in the world of gaming. It refers to the time it takes for your body to respond to a stimulus. In gaming, quick reflexes can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

But what exactly determines our reflex speed? Neurological studies have shown that reflex speed is influenced by several factors, including:

The efficiency of neural pathways
Muscle fiber composition
Overall physical fitness
Mental alertness and focus
Age and genetics

While some of these factors are beyond our control, there are various ways to enhance our reflex speed through targeted training and lifestyle changes.

Sport-Specific Practice: The Key to Honing Your Reflexes

One of the most effective ways to improve your reflexes is through sport-specific practice. This approach allows you to develop muscle memory and automate responses relevant to your chosen activity.

Why is sport-specific practice so effective?

Sport-specific practice works because it targets the exact movements and reactions you need in your chosen activity. For example, if you’re a goalkeeper in soccer, practicing saves will improve your reflexes more effectively than general reflex exercises.

To implement sport-specific practice:

Identify the key reflex-based actions in your sport or game
Create drills that mimic these actions
Practice regularly, gradually increasing speed and complexity
Incorporate reactive elements to simulate real-game situations

Remember, consistency is key. Regular practice helps ingrain these reactions into your muscle memory, making them more automatic and faster over time.

The Power of Relaxation: Enhancing Reflex Speed Through Mental Calmness

Counterintuitively, relaxation plays a crucial role in improving reflex speed. Tense muscles react slower than relaxed ones, making it essential to find a balance between alertness and calmness.

How does relaxation improve reflex speed?

When you’re relaxed, your muscles are in a state of readiness, allowing for quicker and more efficient movements. Additionally, a calm mind can process information faster, leading to improved decision-making and reaction times.

To incorporate relaxation techniques into your reflex training:

Practice deep breathing exercises before and during gameplay
Incorporate meditation into your daily routine
Use progressive muscle relaxation techniques
Focus on staying loose and fluid during high-pressure situations

A 2010 study found that individuals who practiced meditation performed better in reaction-timed tasks, highlighting the link between mental calmness and improved reflexes.

Nutrition for Reflexes: The Role of Diet in Enhancing Reaction Time

Your diet can have a significant impact on your reflex speed. Certain nutrients have been shown to improve cognitive function and reaction time.

Which foods can boost reflex speed?

Research from Leiden University and the University of Amsterdam suggests that foods rich in tyrosine, such as spinach and eggs, can improve performance in reaction-based tasks. Other beneficial foods include:

Fatty fish (rich in omega-3 fatty acids)
Blueberries (high in antioxidants)
Dark chocolate (contains caffeine and theobromine)
Nuts and seeds (provide essential minerals and healthy fats)

To optimize your diet for improved reflexes:

Incorporate tyrosine-rich foods into your meals
Ensure a balanced intake of vitamins and minerals
Stay hydrated to maintain optimal cognitive function
Limit processed foods and excessive sugar intake

Gaming as Training: How Video Games Can Improve Your Reflexes

Contrary to popular belief, playing video games can actually help improve your reflex speed. Studies have shown that action video games, in particular, can enhance decision-making skills and overall reaction time.

How do video games improve reflexes?

Action video games often require quick responses to visual and auditory stimuli, training your brain to process information and react faster. A study by scientists from the University of Rochester found that action game players made the right decisions 25% faster than non-players, without sacrificing accuracy.

To use gaming as a reflex training tool:

Focus on fast-paced action games that require quick decision-making
Practice regularly, but in moderation
Gradually increase the difficulty level as your skills improve
Analyze your performance and identify areas for improvement

Remember, while gaming can improve reflexes, it should be balanced with other forms of physical and mental training for optimal results.

DIY Reflex Training: Simple Exercises to Boost Your Reaction Time

You don’t need expensive equipment or a gym membership to improve your reflexes. There are several simple exercises you can do at home to enhance your reaction time.

What are some effective DIY reflex exercises?

1. Coin Catch: Place a coin on your knuckles with your palm facing down. Toss the coin up and try to catch it with the same hand. Increase difficulty by adding more coins.

2. Ball Rebound: Throw a tennis ball or reaction ball against a wall and catch it before it bounces twice. Vary the speed and angle for added challenge.

3. Hand-Slap Game: With a partner, hold your hands out palm-to-palm. Have your partner try to slap the top of your hands while you attempt to pull them away.

4. Online Reaction Tests: Utilize various online tools and games designed to test and improve reaction time.

5. Juggling: Start with two balls and gradually increase to three or more as your skills improve.

Incorporate these exercises into your daily routine, starting with 10-15 minutes per day and gradually increasing the duration and intensity.

The Sleep Factor: How Rest Impacts Your Reflex Speed

Adequate sleep is crucial for maintaining optimal reflex speed. Sleep deprivation can significantly impair your reaction time and decision-making abilities.

How does sleep affect reflex speed?

During sleep, your brain consolidates memories and repairs neural pathways, which is essential for maintaining quick reflexes. A study by researchers in California found that sleep deprivation can impair reflexes to a degree similar to alcohol intoxication.

To optimize your sleep for better reflexes:

Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night
Maintain a consistent sleep schedule
Create a relaxing bedtime routine
Avoid screens and stimulating activities before bed
Ensure your sleeping environment is dark, quiet, and cool

By prioritizing sleep, you’re not only improving your reflexes but also enhancing overall cognitive function and physical performance.

Holistic Approach: Combining Strategies for Maximum Reflex Improvement

While each of the strategies mentioned above can be effective on its own, combining them into a holistic approach can yield even better results. By addressing multiple aspects of reflex speed improvement, you can create a synergistic effect that enhances your overall performance.

How can you create a comprehensive reflex improvement plan?

1. Develop a balanced training regimen that includes:

Sport-specific practice
General physical exercise
Mental relaxation techniques
DIY reflex exercises

2. Optimize your diet by incorporating reflex-boosting foods and maintaining proper hydration.

3. Use video games as a supplementary training tool, focusing on action-packed titles that challenge your reflexes.

4. Prioritize sleep and develop good sleep hygiene habits.

5. Regularly assess your progress using reaction time tests or in-game performance metrics.

6. Adjust your approach as needed, focusing on areas that need the most improvement.

By implementing this holistic strategy, you’re giving yourself the best chance to significantly enhance your reflex speed and overall gaming performance.

Remember, improving your reflexes is a gradual process that requires patience and consistency. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see immediate results. With persistent effort and a well-rounded approach, you’ll likely notice significant improvements in your reaction time and gaming performance over time.

Seven top tips to improve your reflexes

Pick a sport, any sport – and practise

What exactly do you want to improve your reflexes for? If it’s for a specific sport, you’re off to a good start. Perhaps you want to be the star goalie at your Thursday afternoon five-a-side, or maybe you have taken up boxing and would prefer not to get hit in the face. The more specific an action, the better. Above all, the cliche holds good: practice makes perfect. Reflexes tend to be an involuntary response, so you need to develop your muscle memory and make those reactions second-nature. If you don’t put the work in, you won’t see any results.

Chill out

Your reaction time is always going to be slower if you’re too tense. Stiff muscles are slower to move. If you have just started sparring in a combat sport, the one tip you will get over and over again is to relax, which can be incredibly difficult when you’re starting out. The aim of the game is to stay relaxed, but alert. Perhaps that means taking some time out to meditate, focusing on your breathing or practising mindfulness – a 2010 study found meditation helped people to perform better in a reaction-timed task.

Eat a lot of spinach and eggs

Or at least, that’s according to researchers at Leiden University and the University of Amsterdam. They found subjects who had recently eaten tyrosine, which is found in spinach and eggs, performed better at a reaction-based task than those who hadn’t.

Play more video games (no, really)

Video games may help your reaction speed. A study by scientists from the University of Rochester found that action video games helped people to make the right decisions faster. They also developed a heightened sensitivity to their surroundings.

Use your loose change

You can use your spare pennies to help speed up those reflexes. Put your hand out with your palm facing the ground and put a coin on top of your knuckles. With your arm outstretched, throw the coin upwards and then try to catch it in the same hand. If that’s too easy, try adding more coins to up the ante.

Playing ball

Another invaluable, and inexpensive, tool used to improve reflexes is the humble tennis ball. You can also use a six-sided ball called a reaction ball – although if you can’t find one of those, any bouncy ball will do. All you need is a surface to throw the ball against, with the aim being to catch the thing before it ricochets off into someone else’s back garden. You could also ask a friend to throw it at you while you practise dodging – it’s up to you whether or not you choose a friend with a grudge.

Make sure you get enough sleep

A lack of sleep can have a huge effect on reflexes and split-second decision-making. Researchers in California found sleep-deprivation can make you almost as sluggish as a few alcoholic drinks, so make sure you get your eight hours a night. – Guardian

5 Ways To Improve Your Reaction Time For Gaming

Don’t you just hate it when this happens?

You are one of the last two left standing in a round of CSGO deathmatch. With all your teammates down for the count, you are searching for that stubborn surviving member of the opposing team to eliminate them. With incredible caution, you creep up the stairs to your left hoping to get a bird’s eye view of the area. But as you approach the vantage point, you catch a flurry of movement from the corner of the screen. Found you! Your fingers instinctively race to raise your AK-47 but before they get there, the mouse in your hand explodes in violent spasms as blood splatters across the darkening screen. You are dead.

So close! You had almost won the game. But alas, you were too slow in your response. If only it didn’t take so long for your brain to process stimuli. If only your reaction time was a little bit faster. Well, guess what? It can. And we will tell you how.

Exercise Regularly

Even if your metal reflexes were as sharp as a knife’s edge, it would all be for nothing if your muscles were feeble and untrained. That is why it is important to get in some form of exercise preferably at the start of the day or some hours before gaming. You can do the bare minimum just to get your heart racing – that includes jumping jacks, squats, jogging, and so on. Or you could go the extra mile and develop a daily routine that actively engages your muscle groups.

However, one part of the body you must focus on are the fingers. And yes, all ten of them. After all, they are what we use to push buttons, regardless of whether you use the WASD keys or a controller.

For starters, you can try squeezing hard on a tennis ball. Or any kind of ball that offers some measure of resistance. Make sure to clench your fist as tightly as you can around the ball for five seconds before letting go. Allow your fingers to rest for about three seconds before starting the cycle again. Make sure to complete a total number of fifteen sets before you stop. Doing this will render the muscles in your fingers less susceptible to strain which means that it will take a longer time before you start feeling that ache we all hate.

Another technique you can try is wrapping an elastic band around the five fingers on each hand. Try spreading them outwards as much as you can – but not so much that the band snaps – before slowly bringing them together again. Repeat this pattern ten to fifteen times before taking off the band. You can also try this method without a band if you cannot find any.

Keep Your Hands Warm

Think about this. Insects and animals move a lot less when temperatures are low than when they are average or high. Why? Because heat energizes molecules and we all are made of molecules. As humans, we are no different. Our hands most certainly aren’t. When cold sets in, we are less likely to be active, let alone have sharp reflexes. That is why it is vital to keep your hands from going frigid while gaming.

One simple way to do this is by rubbing your palms vigorously against each other at regular intervals. The friction generates a fair amount of heat to keep your hands warm while stimulating the flow of blood. You may also want to consider purchasing standard gaming gloves. Not only do they provide firm traction for your controllers and mice but they also preserve the heat around your palms. Just make sure that you do not wear them too tightly.

Drink Water…And Lots Of It Too

Although it varies from person to person, the human body is made up of at least 50% water and even the slightest disturbance in that composition will result in drastic effects on your performance. That is why during eSports competitions and live streams, you see many professional gamers reaching for a bottle of water every chance they get. And you should too. Because it matters.

Staying hydrated while gaming is every bit as important as winning, so be sure to keep a glass or bottle close by so you can quickly take a sip in between rounds. Caffeine, soda, or any other carbonated drinks should not be ingested as they dehydrate you – so try as much as possible to stay away from those while gaming.

Use High-Performance Equipment

You would not play soccer with a deflated ball, would you? Or even practice with one. And neither would you hop on cycle with deflated tires. In that same vein, you should never game with less than average equipment. This does not mean that you should break the bank buying high-end gear. You can still be on your best performance using everyday equipment that has been configured for efficient gaming.

As you sharpen your reflexes and reaction, it is pertinent to use gaming gear that can keep up with your heightened senses. Your monitors and TVs should have a maximum lag of 20 milliseconds – anything higher and you may always be one step behind the game. Also, ensure that they have an optimal refresh rate of 144Hz.

We also recommend that your mouse be large enough to fit comfortably in your palm and that the DPI settings be tuned to your preferences. And don’t forget your headphones. The best gamers are the ones who can fully immerse themselves in their play. You should opt for standard gaming headphones that can tune out the noise around you and seamlessly transport you to the world on your screen.

Practice, Practice, Practice…And Make Sure To Learn From The Pros

You must have seen this one from a mile off but it is the truth. The relentless practice is the surest way to improving your reaction time as a gamer. We recommend putting in two to four hours of playtime daily, just so that you don’t wear out your eyes and fingers. During this window, make sure to play every chance you get. Alone. With friends. With strangers online. On a different difficulty level or map. As you game, make mental notes of the areas where you are lacking and practice until you have synchronized your hand-eye coordination.

And of course, make sure to learn from pros who have mastered their art. You can observe your favorite streamers to learn how they respond to stimuli in-game or you can simply sign up for some courses. Ours here at Gamerzclass are taught only by the best players who have honed their craft in their games of specialty. After completing one, you can be sure of playing like a pro in little to no time.

So there you have it! Our proven strategies for increasing your finger speed as a gamer. They have worked for us over the years, so we are sure they will work for you too. Just be sure not to overwork your muscles during exercise and also observe short breaks when playing for long stretches for time. We can’t wait to hear your stories of improvement soon.

Want to become the best player version of yourself? Start reading our complete guide on how to become a better player!

Top 7 Exercises on How to Improve Reflexes

To have great reflex actions means using your sensitivity to be able to react almost instantly to a detectable change within your external environment.

In boxing, this simply means dodging and slipping punches and also hitting the point at which the target moves to.

Having extraordinary reflexes will undoubtedly take your game to the next level.

For some fighters, it comes naturally but it’s a skill that can certainly be improved simply by practicing. If you want to know how to improve reflexes, then master the following exercises.

1) Double End Bag

The double end bag should be mandatory equipment within your training regime. It allows you to work on your punch co-ordination, timing and reflexes.

There is the double double end bag which helps you with body shots as well as head shots. However, for rapid reflexes you want to work on the single double end bag as it bounces back and forth at a faster pace.

The aim is speed, accuracy and timing, not power. If you’re new to this, it will take a while to get used to. Focus on your straight shots in ones and twos, then once you get used to it, aim for three or four punches in a row.

You can check out the top 5 best rated double end bags here.

2) Elastic Head Ball

The elastic head ball is just a soft bouncy ball that’s attached to a head gear (snap back cap is fine) with an elastic cord.

As far as I know, it doesn’t seem like you can purchase this piece of equipment. However, it took me about 20 minutes to make one, although it only lasted a few weeks due to a weak cord used.

You must hit it with straight punches consistently and after every hit on target, the ball accelerates so your reactions must be very sharp to catch it. This is great for improving your hand-to-eye co-ordination.

This is not a common training technique (not that I’ve seen anyway) but I first saw it when Kostya Tszyu used it during training.

3) Pad Work

Proper pad work helps on many aspects of your boxing. It helps with your technique, body positioning, co-ordination and balance. It’s so useful because once you add a defensive element to your pad work, you’re actually mimicking your offensive and defensive movements inside of the ring.

However, the ideal type of pad work that will improve your reflexes and inside fighting the most is the one made famous by Floyd Mayweather Jr and his uncle Roger Mayweather. All movements whether blocking, slipping or hitting are very short and accurate, therefore making it better for reactive movements.

Many trainers focus on mid-long range and don’t know how to do this type of pad work, so you may have a difficult time finding the ideal partner for this. You can watch one of Mayweather’s pad sessions here.

4) Coin Catch

This is a fun exercise that you can do by yourself at home. You may have even done it before. The movement used in the coin catch exercise is similar to parrying a punch, so it will help you in that respect.

Put one of your arms out (keep it slightly bent) with your palm facing downwards anywhere between the height of your stomach to your chest.
Place a coin on top of your hand just before where your knuckles are.
In that position, throw the coin upwards slightly and in try to catch it in one swift movement with the same hand.
To make things more difficult, you can line 2 or 3 coins in a row from your fingers to your wrist, and then repeat the process.

5) Coin Drop

This is another exercise that involves a coin and also doesn’t require a lot of space. You would need any partner to help you with this exercise.

Stand about two arm’s length directly opposite your partner.
Get your partner to hold and drop a coin from around your chest height.
Your aim is to catch the coin with one hand before it reaches the ground.

This exercise is great for helping you find the target whenever your opponent bends at the waist or drops his knees.

6) Reaction Ball

A reaction ball is a 6-sided small ball that bounces in unpredictable directions and will help to improve your hand-to-eye co-ordination, reaction, reflexes and quickness of your hands and feet. There are a variety of different exercises that you can do with this handy piece of equipment, but you would need somewhere spacious. These include:

Drop & Catch – Drop the ball starting from around waist height, let it bounce once then catch it. Gradually increase the height as you improve.

Ball Toss – From a split stance (a runner’s stance), throw the ball high up (around 2-3 metres), allow the ball to bounce once and then try to catch it.

Wall Toss – Stand about 8-10 feet away from a solid wall. Throw the ball underhand against the wall, let it bounce once and then try to catch it using either one or both hands.

The best starting position for the drop & catch and wall toss is the athletic stance. You have to stand with your legs apart (just a bit further than shoulder length), hips back, knees bent and feet inline horizontally. There is an excellent demonstration of the reaction ball exercises here.

You can also check out some reaction balls here. They’re inexpensive and a good investment to help you with your reflexes.

7) Foam Sticks

Some trainers use foam sticks in a similar way to pads, not as a replacement, but as an addition because they’re lighter, faster and have a further reach.

Punches can come from all angles, and foam sticks are great for improving your peripheral vision reflexes. Get a partner to stand directly in front of you and perform an offense and defense pad work drill.

While you remain in the same position, get your partner to stand 45 degrees and do a defensive pad work drill. Repeat the same at 90 degrees and then switch to the other side also. All the while you must face forward and only use the corner of your eyes to dodge the foam stick.

Conclusion

There are certain fighters such as Roy Jones Jr & Pernell Whitaker that have cat like reflexes which lets them get away with many fundamentally incorrect maneuvers. Their amazing reflexes is one of the attributes that made them so exciting to watch but more often than not, it’s also what lead to their downfall.

This is usually because they have either failed to learn the fundamentals of boxing, or they’ve just become accustomed to bad habits. Let this be a lesson that even though you have excellent reflexes, you should not rely solely upon them when it comes to defense.

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To get the most out of your training, I highly recommend the following articles:

► How to Increase Punching Power
► 10 Tips to Improve Boxing Footwork
► Boxing Basics
► Top 10 Best Heavy Punching Bags
► Top 10 Best Boxing Gloves

Want To Be Quicker? Here Are 10 Food That Can Boost Your Reflexes

Food for reflexes: Berries are an excellent source of protein to help build reflexes

Highlights

Eggs are a great source of tyrosine which directly impacts reflexes
Get your fair share of soy foods, as they are great for the brain
Avocados encourage blood flow, but are high on fats

There is more than one way to boost your all important reflexes. You might want to pick up a sport like table tennis or dodgeball and play it regularly. Or you may try to improve your mental ability by working on your peripheral vision and practising mindfulness. Believe it or not, even playing video games can improve your reflexes. On the other hand, food is also one of the ways to boost your reflexes. If you feed yourself some nutritious and healthy foods rich in protein, complex carbohydrates and good fats, your body’s reflexes will automatically benefit. There’s many options you could go for.

Also read: Here’s The Secret Behind Suresh Raina’s Quick Reflexes On The Field!

Here are some food options that can boost your reflexes:

1. Leafy green vegetables and garlic: Both green vegetables and garlic have been seen to increase cognitive functioning. They are rich in Vitamin K, lutein, folate and beta carotene. Additionally, they hold decent quantities of protein. This is extremely beneficial for your brain function and reflexes. Spinach in particular has been seen to boost your reflexes as per research conducted in the Netherlands.

Leafy green veggies are good for your brain and reflexes
Photo Credit: iStock

2. Omelettes and other egg preparations: Eggs are extremely rich in an amino acid called tyrosine. This is the building block toward production of various hormones in the body, which increase energy, alertness and even improve your mood. Tyrosine is also heavily present in spinach.

3. Various beans: Being extremely rich in proteins, beans can be your go-to food for excellent brain health. They are also packed with omega-3 fatty acids important for brain development. Lima beans are also seen to contain high levels of tyrosine.

4. Edible seeds: Pumpkin and sesame seeds have been seen to contain high amounts of tyrosine, while sunflower seeds are great for the brain. They increase memory and cognitive function as well.

Also read: Nuts boost BP regulating reflex

5. Meats: Numerous varieties of meats are incredibly rich in tyrosine. Chicken and turkey are prime examples of the same and can really boost this amino acid in your body to quicken your reflexes. Lamb and pork are decent options as well. Vitamin B12 found in red meat is also incredibly important for its functioning.

6. Yogurt, cheese and dairy: Dairy products, specially cheese and yogurt are key contributors to your tyrosine levels. One food that seems to stand out of this is cottage cheese and paneer. Additionally, dairy products can help the brain reduce oxidative stress, which can lead to a boost in energy and thereafter increase alertness and better your reflexes.

Dairy products like yogurt can be great to give a boost to your reflexes
Photo Credit: iStock

Also read: 6 Foods For Neuronutrition: You Must Eat These For Good Brain Health

7. Fresh bananas: In addition to boosting your reflexes, bananas also the capability of boosting your mood, and making you just that little bit for relaxed and happy

8. Avocados: Again, another tyrosine favourite. Avocados are rich in healthy fats, and contribute to healthy blood flow to the brain. They are high in calories though, so you must tread lightly.

9. Nuts and berries: Numerous varieties of nuts and berries, specially blueberries and walnuts are excellent for your brain. They’re great sources of protein, and berries are rich in antioxidants as well, which will help your blood flow.

10. Soy foods: Finally, soy foods are excellent sources of protein, tyrosine, healthy fat and complex carbohydrates. They really are the ultimate vegan food, and are the brain boosting food you have been looking for.

In extreme cases of poor reflexes, you may even want to consider supplements, and most importantly try to get a good night’s sleep. These solutions can go a long way in boosting your reflexes.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

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13 Ways to Improve Your Fighting Reflexes – Law Of The Fist

There are many questions that arise pertaining to the improvement of reflexes.

Trainers, upcoming boxers and boxing enthusiasts have numerous questions in regard to reflexes.

These range from ‘What if I’m naturally slow, can I improve it?’ to ‘What if I can’t even see the incoming punches?’.

And that’s the reason why we decided to come up with the blog with an intention of not only answering the physical side but the mental side as well.

Many trainers believe that reflexes have everything to do with genetics.

It’s not just sport but even in terms of your body shape, hormones and overall growth, these parameters are all linked to your genesis. What about reflexes? They’re the same. But not entirely. While your reflexes might be poor at first, we as humans are sensory beings.

We have beautifully designed bones, muscles, and nervous systems all of which aid in the physical and mental movement.

These elements combined help shape up our reactive movement. Unlike plants, we aren’t stationary, we have our six senses and our body over the years responds to stimuli in a certain way.

And genetics, in general, has very little to do with trained reflexes as compared to our exposure to sense stimulation since our childhood.

Let me give you an example: A child forced to evaluate things and think critically may end up being smarter.

Similarly, a child that has played sport his whole life will generally be more athletic as compared to a child that has played indoor games like Gaming, Board Games, etc.

I’m not saying that genetics don’t make a difference, they do, but only to a certain extent.

The major role is played by your response to stimulus in all those years of growing up. Lastly, as long as you do the instinctive ability to react, there’s always room for training your boxing reflexes.

I apologize for diving too deep into the whole development subject but there are many people who blame genetics without putting in the work.

So, I just wanted to clear the misconception so people don’t get discouraged thinking they don’t possess the ability.

Now that we’re through the understanding and the chances of improving the reflexes, let’s learn how to develop trained reflexes.

How to Improve Your Fighting Reflexes

Fast reflexes are the standard of being a fighter. If anything, boxing is little more than a battle of reflexes. One man’s reflexes versus another’s.

Sure there’s skill, there’s strategy, strength, and all those other qualities. But without the reflexes to utilize those abilities, you won’t survive the round, let alone win the match.

Now there’s a difference between just being fast and having TRAINED fighting reflexes. It’s the difference between jerking your head back instinctively versus slipping and countering with a knockout punch.

It’s a long road to developing knockout counters as second nature. But I’ll show you how to get there.

What are fighting reflexes?

A fighting reflex is a physical response to a fighting stimulus.

A fighting stimulus could be:

an opponent’s punch
a discovered opening in your opponent’s guard
any movement in your opponent
a sudden opportunity created somehow during a fight

A physical response could be:

you throwing a punch
you defending the punch
you moving away
any movement you make

A fighter with fast reflexes is one that responds quickly to a stimulus.

A fighter with GOOD reflexes is one that responds effectively to a stimulus.

Naturally, you’d want to have the FASTER AND BETTER reflexes.

Fast reflexes doesn’t help,
if you’re not reacting effectively.

Is it possible to improve your reflexes?

What percentage of reflexes are genetics?
But what if I’m naturally slow?
What if I’m the slowest person in the gym?
What if I can’t even see the punches?

This is a sad issue I have to address because of all the people with insecurity problems. I will explain it like this:

We are sensory beings. We have intricate nervous systems, bones, muscles, and all sorts of highly evolved physical functions to facilitate reactive movement. We are not plants that wave in the wind. And we’re not stationary rocks in the landscape. We see, we hear, we smell, we touch, we taste, and we think. Our bodies were made to respond to stimuli.

And genetics has less to do with trained reflexes than our amount of exposure to sense stimulation over the years. A kid forced to think critically throughout his or her life will grow up smarter. A kid that’s played sports his whole life will be more athletic than one that’s watched TV his whole childhood. Genetics still matters but nowhere near as much as your upbringing and all the stimulus that’s happened to you AFTER childbirth.

If you can play video games, you can improve your fighting reflexes.
If you can send rapid fire text messages on your iPhone, you can improve your fighting reflexes.
If you can scream when you touch a hot pan, you can improve your fighting reflexes.

As long as you have the instinctive ability to react,
you can train your fighting reflexes.

The Secret to Developing Fighting Reflexes

The goal is to develop TRAINED REFLEXES!

A reflex could be ANY reaction.

a punch
a flinch
a duck
a panic maneuver

A TRAINED REFLEX is an EFFECTIVE reaction:

a counter-punch
a defensive move

This is why I could care less if someone was ‘genetically fast” or not. Without the skill training, a fast person wouldn’t have that much of an advantage. If you pit two total beginners together, the one with faster reflexes would win. But once you pit two experienced fighters together, the one with the better TRAINED reflexes would win.

And what is a TRAINED REFLEX?

A trained reflex is an effective reaction most appropriate to the stimuli.

Sense the stimuli
React to the stimuli

Did you see the big secret? STIMULI, then REACTION! The stimuli first, the reaction second. Better yet, let me say it this way…

REACT TO THE STIMULI!

WHICH MEANS….

TRAIN FOR THE STIMULI!

And say it one more time with me really loudly….TRAIN FOR THE STIMULI!

If you want to get good at reacting to punches, you need to train by looking at punches!

That’s all it is. The better you get at sensing the punches, the better you will get at responding to them. You want to get better at seeing punches, hearing punches, feeling punches, sensing punches even before they’re thrown. The focus should always be on the stimuli.

Common Reflex Training Mistake #1 – not training with the right stimuli

And you have to train with the RIGHT STIMULI. If you want to get better at slipping punches, you need to have punches thrown at you. There’s no other way. Playing pingpong is not going to help. Dodging tennis balls as your friend throws them at you is not going to help. Sure, having fast reflexes in ANY activity is a physical advantage, but ultimately the guy with better trained BOXING reflexes will win the BOXING match.

Focusing on anything other than defending punches is going to be a giant waste of time! At best, you’d improve your coordination and instinctive reflexes, but you wouldn’t get any better at sensing punches or develop any effective reflexes. More on this later.

Common Reflex Training Mistake #2 – focusing on the reaction

So many boxer waste their time by doing the wrong kinds of drills for reflex training:

practicing the defensive motion (slipping in front of the mirror or under the rope)
practicing the counter punches (on the bag or in the mirror)

I’m not saying these drills aren’t useful (they are certainly essential for boxing training). My point is that they’re terrible for developing fighting reflexes. It’s common to see a beginner practice slipping motions in front of the mirror for a whole week, and then get destroyed in the ring, because he STILL CAN’T SEE THE PUNCHES COMING. What did he expect? How can you slip a punch if you can’t see it?

Just because I spend time slipping in front of the mirror and throwing punches on the bag, doesn’t mean I’m trained to see counter-punching opportunities. Shadowboxing and bag work has more do to with technique and conditioning. If I want to develop reflexes, I need to have punches thrown at me. Having a partner throw punches at me (even without contact) while I move around the ring will be far more effective for my reflex development because it exposes me to the stimuli (punches being thrown).

The secret to reflex training,
is to focus on the stimuli!

Boxing Drills to Improve Fighting Reflexes

At last, we have arrived at the reflex training process!

1. Slow sparring

If you’ve been reading my website for a while, you’ll know I’m one of the biggest proponents of slow sparring. I’m not saying all sparring should be slow. I’m saying slow sparring is an incredible tool for fight training to speed up your fighting skill development. Sure you can spar fast, but make sure you still do slow sparring. Slow sparring gives you time to relax, feel, think, and come up with new creative responses.

Most important of all, slow sparring really gives you a chance to take in all the sensory information from your opponent’s movement. How does he move? Where does his power originate from? What’s the first giveaway of his left hook? Where does his jab come from? Slow sparring gives you time to absorb all this and process it. Fast sparring forces you into a “move or die” attitude where you only remember how to avoid punches but you never actually get to see the punches you’re supposed to be responding to. Hard sparring fails the moment it becomes so hard that you no longer want to “sense” the punches.

I’m pretty sure 80% of you reading this are not going to try slow sparring. Either because A) you’re already comfortable enough with fighting that you don’t need to. Or B) You don’t even fight much and care more about the technical/strategic aspects about boxing rather than the actual execution ability itself.

But I will say this…the ability to absorb stimuli is what makes you great in anything that you do. The ability to see, and sense, and feel everything coming your way…that’s what makes you great at responding to it.

And in boxing, the fighter that can respond to his opponent intelligently yet instinctively, THAT’S THE REAL FIGHTER. Real fighters don’t need to think, don’t need to remember anything. They only respond and they do it naturally. And the best fighters have more fine-tuned reactions because they can sense more things. So having a great defense has more to do with being able to sense different kinds of punches, rather than to knowing many ways to slip punches.

Great fighters can sense more things
than lesser fighters.

2. Focus Mitts

If you don’t have a sparring partner or for whatever reason can’t get someone to throw even slow-motion punches at you, focus mitts will be the next best thing. Now I’m not talking about the mindless full-blast mitt punching where you throw all your power and get tired in 2 minutes. I’m referring to controlled mitt drills where you simultaneously attack and defend against punches and learn how to adapt to your partner’s movements.

This is how I work the mitts with a new fighter:

I lift the mitt quickly to give him a jab, and then I take the mitt away after a second.
I don’t say anything, I don’t directly “teach” him anything per say. I just lift the mitt momentarily and then take it away. And I keep doing this as we move around each other in the ring.
After a while, he gets smart and learns to jab the mitt as soon as it pops up. He learns to be more responsive and to watch for the opportunity.
Next I show the mitt and right after he throws the jab, I flash him the other mitt for a right hand opportunity. He’ll probably not see it because he was too focused on the jab, but at least now he knows to be more aware of other opportunities.
I go back to only offering surprise jabs. I wouldn’t want him choreographing the combination in his head. I want to teach him how to respond!
Finally, I flash him the 1-2 opportunity and this time he gets it!
Now I give him some jabs and 1-2’s in random intervals. I don’t move on until he learns to respond perfectly to both.
Now I give him a 1-2, and follow up with a 3-2 opportunity. Eventually he understands how to throw a 1-2-3-2 combination without me saying a single word!
Now I give him a 1-2-3-2, but now after he throws the last right hand, I slap him with my left mitt high on the side of his head. He quickly learns to watch for the left hook after throwing a right hand.
Then I give a 1-2-3-2 combo, swing a high left hook for him to duck under, and then I give him a 2-3-2 combo.
As the rounds go by, I give him different opportunities to throw and evade.

This takes time but eventually I’ve trained a fighter to look for punching opportunities while staying defensively alert. I don’t say anything and I correct him very little if at all. I’m careful to move in ways that create effective BUT NATURAL habits in his response. It won’t be long before he can throw entire combinations while defending simultaneously…and all without thinking!

This might sound like magic to some of you, but it’s really not. A good trainer can teach you how to fight without making you remember anything, without making you feel unnatural, and even almost without making you think! It’s like all you have to do is stand in front of him and he will make you respond like a boxer.

3. Shadowbox Sparring

Get a partner and shadowbox in front of each other as if you’re sparring except only you don’t make any contact. It sounds like a silly drill but it’s deadly effective. You learn how to look at real punches and how to respond to real movements.

Just the fact that you’re spending time looking at a real human being in front of you will do you a lot of good. You are being exposed to realistic fighting stimuli! The probably with training alone on the heavy bag or shadowboxing alone is that it doesn’t challenge your eyes, doesn’t challenge your mind, and doesn’t give your body anything to sense. You just kind of stand there and throw punches like a robot. And then you get in the ring and can’t hit your opponent because you can’t tell where he’s going to be next.

4. Double-End Bag

Last but not least, the double end bag. It’s not as good as having a live person throw punches at you but at least you’re forced to hit a moving target and be defensively aware at the same time. At least you’re forced to adapt and respond to something.

This is why many higher level fighters don’t bother with the heavy bag too much. Their punching technique is already good and they’d rather save their bones for crushing skulls. The double-end bag keeps their eyes sharp and senses alert.

The Goal of Fighting Reflex Drills

1. Learn how to SEE punches

It’s ALL about the eyes!

That’s the beauty of reflex drills. They force you to react honestly. Sometimes, we want to slip like Mike Tyson or Floyd Mayweather but then we get in the ring and react differently. This is BEAUTIFUL! Because you DON’T want to react like Floyd Mayweather (trust me), you want react NATURALLY…the way your body lets you react. Maybe it’s ugly or awkward or ineffective or doesn’t feel good but at least it’s an honest reaction. With time and training, your reactions will become more effective.

The first step of improving your fighting reactions is to respond honestly to the fighting stimulus. And you cannot respond effectively if you’re so busy trying to slip a certain way or counter a certain way.

You can’t defend a punch you can’t see.

What does a punch look like? It’s a funny question but believe me A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T KNOW! (Because if they did, they would have seen it and avoided it easily!) What does a right cross look like? If you had to wait until the right arm was fully extended, you are WAY TOO LATE. Too late to block, too late to counter, too late to do anything.

You have to be able to “see” the right cross BEFORE it becomes a right cross. This means being able to see the shoulder twitch that becomes a right cross. This means being able to see a sudden rotation in the body that generates power for the right cross. If anything, the hand itself should be the last thing you should be looking for.

Again, don’t rely on the heavy bag so much because it doesn’t give you anything to see. Your eyes become lazy and dead because they’re not being used. If you’re going to do bag work, at least try the double-end bag so it sharpens your eyes.

2. Learn how to FEEL punches

You won’t have to look for punches,
if you can feel them coming.

After you know how to detect and see incoming punches, the next thing you’ll want to do is develop your ability to feel them coming in. I’ll break it down for you. When I first started boxing, I got hit with everything because I couldn’t see the punches coming in.

After a few months, I started to notice when jabs were being thrown, when right hands were coming, when a left hook was about to launch, etc. I knew exactly what every punch looked like and where it was coming from and all that. But this wasn’t good enough. Being able to see a punch only allows you to defend it. You need something more if you want to be able to counter it.

What took me to the next level was being able to FEEL the punches coming. So just from one tiny little slip that my opponent made, I could feel his feet gripping the ground, I could feel his core tighten and chest loading up, and I visualized him throwing the left hook. And this all happened in my head before he actually threw the hook. But once that left hook came, I was ready, and I slipped and I countered easily.

Now how the heck was I able to FEEL his punches? It’s part training, part experience, and part magic. It’s beautiful that we boxers can reach a level of instantaneous reactions.

I’m not 100% sure how I slipped a 4 punch combination without thinking about it. But what I’m sure of is that I couldn’t have done it without paying complete attention to my opponent. I can feel when he wants to move, I can tell when he wants to punch, I can tell if he’s really hurt or not. Somehow, I know what he’s going to do. I’m totally in-sync with his body and mind. And this magical ability to “feel the punches” can’t be developed on the heavy bag or shadowboxing. You have to work with a live person to develop it.

3. Learn to STOP THINKING

This right here is the truth!

The ability to do something is pretty much the ability to do it without thinking. If I ask you to show me a jab, and you have to think about it, remember it in your head, warm up a few times, and then finally throw it…it’s obvious you can’t jab. Being really able to do something means you can do it without thinking.

To be a fighter,
means to be able to fight WITHOUT THINKING.

Michael Jordan doesn’t have to think about his arm when he shoots a 3-pointer! Cheetahs don’t think about running form when they’re chasing down their dinner! I don’t think about what my legs are doing when I walk to the bathroom! I just do it. We sometimes don’t even know what we’re doing until somebody asks us the question. Most of the time, we just do things as we feel—naturally, instinctively, and without thinking.

The problem with beginners – they have to think too much

That right there is the problem! If you have to think, then it’s not a reflex anymore. The moment you have to think in order to do something, it becomes a process that requires mental preparation and therefore you’ll never be able to do it automatically.

But then some people go, “WHAT?! But I can’t do it if I don’t think about it.” And that’s where I answer, “THAT’S WHY YOU HAVE TO SEE AND FEEL!” And “seeing” and “feeling” can only be done with a live opponent. Now if you’re purposely avoiding the fight in the ring because you don’t want to “SEE & FEEL” punches because they’re painful, that’s a whole other story.

You cannot have fast reflexes,
if you have to think.

I used to spar as a beginner and not remember anything that happened in the ring. My hands and feet were everywhere and much of the action was too fast for my brain. Sure enough, my body responded instinctively and not at all like what I had practiced in the mirror. Little did I know, that was probably the best training I could have ever had. My body was learning how to see and feel, and bypassing my brain, in order to help me learn faster!

Which brings me to another point. The brain isn’t as helpful as you think when it comes to learning. Sometimes, the brain gets in the way, it plays tricks on you, and prevents you from performing at your natural best. Sometimes the best moves you’ll ever make are when you let go and simply enjoy the fight for what it is.

Real fighting knowledge lies deep in the muscle memory of your body and its ability to adapt to “combat impulses”. All the analytical thinking in the world doesn’t mean anything in a physical sport. This is why spectators who’ve watched boxing for years still can’t outbox a kid that’s only been training for six months.

Want to have great reflexes? Learn how to fight, learn how to punch and defend, master the movements, build a strong body, and then just let go. Let yourself feel the fight and develop natural habits and instincts. Train with a focus on the stimuli and you’ll quickly develop TRAINED FIGHTING REFLEXES!

How to Improve Your Reflexes

Reflexes are nerve signal-induced muscular reactions to external stimuli. For example, if you spot a baseball flying toward your head, your brain will send a signal to your hand to block the ball before it can hit you. Having good reflexes aids performance in sports, exercise, and everyday physical activities like crossing the street or driving. Some people are born with fast reflexes, and others must practice to attain a quicker reaction time to stimuli. Here are several techniques that can be employed to improve your reflex time.

Part 1: Improving Your Reflexes with Physical Exercises

1. Practice catching a rubber bouncy ball or a “reaction ball.” Reaction balls are six-sided rubber balls that bounce at unpredictable angles. They may be purchased at most sporting goods stores. Take one of these, or a simple quarter-machine bouncy ball, and toss it against an outdoor wall. Focus on catching the ball as it bounces back in your direction. Once your reflex time improves, throw the ball harder, challenging yourself to leap and dive to catch it.

2. Play jacks. For the days when you’re feeling more low key, grab a set of jacks. This classic children’s game comes with a small ball and twelve metal pieces. Start by lightly bouncing the ball and picking up as many jacks as possible. As you get better at the game, challenge yourself by bouncing the ball with greater speed. You may also spread the jacks farther apart to increase the game’s difficulty.

3. Play dodgeball with a partner. For this exercise, you need a large rubber or foam ball and a friend. Stand in front of a wall, either in a gym or outside in front of a building. Have your partner pitch the ball at you from a distance of ten or so feet away while you practice dodging it. As you get better at dodging the ball, ask your partner to throw it faster and from a closer distance.

To make this exercise more difficult, recruit a second pitcher to throw another ball quickly after you have dodged the first one.
Ask the pitchers to increase unpredictability by faking throws, throwing from different angles, and so on.
Playing dodgeball as a team sport is also a great way to improve reflexes. Practice fielding balls and kicking those that are pitched to you.

4. Try table tennis. Table tennis, or ping pong, is a great sport to help you improve your reflexes and hand-eye coordination. You can find tables or tabletop setups relatively affordably online or at many sporting goods stores. Alternatively, you can join a local table tennis group or club, which will allow you to face off with different partners and take on greater challenges as you work to improve your reflexes.

If you have never played table tennis before, a local club or group might be beneficial, as they can help you understand the basics of the game including form and skill-building.

5. Pick a sport to practice regularly. Many sports including hockey, tennis, badminton, racquetball, and lacrosse are great activities to help you build your reflexes. Look for an athletic activity where you have to manipulate an object such as a ball using a tool such as a racket or stick. These sports generally require quick reaction, and can help you build both reflexes and situational awareness.

6. Run a nature trail. Since it requires no special equipment or exercise partners, running in the woods may be the easiest way to begin improving your reflexes. Simply find the closest nature trail – preferably one with varied terrain, rather than a wide path – and start running. The uneven footing and unpredictable roots and rocks you’ll dodge will create a variety of stimuli to which your body will have to quickly react. The more often you hit the trail, the quicker your reflexes will get.

Begin by running at a slow speed. As you feel your reflexes improve over time, push yourself to run faster. Nature trails have a generally higher risk of injury, so it’s important to start slow.
Mix things up by choosing a different trail whenever possible. If you get too used to one particular trail, your brain will remember obstacles, and you won’t be improving your reflexes.
Run the same trail in the other direction if you don’t live close to many nature trails.

Part 2: Improving Your Reflexes with Mental Exercises

1. Improve your peripheral vision. Having a quick reaction time is dependent on being keenly aware of what’s coming. You can strengthen your ability to perceive obstacles and flying objects by paying more attention to your peripheral vision during everyday activities.

Look out a window that has a good view and focus your vision on a distant object. Keep looking at this object while you slowly let yourself become more aware of the objects that surround it on either side. Do this exercise once a day, widening your field of vision a little more each time. Gradually, you’ll get in the habit of noticing more objects in your peripheral vision.
While taking a walk or riding in a car, make a point of noticing objects that pop up in your peripheral vision. Practice naming the color of people’s hair and the make and model of passing cars as fast as you can.
Check out the video below for martial arts techniques used to improve peripheral vision.

2. Play video games. Playing video games well requires good hand-eye coordination. You must be able to move from thought to action without pause or you’ll quickly lose the game. Studies show that playing video games for a few minutes each day can help improve reflexes. First person shooters and role-playing games often require the most coordination, but any video game will do the trick.

3. Try hypnosis. Some people have found that a hypnosis technique called neuro-linguistic programming helps increase their awareness of a particular object, giving them the sensation that time has slowed down and they have more than enough time to react. Picture a sports movie that shows a quarterback watching a football arc toward him in slow motion. The football is not actually moving more slowly, of course, but according to its practitioners, neuro-linguistic programming can make it seem that way.

4. Practice mindfulness. Cultivate mindfulness through regular meditation or by focusing on the present moment. Clear your head and try to focus all of your attention on what is happening directly around you. Dismiss thoughts of the past or future and instead focus directly on the sights, sounds, and sensations in the current moment.

This will help you build awareness of surroundings that will allow you to notice more and potentially react more readily in situations.

Part 3: Negotiating Self-Care

1. Eat nutritious food. Keeping your body and brain in optimal shape is imperative if you want quick reflexes. Foods high in refined sugars and trans fats can make you feel sluggish. Make sure you are getting enough protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats.

Whole foods like nuts, fish, berries, greens, and garlic increase cognitive function.
Make sure to drink plenty of water as well, since dehydration can also lead to lethargy and decreased reflex times.

2. Consider supplements. Certain nutritional supplements are said to lead to improved reflexes. Ginseng, Gingko, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, and Omega 3’s have all been cited as dietary supplements that may be worth taking for better cognitive function and reaction times.

3. Get plenty of sleep. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), sleep helps you have quicker reflexes and perform on a higher level than you otherwise would. Both your body and brain slow down when you’re sleepy, resulting in impaired reflex reactions. Your reflexes will be quickest when you’re well-rested after seven to nine hours of sleep.

A good night’s sleep is made up of four or five sleep cycles, each of which consist of a period of deep sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. This adds up to seven to nine hours per night.
If you didn’t sleep well the night before an important race or game, taking a nap a few hours before the event will help you be more alert when it’s time to perform.

Final: Sample Exercises to Improve Reflexes

Exercises to Improve Reflexes
Vision Exercises to Improve Reflexes

The source: Wikihow

How to develop your reaction and movement speed with functional training

Achieving the maximum possible speed of reaction and movement is one of the main goals of functional training. When starting training, any athlete dreams of a dexterous body that instantly responds to any challenge. We offer a range of exercises available that will allow you to achieve impressive results as quickly as possible.

Running from various positions. This refers not only to sports running racks, but also unusual, sometimes inconvenient for starting a running posture – lying, sitting, lying on your stomach or back, in the direction opposite to the movement. You can run alone or in a group, but certainly for a while. Short distances of 10-20 meters are recommended. Run them 5-6 times in a row, then take a 1-2 minute break and repeat the series of runs. Do 3-4 sets during one workout.
Running at a distance of 30-60 meters with maximum acceleration. Repeat 3-4 races in one series, 3-4 series of races during one workout. Take short breaks between series to restore breathing.
Running for 10-30 meters “without a run.” Start from a standstill at maximum speed. Do the same number of repetitions as in the previous exercise.
Run fast for 20 seconds on hilly terrain or on a road full of vertical drops. Alternate running with walking for 1-2 minutes, perform 3-4 sets per workout.
Take a fighting stance, for several minutes take steps forward and backward, right and left. While changing racks, do several sets of 1-2 minutes each.
Running on all fours. Move as fast as you can, preferably in the form of a competition with a buddy.
Strike the projectile with your feet and hands singly, trying to do it with maximum frequency. In the absence of a punching bag, practice hitting the air.
Train a series of beats for 10 seconds each. Do 3-4 sets during your workout. Strike with your feet and hands, taking breaks between them for 2-3 minutes.
Jump in place while simultaneously making punches. Try to make as many hits as possible in one jump. Do 10-20 jumps on each arm in one session, for a total of 3-4 sessions per workout with rest breaks.
A 3-4 round fight with an imaginary opponent. During a duel with the “shadow” strike, carry out deceptive maneuvers, dodge oncoming blows. Rest for 1-2 minutes between rounds.
Place the palms of your hands together and make rhythmic movements with a large amplitude as quickly as possible. Duration of exercise – 5-10 seconds, perform several series during the workout.
Jumping rope, alternating jumping at speed with scrolling the projectile two or more times.
Jumping rope, which is rotated by two people. Jump for 5-6 minutes constantly accelerating.
Perform the exercise with a partner. Your task is to dodge the ball that he throws at you. During the game, the frequency of throws increases, or the distance between you and the thrower decreases. The duration of the exercise depends on how you feel.
The exercise involves two partners. One of them throws the ball, the other defends the conditional “gate”. His task is to hit the ball using only hands or only legs.As the exercise progresses, the playing conditions can be made more severe.
“Cam” – a traditional game for two, develops speed and reaction.
The partner strikes you alternately with the right or left hand. You, being in a protective stance, must dodge them. During the exercise, you can change hands, speed of blows and other rules.
Run up and down stairs at maximum speed. Without jumping over the steps, do 2-3 races with one minute breaks.Perform 5-6 sessions during your workout.
100-meter run with track and field obstacles. Run 6 runs per workout.
Jumping onto the curbstone with instant dismount. The height of the pedestal should increase over time from 30 to 60 cm.During training, perform 3-4 approaches, 10-20 jumps in each.
Throwing a tennis ball with the right and left hand at range and at the target.
Basketball and soccer ball throws.
Computer games (Yes, yes!). They develop speed of reaction, attention, logic and memory, but they do not need to be abused.

90,000 7 Easy Ways to Improve Your Reaction Speed

Athletes are not the only ones who need a good reaction. Energy and speed are equally useful in ordinary life situations, at work and when making important decisions.

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Below are seven easy ways to improve your reflexes:

1 . Go in for sports

That’s right. The most obvious way. It doesn’t matter if it’s boxing, soccer, or plate shooting. The main thing is practice. And the more of it, the better. Reflexes are an involuntary response to muscle memory, and any memory needs to be trained.

Response time or response time

What is response time or response time?

The response time or reaction time is the time that elapses from the moment the information is perceived to the response to it.In other words, it is the ability to detect, process, and respond to a stimulus.

Response time depends on several factors:

Perception : Being able to confidently see, hear or feel a stimulus is essential for a quick response. In athletics, when the judge gives the start signal, the sound reaches the athletes’ ears (they perceive the stimulus).
Information processing : To react in a timely manner, you need to concentrate and understand the information well.Following the above example, athletes, having heard the start signal, distinguish it in the general sound stream and understand that it is possible to start (they process the stimulus).
Response : Developed motor skills are necessary to respond in a timely manner to the stimulus. When the athletes have received and successfully processed the signal, they begin the race (react to the stimulus).

If any of these processes are interrupted, the response time will be negatively affected. In other words, an athlete with reduced reaction times will be at a disadvantage compared to their competitors.In addition, the response time of necessarily includes the motor component , as opposed to the processing speed. This is why good reaction time is equated with having good reflexes.

In the above example, the chain of processes (perception, processing and response) is executed in a fraction of a second, but the response time can vary depending on various factors :

Stimulus complexity : the more complex the stimulus, the more information needs to be processed, and it will take more time.
Simplicity, preparation and expectation : If you need to respond to familiar stimuli that we have already responded to earlier, the time spent processing information will be significantly reduced. The less new information needs to be processed, the faster our response will be. If (as in the athletics example) you expect a stimulus to appear (athletes know that they will be given a signal), the reaction time will be even shorter.
Body condition : The reaction time can be negatively affected by factors such as fatigue, alertness (sleepiness), high fever, old age, or even overeating or the use of substances such as alcohol and drugs.This can adversely affect both the detection of the stimulus and its processing and response to it.
Stimulated Sensory Modality : Response times will be better when the stimulus that triggers the response is auditory rather than visual, as such stimuli take less time to process. Each sensory modality implies a different response time.

In addition to the factors listed above, the response time will also be affected by the type of stimulus that we process:

Simple : a single response to one stimulus.For example, when we press the space bar after each new word on the computer screen.
Alternative : different responses to different stimuli. For example, on a keyboard, we press the left arrow key if a word appears in English, and press the right arrow key if the word is in Spanish.
Based on selection : given different stimuli, we only have to respond to one of them. For example, press the space bar when a word appears in Spanish.If a word appears in English, do not touch the keys.

Why is reaction time important and how does it affect our lives? Good response times allow us to be flexible and efficient in responding to different stimuli and situations. When talking, when we are driving or doing sports, etc. Adequate response times are beneficial for us, but we also need to process the information correctly: if we are asked a question during an interview, we are expected to respond quickly and correctly.Another example: when we are faced with unforeseen situations, driving a car or exercising in the gym, it happens in a similar way – it is not enough to act fast, it is not enough to act well, you need to do it at the same time. Fortunately, response times can be trained and improved.

Examples of response times

If you are driving and suddenly notice a pedestrian at the crossing, the time during which we notice the pedestrian, decide to brake and perform this action is the reaction time.This cognitive ability can save us from many accidents.
In a boxing match or football match, it is extremely important to detect the opponent’s movement in time, to predict his actions and to react as quickly and accurately as possible.
Good reaction times will be key to the outcome.
You are in a building and suddenly you notice a fire. In this case, the reaction time is the time you need to find the nearest fire extinguisher immediately after detecting a fire.
The child is in physical education class and must start running at the teacher’s signal. The time taken to start after the teacher’s signal will be the response time.
When a guard detects suspicious activity, the time it takes to react can be critical to successfully intervening in the situation. If he detects, for example, a theft, the reaction time will be the time interval between the moment when he noticed the theft and the beginning of the persecution.

Pathologies and disorders associated with reaction time

Any type of disorder in which perception, information processing or motor skills are impaired will also affect reaction time. This is why reaction time is a cognitive ability, very sensitive to various lesions. For example, vision or hearing problems such as blindness or deafness can result in decreased reaction times due to impaired perception.Patients with bradypsy (mental retardation) or dementia, such as those with Alzheimer’s , may have reduced processing speed, resulting in slower reaction times. Conversely, impulsive people or those with ADHD may also have problems processing information, and therefore reaction time. Regarding the moment of response itself, people with akinesia or bradykinesia (as in patients with Parkinson’s disease ), or motor problems such as hemiparesis or other types of paralysis, may also have difficulty initiating a motor response if necessary.In general, any neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s disease , Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, or Huntington’s chorea will experience an impaired reaction time as a result of brain damage during the course of the disease. Finally, brain damage caused by head injury or stroke can also affect any of these three processes and negatively affect reaction times.

It should be noted that one of the disorders that can significantly affect the speed of information processing is diffuse axonal brain injury (DAP).Concussion (for example, from a blow to the head or sudden braking of a car) damages the neural connections. The movement that occurs in the brain leads to tension or tearing of axons (the part of a neuron that forms connections with other neurons, the white matter of the brain). This does not only happen in one specific area of the brain – axons are injured throughout the entire brain area, causing diffuse damage. As a result, the speed of information processing slows down, and, consequently, the reaction time.Unfortunately, this is a fairly common occurrence and usually implies a poor prognosis.

On the other hand, it is not just brain trauma that can impair reaction times. There are various life circumstances that can negatively affect this cognitive ability. Sleep, mood, anxiety, even lack of attention can alter reaction times. Unlike other factors, these causes can be eliminated much easier and faster.

How to measure and evaluate reaction times?

Reaction time is present in most of our daily activities.The ability to interact with the environment and respond to unforeseen changes directly depends on our response time. Thus, the assessment of reaction time is important and can be useful in various areas of life: in school (it will help us to find out if the child has problems with perception, information processing or motor skills, and associated difficulties in learning), in the medical field (for identifying disorders in patients related to perception, information processing or motor skills), in a professional environment (helps to determine which workers are best equipped for types of work associated with the need to act quickly under certain circumstances).

Various cognitive functions, including reaction time, can be effectively and reliably assessed using comprehensive neuropsychological testing. The tests offered by CogniFit for assessing reaction time are based on the classic tests: NEPSY, Attention Variables Test (TOVA), Continuous Function Test (CPT), Simulated Memory Disorder (TOMM) and Visual Organization Problem Hooper (VOT). In addition to reaction time, working memory, visual scanning, hand-eye coordination, inhibition, monitoring, naming, visual perception, contextual memory, recognition, focused attention, and spatial perception can also be measured.

Investigation Test REST-COM: Drawings of objects appear for a short time. Then, as soon as possible, you need to select the word that matches the presented images.
Decoding Test VIPER-NAM: Images of objects appear briefly on the screen and then disappear. Following this, four letters appear, and only one of them corresponds to the first letter of the object’s name, you must select this letter correctly. The task must be completed as quickly as possible.
Recognition Test WOM-REST: Three objects appear on the screen. First, you need to remember the order of their appearance as quickly as possible. Then four series of three objects will appear, which are different from those previously presented. It is necessary to restore the original sequence.
Decision Test REST-SPER: Several moving stimuli appear on the screen. It is necessary to quickly select the desired stimuli, while avoiding clicking on the rest.
Speed Test REST-HECOOR: A blue square appears on the screen.You need to click on it as quickly as possible, staying inside the square. The more times the button is pressed in the allotted time, the better the results will be.
Information Processing Test REST-INH: In this task, two blocks with different numbers and shapes will appear on the screen. First, you need to react to the size of the shape and specify the tallest one. Then you will need to select the block with the largest digit from the presented ones.

How can I restore or improve the reaction time?

Reaction time, like other cognitive abilities, can be trained and improved.CogniFit makes it possible to do it professionally. Rehabilitation reaction time based on brain plasticity . CogniFit offers a series of exercises to train and improve response time and other cognitive functions. The brain and its neural connections are strengthened by using the functions that depend on them. Therefore, if we regularly train reaction times, the connections of neurons in the involved structures of the brain are strengthened. Thus, as a result of training this ability, the neural connections will work faster, improving our response time.

CogniFit consists of an experienced team of professionals specializing in the study of the processes of synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis. This made it possible to create a cognitive stimulation program that adapts to the needs of each user. The program starts with an accurate assessment of reaction time and other basic cognitive functions. As a result of testing, the CogniFit Cognitive Stimulation Program automatically proposes a personalized training plan to improve response times and enhance other cognitive functions that are assessed as needed.

To improve your reaction time, you must train correctly and regularly. CogniFit offers tools to test and rehabilitate this cognitive function in order to optimize it.
For correct stimulation, you need to devote 15 minutes a day to training, two or three times a week .

The CogniFit Cognitive Stimulation Program is available online . A variety of interactive activities are presented in the form of fun brain games that can be played with the computer.At the end of each session, CogniFit shows a detailed diagram of the cognitive improvements.

90,000 Training reaction at home. How to improve your reflexes. How to increase the speed of reaction to hearing

There are different situations in life, from which sometimes you need to be able to get out very quickly. But only if someone with a good reaction is lucky, then this cannot be said about every person. But on the other hand, absolutely any inhabitant of the Earth, regardless of age, social status and money, can independently find out how to make a reaction faster.

Such skills will be especially useful for those who go in for sports, have fought at least once in their life or did not have time to dodge the sword during unloved physical education. After all, you don’t want to seem awkward, feel a ringing in your head from a blow, and even end up in the hospital after your little mistake.

No matter how scary the “diagnosis” of a bad reaction may seem, it can be “cured”, moreover, independently. Undoubtedly, persistence is indispensable here, but isn’t all the effort worth it to no longer be afraid of physical education lessons or go to the gym with your head held high and show all your skills?

For the development of such a useful reflex, there is a whole complex developed by real experts in their field.But today we will talk about three exercises to improve the reaction.

How to Improve Reflex: Tennis Ball Exercise

Start with the lightest exercise, which requires a flat wall and a small tennis ball. Initially, we take it in our right hand, throw it against the wall and catch it again with our right hand. After ten minutes, the principle remains, only the right hand changes to the left. And again we work out the exercise for ten minutes.

After this, the task becomes a little more complicated: the ball is thrown against the wall with the right hand, but caught with the left, after the first attempt we change hands.

How to improve your reaction: exercise with a bottle

For the second exercise, you need to take a small plastic bottle from under the mineral water, fill it up to half with water and hang it on the horizontal bar, near which the training will take place. The main thing is that the bottle can swing from side to side.

After that, for five to seven minutes we swing the bottle and avoid it with our face. The main goal is not to get a single hit with the bottle.

For the next ten minutes, while dodging the bottle, you can imagine that there is an opponent nearby, whose blows need to be blocked, for example, with a side blow to the body.

The last stage of this exercise resembles a shadow boxing, since this time you need to protect not only the face, but also the back of the head from blows, moreover, to have time to inflict several blows on your “opponent”.

Exercise by Muhammad Ali

The following exercise is done only in pairs and was used by Muhammad Ali himself, a famous boxer who had a great reaction.

To do this, you need to stand at the wall, and the second person must throw four small balls in the face of the “subject” in turn.But be sure to aim for the head, so that there is a good incentive to dodge. The complexity of the proposed exercise is estimated by the distance and the force of the blow, which should increase with approaching the wall.

Fight ball simulator

There is another tool that will save a person from thinking how to improve the reaction rate. This is also a good exercise, but it is done with a special fight ball simulator. But, since not everyone has this device, the above three exercises will be enough for a start.

If you practice regularly, then after a short period of time there will be noticeable improvements in terms of reaction, stamina, willpower, if necessary, the blow will become more accurate, your own body will feel better, and in general, such a skill can be useful on a regular day of everyday life.

By the way, many argue that after the improvement of the reaction, it became much easier to notice everything that is happening around, concentrate on the necessary things and not be afraid to show your skills and abilities.

What does the reaction speed depend on?

First of all, the reaction rate depends on the speed of transmission of nerve impulses and the characteristics of the nervous system. They are individual and congenital.
It is practically impossible to increase these indicators. However, with constant training, the reaction speed can be noticeably improved.

It also depends on factors such as:

Gender and age.
State of the central nervous system.
Muscle strength and speed of their transition from a relaxed state to a tense state.
Joint mobility.
Nutrition, fatigue and sleep patterns.

In addition, it is also important whether a person is engaged in any kind of physical activity. This includes almost all sports, dancing and more. With systematic exercises, the reaction rate increases several times. This applies not only to physical indicators, but also the work of the brain is accelerated, a person thinks faster and he needs less time to make a decision or process information.

How to check the reaction rate?

There are a lot of tests with which you can determine the reaction rate. It is possible to undergo such studies by visiting a special doctor – psychophysiologist.

You can also check the reaction rate at home. This is pretty easy to do. There are tons of sites on the web where you can check the speed of your reaction. They can be found easily by simply entering a query into a search engine. For the information to be reliable, the subject must be rested and slept.Usually such tests are based on the principle of color change or the appearance of a sign on the screen. You need to press a certain key as quickly as possible. The program will determine and give out the number of milliseconds in which the brain reacts to a color change. The lower the number, the better the response. Such tests can be used not only to determine your performance, but also to improve them.

There is also a simple test that has been known since Soviet times. It only needs a ruler (at least 30 cm) and an assistant.The subject should extend his hand in front of him with the edge of the palm down. The assistant takes the ruler vertically at the top edge. Its zero mark is flush with the lower edge of the palm, a few centimeters away from it. Approximately 5 seconds after being told: “Attention!” the researcher releases the ruler and the subject must catch it. The smaller the distance from the bottom edge of the palm to the zero mark, the faster the reaction rate.

Methods of developing and improving the reaction

Do not be upset if, after passing the tests, the results obtained are not what you would like.You just need to know how to develop a reaction. There are several exercises and techniques to improve your reflexes. With regular exercise, the result will not be long in coming, and after a few weeks, you will notice a significant difference.

One of the most effective are computer games (shooters, simulations, racing, etc.). This is undoubtedly great news for gamers. However, you should not abuse games, since daily presence in front of the computer for more than a few hours, on the contrary, worsens not only the speed of reaction and thought processes, but also the state of the body as a whole.In addition, it should be part of an overall set of different exercises.

In addition, as already mentioned, sport has a beneficial effect not only on the condition of the muscles and body, but also on the functioning of the brain. In martial arts, boxing, tennis and many other types of physical activities, a special place is allocated to working out or hitting blows, as well as dodging them. Without the development of reaction speed, it is simply impossible to engage in most sports.
Over time, the body gets used to stress and they have to increase and complicate tasks.It is also necessary to periodically change the pace, intensity and frequency of exercises so that the brain does not get used to them, but constantly rebuilds and develops. Thanks to the tone and development of the muscles, as well as constant practice, the reaction speed and other indicators will increase.

Do not forget that proper nutrition, healthy, full sleep and the absence of bad habits also have a positive effect on the reaction rate. Sometimes, after the restoration of the normal daily routine, brain activity improves markedly, and this, in turn, has a beneficial effect on all characteristics.

Exercises to increase the reaction speed

Many do not know how to develop the reaction speed on their own. There are several exercises you can use to do this at home. You can do them with your children or the whole family.

A tennis ball is required for the exercise. One of the players throws it up, and the other must clap his hands at the moment of his contact with the floor or the ground. It is necessary that the time of both actions coincide.
One player stands behind the other at a distance of approximately 1.5 m.Both are facing the same direction. The rear player is holding the ball. He shouts: “Okay” and after that the front one turns to face him. The ball carrier says “Right / Left” and throws it in the direction indicated. The turned player must react quickly and catch him. During the game, you can change roles or take each ball and throw them at the same time.
Probably everyone knows the game since childhood, when one person stretches his hands forward, palms down. The second holds his exactly under them at a short distance and in the same position.He must slap the first player on the hands without warning. In turn, he must have time to remove them. Just as in the previous version, you can swap places.

Despite the fact that most of these games seem rather childish and primitive, they perfectly improve the reaction speed. In addition, they help to relax and, which helps the brain to improve its functions. It is advisable to do all the exercises with someone. A competitive moment will appear and you will want to do everything faster.This will be an additional incentive to win.

Do not forget that, in addition to developing a reaction with the help of physical exercises, you need to give the brain a load by performing all kinds of exercises. These can be special computer programs for daily execution, tasks in which are gradually becoming more complicated.

Bodo Schaefer said at one time:

Only weak and lazy people can justify their failures by heredity or external factors. Strong personalities do everything possible and impossible in order to succeed. This principle works in everything: in sports, and in personal life, and in self-development.

The blinding, incredible speed of the martial artists impresses many. There are few who have not seen Bruce Lee’s lightning strikes. Is it possible to train such a speed and reaction, or is it a genetic feature of the organism?

It is known that from the beginning of the action of the stimulus, to the moment of the reaction, a certain time elapses, which is called the latent time of the reaction. After that, the muscular mechanisms of response are activated, the so-called motor component, the speed of which depends on the speed of body movements.
Reaction latency is an individual characteristic of each organism and cannot be trained. It consists of the following components:
– the perception of the stimulus by the receptors;
– transfer of excitation from receptors to the central nervous system;
– processing of the received signal in the central nervous system and the formation of a signal-response;
– signal transmission – response to muscles;

Therefore, we will focus on the motor component of the reaction
(muscle stimulation and response with a certain movement.), Due to the improvement of which, the reaction time is mainly reduced.
The reaction time for an action is divided into three phases: perception, decision and action – which together takes about a sixth of a second.

In hand-to-hand combat, one often has to deal with complex reactions that require an adequate assessment of the situation and an optimal decision. And the more alternatives available for making a decision, the more difficult the decision itself, and hence the longer the response time.
Here, undoubtedly, it is necessary to rely on the training of the motor component in order to develop a number of conditioned reflexes for the desired reaction.It is known that the subconscious reaction associated with the right hemisphere of the brain is much faster than the conscious one associated with the left hemisphere. It is in the subconscious that responses to a certain stimulus are laid. And this is achieved by repeated repetition of movements in training.

The process of transformation of consciousness into reflexive actions takes approximately 5000 to 10,000 repetitions.
Typically about 200 movements are performed in one workout.Thus, in order to train the motor component of the reaction and perform the necessary movements instinctively, at least two months of regular training are required.
A good example of achieving this reflexive state is driving a car, when a person is able to react quickly to road accidents with unconscious composure, without thinking about how to change gears or apply the brakes.

Here are some practical tips for training your reaction speed
, which will help you achieve the desired result in order to act quickly and optimally in any situation.

1. Learn to anticipate the enemy’s actions.
An experienced fighter reacts not so much to the attacker’s movement itself as to preparatory actions for it. This is due to the fact that in each movement there are two phases: postural-tonic, which is expressed in a subtle change in a person’s posture, redistribution of muscle tension, sigh, etc. and the movement itself.
It is necessary to react to the first, postural-tonic, phase. This, for example, can explain the withdrawal from enemy strikes at close and medium distances when the strike time itself is less time for the implementation of retaliatory actions.To practice such skills, of course, you need a partner; it is almost impossible to master this technique on your own.

2. Change the training conditions.
I have already written about the repeated repetition of the technique. You need to train until your actions become instinctive. At the same time, it is extremely important to monitor the correct implementation of the technique itself, because it is much more difficult to retrain (change an already developed conditioned reflex). Change the rhythm, speed, number of attackers, the environment: hall, forest, sand, water, staircase, darkness and bright light, silence and loud screams, cold or heat – you must act equally well in any conditions.

3.
It is important to be able to train at near maximum speed.
(as they say, in 9/10 strength), so that the biodynamic structure of movements does not differ as much as possible when they are performed at the maximum speed and so that control over the technique of movements is possible (such speeds are called controlled). During training, the speed should be changed from slow to maximum up to submaximal.

4. You should be as relaxed as possible
, in order to perceive as much information from the outside as possible and at the same time maintain a constant state of readiness and concentration, observing the events happening around you and be ready to react to them accordingly.This is a special physical, psychological and emotional state that requires long-term work, primarily with oneself. You should not be distracted by anything, there should be no unnecessary thoughts in your head (it is better that they were not at all in a combat situation), no emotions, no external manifestations for the prepared actions. If this is a blow, then it should be as clear as possible, fast and sudden. You must learn to be aware of yourself “here and now.”

5. Make the most of visualization (ideomotor).
Always after your workout, and even better between workouts, do visualization exercises whenever you want. Imagine yourself working at the desired speed, imagine every movement of your muscles, the work of your arms and legs. Such psychological preparation perfectly complements the physical one. We all create “images” in our head on a subconscious level, our right hemisphere of the brain is responsible for this. In children, both hemispheres, as a rule, are equally developed, but as a person grows up, rational thinking begins to prevail over figurative, that is, the left hemisphere over the right, which often prevents us from developing harmoniously, moving and controlling our body.Once you learn to imagine yourself in a real battle, see and feel how your actions achieve the desired result – you will achieve the result in reality.

6. Don’t betray your intentions.
I wrote above about anticipating the actions of the enemy, but you yourself must do everything possible so that the enemy cannot predict you, otherwise it does not matter how fast you are, because an experienced enemy will still be faster. You do not need to clench your fists, take a certain stance, take an explicit breath before striking.Use natural, natural stances from which you can act in any direction and at any time. Practice taking advantage of the limitations of a person’s perception by trying to position yourself that limit the opponent’s ability to predict and see your actions. Surprise is your trump card.

7. Use correct breathing technique
. Never hold your breath during a fight, this will prevent your muscles from relaxing, reducing your own speed and power of blows.Any loud shouts like the so-loved “kiai” dampen the impulse. This is not necessary unless your task is to scare or disorient the opponent with your voice. Correct breathing is inhalation between blows, and the blow itself, somersault, fall, etc. are performed ALWAYS on exhalation.

8
. The maximum speed of a person’s movements depends not only on the speed of his motor reaction, but also on the structure of the muscles, intramuscular and intermuscular coordination; the mobility of nervous processes, the capacity of the body’s buffer systems; the level of development of speed-strength qualities and flexibility; intensity of volitional efforts Try to maintain good physical shape at all times
, even though most street fights last seconds.

And remember: “There are no naturally fast fighters. Everyone had to train like you. The more diligence you train, the less vulnerable you are in combat. ”

—————————————————————————————————————————————————— —————

Practical exercises for developing reaction speed for independent training:

Activity: Tennis balls

There are two ways to do this exercise.
1. Tennis ball with elastic.3-4 tennis balls on threads or elastic bands are suspended from the ceiling, so that the balls hang at head level, we stand in the center of this triangle (square), swing the balls and dodge them, as we move, we begin to hit them, gradually adding the number of balls.
2. Make a head hoop, attach a tennis ball with an elastic band to it. It is used very simply: we try to strike by hitting the ball. Exercise also develops dexterity and coordination. Such a simulator is called Hit-Ball and is on sale if you don’t have time to do it yourself.It is used in training by such athletes as Vasily Lomachenko, Kostya Tszyu, Roy Jones.

Activity: Starting from different positions
, including from a sitting position, lying face down or up, in an emphasis lying, lying with his head in the opposite direction.
Perform: 5-6 times 10-15 meters after 1.0-1.5 minutes of rest. In total, you need to do 3-4 series after 2-3 minutes of rest. This exercise can be performed on a signal.

Activity: Running briskly in a park or forest with inclines
, blocks and escapes from oncoming branches of bushes and trees.Alternate series: fast running up to 10 seconds followed by walking for 1-2 minutes. In total, perform 3-4 times. Pay attention to safety measures.

How to improve reaction at home

Have you thought about the role of reaction in your life? If this question did not interest you before, then you probably asked yourself how to become more productive, achieve great results and be in time for everything.

In this case, it’s time to think about what a reaction is and how to raise its performance to a new level.

Reaction is an important indicator of the general condition of the human body. From the point of view of biology, the reaction rate of a person plays an important role, since it is this indicator that can ensure safety.

In the modern world, the role of reaction to things is especially important, regardless of age and social role. Its high performance can help a child achieve academic and sports results. Employers prefer fast and energetic employees because they are more productive.Even in emergency situations, no one has been helped by a slow response to what is happening.

To be successful and effective today is possible only thanks to a developed reaction. Only a developed ability to react to things with lightning speed will help to gain approval, be active and respond quickly to dynamically changing circumstances. But here’s what’s important: what are the ways to apply in practice to develop a reaction?

Ways of reaction development

Reaction is a reflex that nature has endowed with a person for the possibility of self-defense. Such processes, for which the psyche is responsible, allow you to quickly cope with external stimuli and correctly respond to the situation.

The processes responsible for the response to external stimuli occur in the brain, thanks to neural connections. It is they who transport the electrical signal to the chemical one. The chemical signal helps the body to accomplish the task at hand.

There are many ways to develop reflex speed:

Training of the senses;
Juggling.It is recommended to start training with two subjects;
Many computer games are capable of developing reactions and fine motor skills;
Most sports, team and singles;
Rollerblading, cycling or skateboarding. This will teach you to instantly respond to obstacles that arise.

The ways of developing a reaction are not really countable.But what if there is no time or desire to leave the house, spend money on the purchase of equipment or inventory, spend excessive energy?

Or if the child has an additional load even without playing sports, and computer games do not help with the development of reaction speed?

The Dancing Chair is the answer to these questions. With its help, reaction training at home will be comfortable and effective, with a minimum investment of time and effort.

Secrets of training reaction at home

The Dancing Chair is a development that will help keep all family members healthy, active and beautiful. Its advantage is that it is not only able to maintain, but also to develop some reflex indicators.

Training your reaction at home using the Dancing Chair can take place at any convenient time, you just need to sit on it and the training begins.

When it is used, the reflex areas of the brain are included in the work, allowing us to maintain balance and not fall. At this moment, the organ directly performs its protective function.

When we sit on the Dancing Chair, the cerebellum is activated. Immediately, his zones responsible for concentration of attention begin to work automatically. This small area of the brain is responsible for body coordination and a comfortable posture at a particular moment in time.

The processes occurring in the cerebellum, we cannot control except through the balance of the body. By reducing the fulcrum, we increase its activity. That is why, simply by acting on him regularly, a person is able to improve reaction, concentrate attention and coordinate movements.

The design of the Dancing Chair is created in such a way that when it is used by the owner, there is a continuous training of the vestibular apparatus and activation of the processes described above.

The presence of the Dancing Chair in the family will allow not only to develop the speed of reaction and improve the productivity of every day, but also to influence the quality of life, to make many processes in the body fast and effective.

Read also:

How to improve the reaction and increase its speed?
What are the benefits of cerebellar stimulation at home using the Dancing Chair?
How to improve the functioning of the cerebellum?
How Does Dancing Chair Affect Brain Activity?

Important skills: reaction time

Determination of reaction speed

Is there a person who has not heard the phrase “reaction speed”? How many times have we saved mugs and plates at the last moment? How many times has she determined the result of competitions, relays and competitions? Anyone, both at home and on the street, can experience surprises at any moment, and then
his health will directly depend on the speed of his reaction.But it is required not only for ordinary life. This is a professionally important quality for astronauts, pilots, sailors, military men, athletes, drivers, operators. Hundreds of professions, thousands of situations, every day.

Probably, many have a desire to know the speed of their reaction or to get an answer to the question: “Will I be able to catch up with Schumacher.” Will I be able to become a pilot or just a little increase the speed of reaction?
What needs to be done for this?

First you need to measure it.It is easy to guess that the speed or speed of the reaction is measured by time, more precisely, by the time of a simple conditioned reflex reaction .

Measure it, and complex devices – chronoreflexometers,

and very simple and affordable means, for example, a school ruler. By the way, no less accurate.
Remember … all ingenious is simple.

Measurement of simple conditioned reflex reaction

A simple conditioned reflex reaction is carried out as a simple movement in response to a simple signal.The signal-to-movement ratio is set by the instruction pronounced by the laboratory assistant.

Instruction
“You are offered a test for measuring reaction time using a school ruler. Required to catch her
in free fall.

Measure while standing. Keep your leading hand (for right-handers – right) at chest level. The
thumb and forefinger should be brought together as close as possible, but not touching the surface of the ruler. The zero mark should be at the level of the top edge of the index finger.As soon as you see that the ruler falls, you should grab it. No additional command will be given.
The measurement is taken 3 times. Ready? Be careful.”

Procedure
The measurement is carried out by two people. Readings are taken at the top of the index finger.

Interpretation of the measurement results
After the measurement, the arithmetic mean of the three measurements is calculated and compared with the norms.

Standards

Response time
High level of development of parameter	less than 16.7 cm	less than 184 ms
Average level of development of the parameter (norm)	16.7 cm – 19.5 cm	184 ms – 199 ms
Low level of development of parameter	more than 19.5 cm	more than 199 ms

Video file “Reaction time measurement”

And now information for those who still want to get answers to questions.

How to convert centimeters to milliseconds?

What limits the speed of a person’s reaction

The speed of a person’s reaction is determined by the work of the nervous system. When a person reacts to a very strong irritation that is life-threatening, for example, when he pulls his hand away from a hot object –
, a simple reflex enters into action, in which the brain does not participate. From the receptor, the
signal travels along a nerve fiber to the spinal cord and then directly to the muscle, passing through only three nerve cells – a sensitive neuron, an interneuron in the spinal cord, and a motor neuron.The speed of a nerve impulse along the processes of nerve cells here is several tens of meters / sec. The time of synaptic transmission is decisive – about 0.1 sec.

First, the person withdraws his hand, and then feels pain. This is due to the fact that the signal from the pain receptors in the brain
travels along nerve fibers of a different type at a lower speed.

If we are talking about a person’s reaction to a stone flying at him, then here is also a reflex reaction: the eye transmits a signal of rapid movement not only to the parts of the brain where they are processed (and we understand: “a stone is flying”), but also by special nerve pathways – to the muscles, which provides a quick response of avoidance – going to the side, jumping, etc.p.

If we are talking about the reaction when playing tennis, then the gradual improvement of the reaction is associated with the formation of stereotypical reflexes that allow you to react without the participation of the cerebral cortex (without thinking), and, most importantly, such reactions are carried out without feedback, that is, there is no constant adjustment movement. And when we are just learning to make a new movement, there is a complex interaction: the muscle is given a signal of action, from it a signal comes back about the result of the action,
and an adjustment is made, i.e.That is, the muscle moves under constant control, which takes a long time.
Different regions of the cerebellum and some other structures of the brain are involved in all these processes.

How to increase the reaction speed

The speed of a person’s reaction can be increased. You can learn to respond to stimuli that precede the action. For example, not to hit a boxer, but to prepare for it – after all, before hitting
, the enemy will definitely look at the target, change his posture, strain his muscles, inhale… There is more than enough time. It is only necessary to develop a conditioned reflex, to lay in the subconscious a new stimulus
and a response to it.

This exercise can help you:

Crackers game.
The first partner stands and positions his open palm so that it is convenient for the second to hit it. For example, he becomes sideways to the second, holds his open palm in front of him. The second partner hits
palms of the first at random times.The task of the first is to remove the palm, the task of the second is to hit. You can keep an account. Then the partners change. The principle laid down in this game can be transferred to other technical actions, for example, to sweeps and escapes from kicks on the lower level.

It is known that the subconscious reaction associated with the right hemisphere of the brain is much faster than the conscious one associated with the left hemisphere. It is logical to assume that it is in the subconscious that responses to a certain stimulus should be laid down.And this is achieved by repeated repetition of movements in training. In total, you need to gain about 5-10 thousand repetitions, and it makes no sense to do more than 300 repetitions at a time. The 300 figure is large enough, basically
turns out to be no more than 200 movements per workout, then it turns out that it takes about two months, ideally, to subconsciously master the motor pattern. Motor reactions should be carried out at the level of conditioned reflexes, and for this, as you can see, serious training is required.

90,000 6 exercises to help you increase your speed in badminton

Let’s say we have comprehended the psychology of speed. But how to make our body move faster? Without training – nothing. The most effective way to develop any skills was and remains training with a trainer. But if suddenly you still prefer independence, then this article is especially for you.

The work to increase the speed of movement can be divided into two components:

development of elasticity and speed of muscle contraction
Acquisition of the skill of fast movement.

Muscle development will need to be discussed in a separate article. In the meantime, we will teach them to quickly respond to commands from the brain. For this, FBBC.BY has collected several highly effective exercises that will help you develop your speed on the court. Before doing the exercises, it is necessary to thoroughly warm up the muscles and ligaments to reduce the risk of injury.

Warm up before starting the exercises!

1. EXERCISE “MINUTE OF SPEED”

Its essence is to make any movements that you can think of with increasing speed, that is, to learn how to move at speed in general.
Try from time to time to perform your usual actions faster than usual : move in a crowd, read aloud, get dressed, make your bed, etc. Notice how long you will last until the moment when the speed starts to drop, and try to increase this interval of time every day. Do not overuse loads, build them up gradually, take care of your tendon-muscular apparatus and cardiovascular system.

2. EXERCISE “MOVE AS IN WATER”

By doing this exercise for a long enough time, you can work out all body movements with high quality and, what is most unexpected, significantly increase their speed.
However, the surprise here is only at first glance. Let’s look at a simple example. Two cars left Minsk for Khabarovsk. One of them travels strictly along the route, and the second deviates from time to time to local attractions. Which one will arrive earlier? The answer is obvious.
But what does this have to do with badminton? Take a racket and do any movement very slowly (one movement in 15-30 seconds). You will notice that the paddle moves with slight jerks, side-to-side swaying.
These are micromotions that we do not need, deviating our movement from the main route, and therefore reducing its speed. The presence of micromovements indicates that the movement is “raw” and the body does not obey the brain. Requires workout at slow speed until the complete disappearance of micromotions.

3. EXERCISE “SUCCESS TO INTERCEPT”

We take the shuttlecock in our hand, hold it in front of us, release it, make an attacking lunge with the same hand and again catch the shuttlecock with the same hand.
The exercise can be mastered in stages, gradually increasing the weight of the apparatus. So you can increase your own speed for many years, since the requirements are becoming more stringent all the time.
The advantage of the exercise is that it is impossible to “slap” here: either he managed to intercept or he didn’t.

Peter Gade demonstrates one variation of exercise

4. EXERCISE “BLINKING STRIKE”

Promotes the formation of literally super speed.The point is that has time to touch the partner at the moment when he blinked . The partner blinked – you touched him. It is necessary to learn how to fit in that brief moment while his eyes are closed.
Plus the exercise is that a person blinks unconsciously and chaotically, which will add an element of naturalness to your workouts.

5. EXERCISE “SUCCESSFUL TO TAKE”

This exercise is quite popular and is often mentioned in sources devoted to martial arts.Your task is to have time to pick up the small object (coin, ball, nut, etc.) from your partner’s palm until he clenched it into a fist . For a change, it is recommended to change the position of the palm (higher-lower, left-right) in order to learn how to quickly move in different directions.

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