How can you improve your reaction time for sports and daily life. What exercises are most effective for enhancing reflexes and decision-making speed. Why is reaction time crucial for athletic performance and safety.
Understanding Reaction Time: A Key Component of Athletic Performance
Reaction time plays a crucial role in numerous sports and daily activities. It’s the span between receiving a stimulus and initiating a response. For athletes, quick reactions can mean the difference between victory and defeat, or even safety and injury. York-Peter Klöppel, a sports psychologist at Red Bull’s Athlete Performance Center, emphasizes that “There aren’t many sports where reaction time isn’t important. The environment can change in a split second.”
While factors like age, recovery state, and anxiety levels can influence reaction time, it’s a skill that can be honed through dedicated practice. By incorporating specific exercises into your routine, you can sharpen your reflexes and improve your overall performance.
The Ruler Test: A Simple Yet Effective Measure of Basic Reaction Time
The Ruler Test is a straightforward method to gauge and improve your baseline reaction time. Here’s how to perform it:
- Have a partner hold a ruler vertically a few feet in front of you at chest level.
- Position your thumb and index finger on either side of the ruler’s bottom without touching it.
- When your partner drops the ruler, catch it between your fingers as quickly as possible.
- Note the distance the ruler falls before you catch it – the shorter the distance, the faster your reaction.
This exercise not only measures your current reaction speed but also helps improve it over time. By practicing regularly, you’ll likely see improvements in your catch point, indicating faster reflexes.
Ball Drop: Enhancing Decision-Making Speed and Reaction Time
The Ball Drop exercise challenges both your reaction time and decision-making abilities. To perform this drill:
- Stand in a ready position on the balls of your feet, knees slightly bent, and head up.
- Have a partner hold two tennis balls within arm’s reach in front of you.
- Rest your hands on top of your partner’s.
- When they drop a tennis ball, try to catch it before it hits the ground.
- If they drop both balls, attempt to catch both.
To increase difficulty, number the balls one and two, and have your partner call out which one you should catch. This variation adds a cognitive element, forcing you to process information and react quickly.
Funky Ball Bounce: Improving Foot Speed and Hand-Eye Coordination
The Funky Ball Bounce drill utilizes a misshaped ball, such as a Sklz Reaction Ball, to challenge your reflexes and coordination. Here’s how to do it:
- Hold the misshaped ball at about head height, maintaining a ready stance.
- Drop the ball and catch it after the first bounce.
- Repeat, but catch it after the second bounce, then the third bounce.
The ball’s unpredictable bounces become more erratic with each additional bounce, requiring quicker reactions and better hand-eye coordination. This exercise not only improves reaction time but also enhances your ability to adapt to unexpected situations – a valuable skill in many sports.
Wall Juggle: A Challenging Drill for Hand-Eye Coordination and Reaction Speed
The Wall Juggle is an excellent exercise for improving hand-eye coordination and reaction time simultaneously. Follow these steps:
- Hold a tennis ball in each hand and stand a few feet from a wall.
- Toss the ball in your dominant hand against the wall, letting it hit the ground in front of you.
- Quickly pass the second ball to your dominant hand.
- Catch the first ball with your non-dominant hand while tossing the second ball against the wall.
- Repeat this pattern, continuously tossing, passing, and catching the balls.
For an added challenge, introduce a third ball to the drill. This exercise not only enhances your reaction time but also improves ambidexterity and overall coordination – skills that translate well to many sports and daily activities.
Video Games: An Unexpected Tool for Reaction Time Training
Surprisingly, certain video games can serve as effective tools for improving reaction time and decision-making skills under pressure. Sports psychologist York-Peter Klöppel recommends fast-paced games like FIFA or Forza, explaining, “These games are all about making fast decisions over and over. Some studies have suggested that athletes who play action games show an improvement in reaction time.”
However, moderation is key. Aim for a couple of short gaming sessions per week as part of your reaction time training regimen. This approach allows you to reap the benefits without risking overexposure or neglecting other important aspects of your physical training.
Badminton-Specific Reaction Time Training
For badminton players, reaction time is particularly crucial. Elite players can defend smashes exceeding 350 km/h and respond to deceptive shots even when wrong-footed. To improve your reaction time specifically for badminton, consider these approaches:
- Eye training: Practice exercises that enhance your ability to see and process visual information quickly.
- Muscle response training: Work on exercises that improve your muscles’ ability to react swiftly to stimuli.
- Cognitive training: Engage in activities that help your brain make faster, more instinctive decisions.
Specific exercises for badminton players include juggling and ball drills, playing reaction test games, and performing regular badminton drills at nearly double speed. These activities challenge your reflexes and decision-making abilities in ways that directly translate to on-court performance.
The Science Behind Reaction Time Improvement
Improving reaction time involves more than just physical practice. It’s a complex process that engages multiple systems in your body and brain. But how exactly does this improvement occur?
Neuroplasticity and Reaction Time
Neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to form and reorganize synaptic connections, plays a crucial role in improving reaction time. When you consistently practice reaction time exercises, your brain creates and strengthens neural pathways specific to quick responses. Over time, these pathways become more efficient, allowing for faster signal transmission and, consequently, quicker reactions.
The Role of Myelination
Myelination, the process by which a fatty layer called myelin forms around nerve fibers, is another key factor in reaction time improvement. Myelin acts as an insulator, allowing electrical impulses to travel more quickly along nerve cells. As you practice reaction time exercises, the myelin sheaths around relevant neural pathways can thicken, leading to faster signal transmission and improved reaction times.
Cognitive Processing Speed
Reaction time isn’t just about physical speed – it also involves how quickly your brain can process information and make decisions. Exercises that challenge your cognitive processing speed, such as the numbered ball drop or certain video games, can help improve this aspect of reaction time. As you practice, your brain becomes more efficient at quickly interpreting stimuli and selecting the appropriate response.
Incorporating Reaction Time Training into Your Routine
To see significant improvements in your reaction time, consistency is key. Here are some tips for effectively incorporating reaction time training into your routine:
- Frequency: Aim to practice reaction time exercises for about five minutes, five times a week.
- Variety: Rotate through different exercises to challenge various aspects of your reaction time and prevent boredom.
- Progressive overload: Gradually increase the difficulty of your exercises as you improve.
- Integration: Incorporate reaction time drills into your sport-specific training sessions.
- Rest and recovery: Allow for adequate rest between sessions to prevent fatigue and optimize improvement.
Remember, as with physical training, mental fitness will gradually decline if you stop exercising it. Maintain your improved reaction time by making these exercises a regular part of your training regimen.
Measuring Progress: Tracking Your Reaction Time Improvement
To ensure your training is effective, it’s important to track your progress over time. But how can you accurately measure improvements in your reaction time?
Baseline Testing
Before starting your reaction time training, establish a baseline using tests like the Ruler Test. Record your initial performance to serve as a reference point for future comparisons.
Regular Assessments
Conduct periodic assessments using the same tests you used for your baseline. Aim to reassess every two to four weeks, depending on the intensity of your training.
Digital Tools
Utilize online reaction time tests or smartphone apps designed to measure reaction speed. These can provide more precise measurements and often track your progress over time.
Sport-Specific Metrics
For athletes, track sport-specific metrics that reflect improved reaction time. For example, badminton players might monitor their success rate in returning fast smashes.
By consistently measuring your progress, you can identify areas of improvement and adjust your training accordingly. Remember, improvements may be subtle at first, but with consistent practice, you should notice significant enhancements in your reaction time.
The Impact of Lifestyle Factors on Reaction Time
While specific exercises can significantly improve your reaction time, various lifestyle factors also play a crucial role in maintaining and enhancing your reflexes. Understanding and optimizing these factors can complement your training efforts and lead to even better results.
Sleep and Recovery
Adequate sleep is essential for optimal cognitive function, including reaction time. During sleep, your brain consolidates learning and repairs neural pathways. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night to support your reaction time training.
Nutrition
A balanced diet rich in nutrients supports overall brain health and function. Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and B vitamins are particularly beneficial for cognitive performance and reaction time.
Hydration
Even mild dehydration can negatively impact cognitive function and reaction time. Ensure you’re drinking enough water throughout the day, especially during physical activities and reaction time training sessions.
Stress Management
High levels of stress can impair cognitive function and slow reaction times. Incorporate stress-reduction techniques like meditation, deep breathing exercises, or yoga into your routine to support optimal reaction time.
Regular Exercise
Beyond specific reaction time exercises, regular physical activity improves overall cognitive function and can enhance reaction time. Aim for a mix of cardiovascular exercise and strength training in your weekly routine.
By addressing these lifestyle factors alongside your targeted reaction time training, you can create an environment that supports optimal cognitive function and faster reflexes.
Applying Improved Reaction Time to Real-Life Situations
Enhancing your reaction time through dedicated training can have far-reaching benefits beyond sports performance. Improved reflexes can contribute to safer driving, quicker responses in emergency situations, and even better performance in certain professional settings. Here are some ways improved reaction time can benefit various aspects of life:
Driving Safety
Quicker reactions while driving can help you respond more effectively to sudden obstacles, changes in traffic, or unexpected road conditions. This can potentially prevent accidents and improve overall road safety.
Workplace Performance
In many professions, from surgery to air traffic control, quick and accurate reactions are crucial. Improved reaction time can enhance performance in these high-pressure environments.
Fall Prevention
Especially important for older adults, better reaction time can help in maintaining balance and preventing falls. Quick reactions allow for faster adjustments when losing balance, potentially preventing injuries.
Emergency Response
In emergency situations, every second counts. Improved reaction time can help you respond more quickly and effectively to unexpected dangers or urgent situations.
Daily Activities
From catching a falling object to responding to a child’s sudden movements, improved reaction time can make various day-to-day activities easier and safer.
By consistently working on your reaction time, you’re not just improving your athletic performance – you’re enhancing a fundamental skill that can positively impact numerous aspects of your life. Remember, the key to maintaining these improvements is consistent practice and application in real-world situations.
The Future of Reaction Time Training: Emerging Technologies and Techniques
As our understanding of neuroscience and human performance continues to evolve, new technologies and techniques for improving reaction time are emerging. These innovative approaches offer exciting possibilities for enhancing reflexes and decision-making speed.
Virtual Reality (VR) Training
VR technology is increasingly being used to create immersive training environments that can challenge and improve reaction time. These systems can simulate complex, realistic scenarios that require quick responses, allowing for targeted and engaging reaction time training.
Neurofeedback
Neurofeedback techniques use real-time displays of brain activity to teach self-regulation of brain function. This approach is being explored as a method to enhance cognitive processing speed and, consequently, reaction time.
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)
tDCS is a form of neurostimulation that uses constant, low direct current delivered via electrodes on the head. Some studies suggest that tDCS may enhance cognitive function and potentially improve reaction time, though more research is needed in this area.
AI-Powered Training Programs
Artificial Intelligence is being used to create personalized training programs that adapt in real-time to an individual’s performance. These systems can provide optimized challenges to continually push the boundaries of reaction time improvement.
Biofeedback Systems
Advanced biofeedback systems that monitor physiological indicators like heart rate variability and skin conductance are being developed to provide insights into optimal states for quick reactions and decision-making.
While many of these technologies are still in developmental stages or limited to specialized settings, they represent the cutting edge of reaction time training. As these methods become more accessible, they may offer new and powerful tools for enhancing human performance.
In conclusion, improving reaction time is a multifaceted process that involves physical training, cognitive exercises, lifestyle optimization, and potentially, emerging technologies. By dedicating consistent effort to enhancing your reflexes and decision-making speed, you can not only improve your athletic performance but also enhance your capabilities in various aspects of daily life. Remember, the key to success lies in regular practice, gradual progression, and a holistic approach that considers both training exercises and lifestyle factors. Whether you’re an athlete looking to gain a competitive edge or simply someone interested in enhancing your cognitive abilities, the journey to improved reaction time is a rewarding one that can yield significant benefits in both your personal and professional life.
5 Ways to Improve Your Reaction Time
Few people are as quick as they want to be. We’re not just talking sheer speed—we’re talking about the fraction of a second it takes to respond to a stimulus, such as a skier cutting you off on a slope or a squirrel darting in front of your mountain bike. “There aren’t many sports where reaction time isn’t important,” says York-Peter Klöppel, a sports psychologist at Red Bull’s Athlete Performance Center near Salzburg, Austria. “The environment can change in a split second. There are a variety of different responses to every change, so every reaction is also about quick decision-making.”
A number of factors can affect a person’s reaction time, including age, level of recovery, and anxiety level. But even accounting for those external influences, it’s possible to develop quicker instincts. Here are five variations of drills Klöppel uses with his athletes. Add them to a workout or do them on their own for five minutes, five times a week. You might notice some improvements as early as the second week, but keep working on it regularly. As with physical training, if you stop exercising your mental fitness, it will gradually decline.
1. The Ruler Test
What: Tests basic reaction time.
How: Have a partner hold a ruler vertically a few feet in front of you at chest level. Position your thumb and index finger on either side of the bottom of the ruler without touching it. When your partner drops the ruler, catch it between your fingers, noting the distance it falls. The shorter the distance, the faster you’ve reacted.
2. Ball Drop
What: Improves reaction time and decision-making speed.
How: Stand in a ready position on the balls of your feet, knees slightly bent, and head up. Have a partner hold two tennis balls within arm’s reach in front of you. Rest your hands on top of your partner’s. When they drop a tennis ball, try to catch it before it hits the ground. If they drop both, catch both. To make it harder, number the balls one and two, and have your partner call out the number of the one you should catch.
3. Funky Ball Bounce
What: Improves foot speed, hand-eye coordination, and reaction time.
How: Grab a misshaped ball, like a Sklz Reaction Ball, which bounces unpredictably. Hold it about head high, using the ready stance. Drop the ball and catch it after the first bounce. Repeat, but catch it after the second bounce, then the third bounce. The ball’s behavior becomes more erratic with each additional bounce.
4. Wall Juggle
What: Improves hand-eye coordination and reaction time.
How: Hold a tennis ball in each hand and stand a few feet from a wall. Toss the ball in your dominant hand against the wall and let it hit the ground in front of you (use an underhand throw). Quickly pass the second ball into your dominant hand, then catch the first ball with your nondominant hand while tossing the second ball against the wall. Repeat, tossing, passing, and catching the balls so you’re juggling them against the wall. Add a third ball to increase difficulty.
Bonus: Game Time
What: Drills reaction time and decision-making in stressful situations.
How: Play fast-paced video games like FIFA or Forza, a car-racing series. “These games are all about making fast decisions over and over,” Klöppel says. “Some studies have suggested that athletes who play action games show an improvement in reaction time.” Just don’t overdo it. A couple of short sessions a week should do the trick.
How to Improve Your Reaction Time in Badminton
You see it all the time on the world stage for badminton. Elite level players are capable of defending smashes of over 350kmph. They’re capable of picking up deceptive shots when wrong-footed. They’re capable of incredible feats of speed and agility! The best elite players are able to keep up with the pace of the game thanks to stupidly fast reaction times.
So how do you improve your reaction time in Badminton? Reaction time can be improved with deliberate training and practice. Using a combination of training your eyes to see and process things faster, training your muscles to react to those stimuli at quicker rates and training your brain to make choices more instinctively you can improve your reaction time for badminton. Some useful exercises include juggling and ball drills, playing reaction test games and doing regular badminton drills at nearly double speed.
It’s important to work on improving your reactions if you want to get better. It’s not often talked about in relation to improving yourself in the sport. Read on for more details on how to do just that.
Tests and exercises to improve your reaction time
So what can you do to improve your overall reaction speed? There are lots of easy practices you can do either solo or with a partner and some can even be done at home!
We can break these exercises down into three different categories. Exercises to improve how fast our eyes respond to stimuli, exercises to improve our muscles response and then exercises that combine the two.
Eye exercises
- Juggling balls – A great exercise for hand-eye coordination. Juggling three or more balls requires good coordination and improves your spatial awareness. Knowing where each ball is in the air or in your hand and continuing the juggle trains your eyes by tracking multiple objects and switching between them. This can be learnt at home at any time and as a plus is always a good party trick!
- Surprise catch – This exercise does require another person and the game is simple. The other person needs to hold two objects (make sure they’re not fragile), one in each hand. The other person then needs to stand in front of you at arms length and drop one of the objects and you need to catch it. Which item they drop and when should be random so you can’t guess which one they will drop. Your eyes will need to see the object and process it and then coordinate to catch the object.
Simple but effective.
- Playing first-person shooter video games – This one might surprise you. Studies prove that playing first-person shooter games moderately can improve your hand-eye coordination and general reaction time. Keeping track of everything going on in the game trains your brain to react to stimuli on screen with greater speed and accuracy. So now you have a good reason to pick up a controller and not feel guilty about it!
Muscular response exercises
- Plyometric training – These are normally bodyweight exercises and they’re exercises that require maximum muscle exertion. These exercises help improve your explosive strength and power so naturally, this improves how fast you can move out of the blocks.
- Agility drills – Training using ladders drills, bleep tests or footwork drills all help towards building speed and agility. All of these will help make you quicker and lighter on your feet improving your acceleration.
- Sprinting – Sprinters have incredible reactions and speed. Especially 100m sprinters where every millisecond counts in the race. These guys train to be the fastest they can be out of the blocks to get the best start possible. So sprinting not only improves your muscle response time but also makes you faster once moving.
Combination exercises
- Directed shuttle runs – Shuttle runs are where you set a stack of shuttles in six areas of the court. Two shuttles at the front of the court on either side (either in on along the tramlines). Two in the middle and two at the back of the court in the same way. Then starting from the middle you run or chasse to one of the placed shuttles and touch it before returning to the middle again as fast as you can. This is great on its own for building speed but we can also train our reactions with the help of another person. The other person’s job is to point to the shuttle for you to move to next but they only point as you get back to the centre.
This requires concentration and good reactions to keep moving quickly.
Double time training
This is what I like to call it but the basic concept is doing your regular multi-feed shuttle practices but doing them at nearly twice the speed you would normally. So if you’re doing a multi-feed that requires you to play smashes and nets or lifts and clears the feeder for the exercise needs to hit the next shuttle as your finishing your stroke and before you’ve recovered.
I like to call this “double time training” as essentially your practising at nearly twice the speed you would actually experience in a game which is incredibly fast. This works better with multi-feeds where you don’t need to cover a large distance. A good example is multi-feed playing smashes from the back as if you’re the rear court player in doubles. You don’t need to cover all of the court, just the back.
So practising at a higher than normal feed shouldn’t affect your form too much and induce bad habits but will push you enough to improve both speed and reactions. This can be done with full-court exercises but requires good stamina and good footwork to be able to cover shots with minimal recovery time without being a totally sloppy practice.
Not having time to recover forces you to react to the next shuttle faster and move quickly to each shot. Doing this type of training will make playing a match or doing normal practices feel that much easier as you will get used to a much higher intensity and speed.
Where reaction speed is important in badminton
Reaction time is important for pretty much every aspect in badminton. From defending a smash to getting that really tight net kill. Badminton is a game of small margins which means every millisecond counts. If you find yourself constantly chasing the rally and not being able to get ahead, reactions could make a difference.
The elite players of the world all have incredibly fast reactions. They’ve trained themselves to the point where their responses are instinctive. In certain scenarios, they react in practised responses so they become more consistent.
The speed of the rallies at which elite players play is so fast they can’t afford to be behind during any phase of the rally. Any delay and they’ll find themselves more and more under pressure. A lot of players adapt to this with a combination of fast reactions and anticipation, both combined make the difference.
The science behind reaction time
We know how important reactions are to the sport. Let’s have a look at the science behind this. Reactions are controlled by our nervous system. The central nervous system consists of the spinal cord and the brain. In our example for Badminton, we have visual cues from the shuttle being sent in a particular direction. Our eyes see the shuttle and our visual sensories send an electrical impulse through the nervous system to the brain and then we react!
Reactions are different to reflexes and they are often confused for being the same thing. Reflexes come from our evolution and they tend to protect us from things or situations that could do us harm. They’re normally triggered by what they call the negative feedback loop meaning they’re triggered in dangerous situations.
An example is putting your hands out in front of you when you fall to stop your head hitting the floor. Reflexes happen much faster as they bypass the spinal cord and happen involuntarily and often can’t be stopped.
With this difference established we now understand how our reactions work. We understand that reaction speed is a combination of how fast your eyes see the shuttle, process that and choose the correct response. This means how fast our muscles can react is important as well.
What is the average person’s reaction time? According to various sources, the average person’s reaction time to visual stimuli is roughly between 250-300 milliseconds. This can be improved and elite athletes that rely on visual reaction time can get closer to 200 milliseconds.
What can affect your reaction time? There are various factors that can affect your reaction time. Some include things you can’t change such as your age, gender and personality type. Other factors that you can change such as physical fitness, fatigue levels, concentration and alcohol level.
If you found this article helpful return the favour and share it with a friend. If you feel I’ve missed anything out or have other advice, please leave feedback and share your help with others below. Thanks again for reading.
Written by Liam Walsh who lives in Manchester, England. Working as a Software Engineer but moonlighting as a dad, Badminton player/coach and creator of BadmintonsBest.
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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!
Response time or Reaction Time- Cognitive Ability
What is reaction time or response time?
Reaction time or response time refers to the amount of time that takes places between when we perceive something to when we respond to it. It is the ability to detect, process, and respond to a stimulus.
Reaction time depends on various factors:
- Perception: Seeing, hearing, or feeling a stimulus with certainty is essential to having good reaction time. When the starter shoots the gun at the beginning of a race, the sound is received by the athlete’s ears (they perceive the stimulus).
- Processing: In order to have good reaction time, it’s necessary to be focused and understand the information well. Following the previous example, the runners, after hearing the gun, will be able to distinguish the sound from other background noise and know that it is time to start running (process the stimulus).
- Response: Motor agility is necessary in order to be able to act and have good response time. When the runners perceived and correctly processes the signal, they started moving their legs (respond to the stimulus).
If any part of these processes is altered, reaction time will be affected as a consequence. In other words, if one of the athletes had poor reaction time, they would have a disadvantage against the other runners. Reaction time necessarily includes a motor component, unlike processing speed. This is why having good reaction time is associated with having good reflexes.
In this example, the processes (perceive, process, and respond), are done in a matter of milliseconds, but reaction time can vary depending on a variety of factors:
- Complexity of the stimulus-The more complex the stimulus, the more information that has to be processed, the longer this process will take.
- Familiarity, preparation, and expectations: If you have to respond to a known stimulus that you’ve responded to before, the reaction time will be lower. The less information that you have to process, the quicker the reaction time will be. If, as in the example with the runners, you are expecting the stimulus (waiting for the gun), reaction time will be even lower.
- State of the organism: Some factors that may negatively affect the detection of the stimulus are fatigue, attention (being sleepy), high temperature, old age, or even eating too much food or substances like alcohol or other drugs. All of these factors may negatively affect the detection of the stimulus, processing it, and responding to it.
- Stimulated sensory modality: Reaction time is shorter when the stimulus that triggers the response is auditory than if it is visual because auditory stimuli require less processing. Each sensory modality has a different reaction time.
Aside from other factors, the type of stimulus that we process also affects reaction time.
- Simple: There is one single response to a single stimulus. For example, pressing the space bar on the on the computer when a word appears.
- Choice: There are different responses to different stimuli.
For example, pressing the right arrow key if a word appears in Spanish, and pressing the left arrow key if the word appears in another language.
- Selection: There are different stimuli, but you only have to respond to one. For example, press the space bar only when the word appears in English. If it appears in Spanish, you don’t do anything.
Why is reaction time so important and how does it affect daily life? Good reaction time allows us to be agile and efficient when it comes to responding to stimuli and situations like driving, having a conversation, playing sports, etc. Good response time benefits us in a variety of ways, but it’s important that we properly process the information that we receive. If someone asks you a question in an interview, they will be expecting you to answer quickly and well. The same is true for other examples, like if your car breaks down, or if you have to act on your toes- you will have to respond quickly and accurately. Luckily, reaction time can be trained and improved.
Examples of response time
- If you are driving and you come across a crosswalk, the time that it takes from when you see the crosswalk to when you break and stop the car would be reaction time. This cognitive ability can prevent us from many dangerous car accidents.
- In a boxing match or football game, it is very important to detect the opponents move and know what they’re going to to in order to react as quickly and carefully as possible. Good reaction time is the key to scoring and winning.
- A child is in gym class and has to start running when the teacher gives the signal. The time it takes between when the teacher gives the signal and when the child starts running would be reaction time.
- You’re in a building and you smell smoke all of the sudden. Reaction time would be the time it takes you to find and use the closest fire extinguisher after detecting a fire.
- When a security guard sees suspicious behavior, the time that it takes him or her to react may be crucial for a successful intervention. If they see, for example, a robbery, response time would be the time between when they see the robbery and start taking action to prevent it.
Problems and disorders associated to reaction time
Any type of disorder that is characterized by perception, information processing, or motor problems will also affect reaction time. This is why reaction time is so sensitive to alterations. For example, visual or auditory problems like blindness or hearing impairments may lead to problems that affect reaction time due to the problems with perception. People with bradypsychia or dementia like Alzheimer’s Disease may cause poor processing, and thus affect response time. People with inhibition control problems or oeople with ADHD may also have processing speed affected, which in turns affects response time. When it comes to carrying out the action, people with akinesia or bradykinesia, as is the case with Parkinson’s patients, or motor problems like hemiparesia or other paralisies may also have problems when giving a motor response. In general, any neurodegenerative disorder like Alzheimer’s, Parkinsons, MS, or Huntington’s disease will also find that their reaction time is affected as well. Finally, brain problems caused by brain injury or stroke may affect any of these processes, which affects response time as a consequence.
One disorder that can most affect how quickly you are able to process information is called diffuse axonal injury. This usually happens after suffering from a concussion and the neural connections become damaged. The blow to the head or accident causing the concussion to break or tear the axons (the part of the neuron that allows it to connect with other neurons, white matter in the brain). This damage to the axons doesn’t affect one specific area of the brain, but rather it affects all of the axons in the brain, causing diffuse damage. This translates into slowed processing and, as a result, a slower response time. Unfortunately, this type of injury is quite common and generally has a bad prognosis.
Reaction time isn’t only affected by injury or some kind of disease or disorder. There are a number of different circumstances that may lower and weaken reaction time, like sleep, mood, anxiety, or lack of concentration in general. However, unlike the other factors, recovering reaction time affected by these circumstances is quicker and easier.
How to measure and assess response time?
Reaction time plays a role in the majority of our day-to-day activities. Our ability to interact with out surroundings and react to unexpected changes and events depends directly on this cognitive skill. Being able to evaluate reaction time and understand how it functions could be very helpful in a variety of situations and areas. For example, academics, as it allows teachers or parents to understand if the child has perception, processing, or motor problems and the academic repercussions this may have, medical, as it can help detect mild problems in patients with perceptive, processing, or motor areas, or in the professional field, where it makes it possible for workers to know and understand if they are best prepared to carry out certain activities that may require them to act quickly in certain circumstances.
We are able to measure different cognitive functions, including reaction time, with a complete neuropsychological assessment. The tests that CogniFit created to measure reaction time were based on the classic NEPSY test, Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA), Continuous Performance Test (CPT), Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM), and the Visual Organization Task (VOT). Aside from measuring reaction time, these tests also measure working memory, visual scanning, hand-eye coordination, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, naming, visual perception, contextual memory, recognition, sustained attention, and spatial perception.
- Inquiry Test REST-COM: Objects will appear for a short period of time. The user must select the word that correspond the image as quickly as possible.
- Decoding Test VIPER-NAM: Images will appear on the screen for a short period of time an then disappear. Four letters will then appear, only one of which will correspond to the letter of the object.
The user must choose the correct letter as quickly as possible.
- Recognition Test WOM-REST: A series of three objects will appear on the screen. The user must memorize the order in which they are displayed and later choose the correct order from a selection.
- Resolution Test REST-SPER: A number of moving stimuli will appear on the screen. The user must click on the objective stimuli while avoiding irrelevant stimuli.
- Speed Test REST-HECOOR: A blue square will appear on the screen. The user must click as quickly and as many times as possible in the middle of the square. The more times the user clicks, the higher the score.
- Processing Test REST-INH: In this task, two different sized blocks with numbers inside will appear. The user will first have to click on the bigger block. The next step is to click on the block with the highest number .
How can you improve or rehabilitate response time?
Like our muscles, response time and our other cognitive skills can be trained and improved, and CogniFit may help with professional tools and training programs. The rehabilitation of reaction time is based on the science of neuroplasticity. CogniFit also has a battery of exercises available to help rehabilitate problems with response time and other cognitive functions. Training and challenging your brain can help strengthen the brain and its neural networks. If you frequently train reaction time, the brain’s connections will become stronger and healthier, which means that when it comes time to use response time, it will be quicker and require less mental resources.
CogniFit’s professional team is made up of a number of specialists in the area of neuropsychology, neurogenesis, and synaptic plasticity, which is what allowed us to create the personalized cognitive stimulation program to meet each user’s needs. This program starts with a precise assessment of the user’s response time and other fundamental cognitive functions, and then uses the results to create a training program created to their specific needs.
Consistent and adequate training are necessary for improving reaction time, and CogniFit has assessment and rehabilitation toold to optimize this cognitive function. The program only requires 15 minutes two to three times a week..
You can use CogniFit online. There are a number of interactive online games and exercises that can be played on the computer or mobile device. After each session, CogniFit will provide a detailed graphic outlining the user’s cognitive progress.
How to Improve Your Reaction Time on the Tennis Court • Saw Mill Club
Looking to improve your reaction time on the tennis court? From drills to visualization to specialized workouts, there are plenty of ways to do it.
Speed
As a tennis player, you know that being able to move quickly is essential. Moving from one sideline to the other demands agility and speed, and to be successful you must also have a quick reaction time. It only takes a second for the ball to get past you.
You will want to add both cardiovascular training and strength training into your workouts, but another essential way to boost your reaction time is to add specialized drills.
The Three-Ball Drill
One of the best drills to practice is the Three-Ball Drill. This drill improves your reaction time because it helps you learn to read and respond to shots even better than you already do. Keeping good form is essential with this drill.
Have your partner stand in the middle of the tennis court, right inside the baseline. He or she should face you, holding two tennis balls. You will stand behind the baseline and face the net. Have your partner feed a ball underhand to you, on one side. Slide over to catch the ball, off just one bounce with one hand. Toss it back and go to your original position. As you return the first ball, your partner will throw the second, but in the opposite direction. Two balls should be in motion at the same time, at all times. Keep this up, doing about ten throws per set. Once you get good at this, have your partner vary the location of the ball.
Workouts
There are also some specialized workouts that you can do to improve your reaction time on the court. One of those is simply running! To get faster, at anything, you need to practice. And quick reactions involve fast feet. Try running in nature, because your body will have to react to unpredictable terrain while you run. The key is to run faster and faster each time you go out.
Wall Bounces
Today you can buy something called a ‘reaction ball’ that has an odd shape and gives you an uneven bounce each and every time you bounce the ball. Throw the ball against the wall and catch it. Each time it bounces back, you will really have to react and pay attention in order to catch it.
Increase the velocity of your throws, and vary how close you stand to the wall to make this even more challenging.
Visualize
And finally, simply visualize your success on the court. Picture yourself returning every serve, and winning the match. Visualization exercises have been proven to increase athletes’ success in every sport, so spend a few minutes every day picturing just how quickly you will return those serves!
Six Tips to Improve Reaction Time and Mental Focus
The brain governs everything we do, from bodily systems that guarantee our survival, to thinking and innovating, to movement and reaction time. Although the average adult brain weighs just three pounds, it consumes 20-30% of our calories and one-half of our oxygen to fuel the work of billions of the interconnected neurons that dictate every aspect of our day-to-day lives.
We often overlook the fact that the brain needs to be nourished and to recovery to perform optimally, because a deficit in any one of a number of factors can decrease its ability to respond and react. Fortunately, there are a number of researched-backed ways you can support your brain and improve reaction time.
1. Be active
Exercising your muscles also exercises the brain. By being active, you fire up the central nervous system, which promotes new neural connections and restores and repairs existing ones. Physical activity increases blood flow to the brain, delivering oxygen and glucose for energy.
Exercise is associated with improved recall and memory, as well as mental processing speed.
A recent Canadian study showed, even in otherwise sedentary adults, that a 12-week exercise program consisting of resistance training two days a week and interval training one day a week can resulted in a 4% improvement in cognition and a 5% improvement in reaction time.1
2. Go to sleep!
Sleep and the brain have a significant relationship. Our bodies are designed to function in a wake/rest cycle, called the circadian rhythm.
Sleep is when the brain processes and uploads the day’s information. While we are awake, we process and store data in the short-term memory portion of our brain – think of this as an external hard drive. When we’re sleeping, this information is uploaded into permanent memory – our internal hard drive.
As this information is processed and stored, the brain becomes better at understanding and predicting outcomes, which can play a significant role in how fast we react to stimuli.
A University of Texas at Austin study observed the reaction time and decision-making skills of a group of West Point cadets who were well-rested as opposed to a group who were sleep deprived. The accuracy of the low-sleep group declined 2.4% from baseline, while the well-rested group had a 4.3 % improvement – a statistically significant swing between the two groups.2
3. Hydrate
The brain is 75-80% water, so even 2% dehydration can negatively impact cognitive performance and reaction time. When we are dehydrated, the brain shrinks, which affects our ability to process, predict, and react.
Although the impact of hydration on physical activity is well documented, research also shows that suboptimal hydration limits brain function and reaction time. * In fact, by the time you feel thirsty, you might have already reached the critical 2% dehydration mark.
Researchers in the United Kingdom gave adults (average age, 30) several mental tests requiring quick decision-making and focus. Half the participants were provided a cereal bar, while the other half were given the cereal bar plus water to drink to their thirst level.
All participants who consumed water had higher scores than the participants who did not.
The most considerable improvement in performance – 14% increased reaction time – came from those who drank three cups of water before completing the mental tests.3
4. Caffeine in moderation
Caffeine is a known stimulant and has long been associated with being awake and alert. It is well-researched for its impact on physical and mental performance, and more than 80% of American adults consume caffeine regularly. But how exactly does caffeine work?
Caffeine stimulates the release of the hormone adrenaline, which controls the fight or flight response.
Adrenaline release increases pupil dilation, affects how much oxygen is delivered to the brain, influences how much blood flow is directed toward the muscles, and sends neurological signals to the body to prepare for action.
These responses are all designed to promote alertness and reaction time. Interestingly, caffeine has not only been shown to impact reaction time during physical activity, but also in non-athletic situations such as driving.4,5
5. Support eye health
To assess, predict, and react are largely dependent on the ability to see. Supporting the eyes with the nutrients the eyes need to function optimally can, in turn, positively impact visual processing speed and reaction time.6 Two major nutrients that support eye health are the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin.*
Carotenoids are natural pigments that give fruits and vegetables their vibrant colors.
Lutein and zeaxanthin are found throughout the brain, as early as the first year of life. The University of Georgia found that supplementation of lutein and zeaxanthin improves visual processing speed and reaction time by 10%.*7
In a real-world example, increasing the availability of these two carotenoids led to baseball players being able to better identify and respond to a fast ball, shortening the time it took to process and initiate their swing by 10%, a significant performance improvement.*8
6. Commune with nature
As we continue to move into a more urbanized and technologically-focused world, our brains are tasked with identifying and responding to an increasing number of stimuli. But over-stimulation can cause brain fatigue and decrease functioning, thus requiring more nutrition and rest to recover from the daily rush of information.
The brains of city dwellers interpret and respond to 11 million bits of information a second.
An emerging field of science – environmental neuroscience – explores how exposure to nature positively impacts cognitive functioning of the brain. Their attention-restorative theory hypothesizes that the brain’s response to naturally occurring stimuli experienced in a natural setting, like a forest, has restorative abilities that improves cognitive functioning.
This compares to urban settings that require constant responses which stress the parts of the brain responsible for identifying and reacting to stimuli.
Researchers at the University of Michigan first administered several tests that challenged the memory and response time of subjects and then had the subjects take a 50-minute walk in an outdoor park or an urban downtown. Results showed significant cognitive improvement in the nature walk subjects compared to the urban walk subjects.9
In a complementary experiment, simply viewing pictures of nature resulted in an improvement in cognitive performance compared to viewing pictures of an urban environment. This research was repeated at Stanford University to examine the impact of urban settings on the overall stress and burden on the brain and to identify if exposure to nature can improve recovery from overexposure to stimuli.
The Stanford study showed that individuals exposed to 50 minutes of nature had significantly improved results on a memory challenge, attention span, and ability and time to detect a change in stimulus compared to individuals exposed to 50 minutes of an urban environment.10
Your brain is your most crucial ally in achieving optimal physical and cognitive performance. Your brain needs total support so you can react quickly, make lasting memories, and focus on your tasks, all while coordinating your muscles to fire and move swiftly. Taking time to build a daily routine that supports your brain is key to optimizing your physical reaction time and overall mental performance.
In addition to getting good sleep, staying hydrated, exercising, and communing with nature, Thorne offers Memoractiv, a formula that contains several ingredients discussed here – time-released caffeine, lutein, and zeaxanthin – for support of eye health, reaction time and mental focus.*
References
- Bell K, Fang H, Snijders T, et al.
A multi-ingredient nutritional supplement in combination with resistance exercise and high-intensity interval training improves cognitive function and increases n-3 index in healthy older men: a randomized controlled trial. Front Aging Neurosci 2019;11:107.
- Maddox W, Glass B, Zeithamova D, et al. The effects of sleep deprivation on dissociable prototype learning systems. Sleep 2011;34(3):253-260.
- Edmonds C, Crombie R, Gardner M. Subjective thirst moderates changes in speed of responding associated with water consumption. Front Hum Neurosci 2013;7:363.
- Mets M, Baas D, van Boven L, et al. Effects of coffee on driving performance during prolonged simulated highway driving. Psychopharmacology 2012;222(2):337-342.
- McLellan T, Caldwell J, Lieberman H. A review of caffeine’s effects on cognitive, physical, and occupational performance. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016;71:294-312.
- Johnson E, McDonald K, Caldarella S, et al.
Cognitive findings of an exploratory trial of docosahexaenoic acid and lutein supplementation in older women. Nutr Neurosci 2008;11(2):75-83.
- Bovier E, Renzi L, Hammond B. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study on the effects of lutein and zeaxanthin on neural processing speed and efficiency. PLoS One 2014;9(9):e108178.
- Hammond B Jr, Fletcher L. Influence of the dietary carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin on visual performance: application to baseball. Am J Clin Nutr 2012;96(5):1207S-1213S.
- Berman M, Jonides J, Kaplan S. The cognitive benefits of interacting with nature. Psychol Sci 2008;19(12):1207-1212.
- Bratman G, Daily G, Levy B, Gross J. The benefits of nature experience: improved affect and cognition. Landsc Urban Plan 2015;138:41-50.
Free Brain Age Games: Pounce
Free Brain Age Games
Challenge a friend
This game will really test your reaction times.
How many yellow icosahedrons can you click on in 30 seconds?
Reactions and Age
Reaction time increases slowly until the 50s and 60s, and then lengthens faster as the person gets into their 70s and beyond.
This age effect is more marked for complex reaction time tasks. Older adults can be as adept as younger people at assimilating information, but they take longer to react.
How Reactions Work
When you are new to a reaction time task, your reaction times are less consistent than when you have had more practice. Your brain can be trained to react faster to stimulus. More experienced martial artists have shorter reaction times but, by contrast, in volleyball tests less experienced players had shorter reaction times (but made more errors too).
Reaction times get slower when the we are fatigued. Deterioration due to fatigue is more marked when the reaction time task is complicated than when it is simple. Mental fatigue, especially sleepiness, has the greatest effect.
Training on a complex task both shortens reaction times and improves accuracy (Visser et al, 2007). Training ourselves to resist falls by stepping out to stabilize ourselves can improve our reaction times.
Reaction time is fastest with some but not too much arousal, and deteriorates when we are either too relaxed or too tense. When the world’s top athletes are in the middle of their game or race their heart rates are not extreme, neither are they relaxed.
Interestingly many researchers have confirmed that our reactions to sound are faster than our reactions to light (8-10 msec vs 20-40 msec).
How can I improve my reactions?
As we get older we have to be more careful physically. I notice my father doesn’t jump to catch flies like he used to but he still has a sharp sense of humor. There is no reason we can not click about on screen with the same speed as a 21 year old – we just need to practice.
Physical exercise can improve your reaction times. Welford (“Reaction Times.” 1980) found that physically fit subjects had faster reaction times.
Lorist and Snel (“Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology” 1997) found that moderate doses of caffeine decreased reaction times. Alcohol increases reaction times.
Try out a Nintendo Wii. Armchair sports are great for anyone who wants to stay alert. All those new activities will speed up the transmission of neurons and help grow more brain tissue.
90,000 7 EXERCISES TO TRAIN YOUR SPEED AND AGILITY.
Date of publication: 27.06.2016 12:45
EXOS experts consider all aspects of football when assessing athletes’ speed qualities. For example, the position of the athlete, the speed of decision-making, which leg is dominant for changing the direction of movement and each phase of the sprint run.
Based on the analysis made, a training program is drawn up that takes into account different characteristics of running: acceleration, absolute speed, lateral slip speed, speed when changing the linear direction of movement, speed of multi-vector movement, running backward and braking.
We offer you 7 exercises for training:
1. Starting speed of acceleration. Research shows that the main segments during which an athlete runs at maximum speed are from 7 to 30 meters, so the athlete needs to be able to develop speed quickly. Acceleration speed depends on the frequency and length of steps, as well as on the time spent on the reaction when pushing off the surface. |
2. Absolute speed During the game, an athlete, in order to break away from an opponent, often has to gain maximum speed, maintaining it at a distance of up to 60 m on average. The “PER4M POWER DRAG BAG” running weight trainer is very suitable for training peak explosive speed.You can find out more about this simulator in the article by clicking on the link . |
3. Side slip speed. In such sports as basketball, tennis, football, side slip speed is very important. It is advisable to carry out such training with a partner, practicing mirror movements. The “PER4M REACTION BELTS” trainer will help you with this. |
4. Sharp deviation from the course. During the game, the athlete has to run from side to side, change direction at any angle, while sharply slowing down and starting again, overcoming the body’s inertia and maintaining balance. |
5. Driving – crossover. The whole game consists of unexpected situations, sharp turns and direction changes.The athlete must have a good sense of balance and coordination of movements. |
6. Running backwards. Reverse speed is especially important in the game for defenders. Backward running can also be linear or multidirectional. |
7.Braking. During the game, athletes have to brake sharply in order to intercept the ball and rush in the other direction. And the “harder” the braking phase, the shorter and faster in time the braking, the more powerful the contracted muscles will shoot the player when changing the direction of movement. |
Learn more about the tricks used in speed training in our other article “How to develop leg speed in football”
90,000 How to develop a reaction at home.Secrets of Fast Reactions, or Why Adults Are So Slow
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 in 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.
In 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 should 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 one more 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.
Related videos
Sometimes life depends on the speed of reaction, but even without extreme conditions, the ability to quickly respond to external events will be useful. Activate your reactions and your movements will become coordinated and precise.
Reaction is the ability of the brain to respond quickly to external stimuli. The reaction rate is the time that elapses from the moment of the action of an external stimulus to the reaction of the organism to it.
First, our senses perceive some stimulus and react to it: nerve impulses are transmitted from receptors (nerve endings) to the cerebral cortex.Signal recognition, processing, classification and evaluation take place here. Then the zone that controls body movements is connected, and the muscles are included in the work. Each such stage takes time.
All people have different reaction rates. There are also extremes, when the behavior of some resembles slow motion, and the reaction of others is lightning fast. For example, Japanese secretary Miit puts 100 stamps in one minute. The fastest shooter in the world, J. Mikulek, makes 5 shots from a revolver in half a second.Japanese Makisumi collects Rubik’s cube in 12.5 seconds.
It is curious that the fastest muscle reaction is in cold-blooded animals. For example, a palm salamander that spots a victim throws out its tongue at a speed of 15 meters per second. Mongooses have a quick reaction – thanks to her they have earned the fame of the best snake hunters. Lightning-fast reaction and our beloved cats.
For a person, a quick reaction, it would seem, has lost its former vital importance: he no longer needs to quickly dodge the paws of wild animals so as not to be eaten, or, on the contrary, to hunt for them so as not to be left without lunch.
However, it would be a mistake to think that a quick reaction is of no use to us. It is necessary for athletes – football players, hockey players, tennis players, boxers, judokas, etc. And not only in order to set records, but also to avoid injuries. A quick reaction is required by representatives of many professions – pilots, drivers, captains, machinists, surgeons, etc. People with a quick reaction are preferred by many employers, for example, in areas where you need to quickly respond to market changes.
In fact, everyone needs a quick reaction in order to protect themselves as much as possible on the street and at home: to behave correctly in a critical situation that poses a threat to health or life.
The reaction speed is measured in ms – milliseconds. 1 second is 1,000 ms. The smaller this value is, the higher the reaction rate will be. For most people, it is 230-270 ms. Readings from 270 ms and above indicate a slower response. Fighter pilots, sports stars show results of 150 – 170 ms.
Fastest reaction in people between the ages of 18 and 40. Its speed increases in the middle of the day – during the period of highest efficiency. In a tired person, it decreases.This may not be noticeable if the work does not require a quick reaction, but when performing complex actions, the possibility of making a mistake increases.
The reaction also slows down under the influence of alcohol and drugs. In addition, the mental state of a person matters: negative emotions inhibit nervous activity, which adversely affects his reactions, while positive ones significantly accelerate them.
The type of stimulus also affects the speed of reaction: people react fastest to tactile and sound stimuli, somewhat slower to visual stimuli.
How to get faster
There are several ways to learn to react faster:
1. Load the brain with work
In older people, the processing of information coming to the brain from the senses slows down. This happens for various reasons, including the fact that most of them stop learning, do not strive to learn new things and do not want to leave their usual comfort zone. Idleness, watching meaningless programs that do not force the brain to strain, trigger the process of personality degradation, which also affects the speed of reaction.
So that the brain does not atrophy over time, it needs to be constantly loaded with work, set new tasks before it, and then you will not have to complain about a slow reaction.
2. Eliminate bad habits
A person who, as they say, has gone overboard creates a false impression that under the influence of what he has drunk, he becomes more relaxed, free and able to concentrate and control his behavior. But practice shows the opposite: due to the lack of a quick reaction, drunk people very often become victims of crimes and participants in accidents.
3. Get enough sleep
It is impossible to constantly be in a state of maximum concentration and concentration. There will certainly be a failure when we cannot respond to danger in time. Therefore, periods of concentration should alternate with periods of relaxation. And full sleep is a great opportunity to give the nervous system “reboot”, replenish its energy reserves. In addition, with a lack of sleep, visual acuity decreases, which also negatively affects the speed of reactions.
4. Controlling emotions
First of all, you need to learn not to succumb to fear. On the one hand, fear signals danger. On the other hand, it does not mobilize a person, but inhibits the process of processing information in the brain. Many are familiar with the feeling when, in moments of danger, a person feels as if paralyzed and unable to budge. His reactions are slow and he is unable to give an adequate answer. Correctly and quickly reacting to a stimulus is possible only in a state of absence of fear.
Thanks to special trainings that carry meaning, that is, simulate danger in real life, you can get rid of some fears and acquire quick reaction skills that will come in handy in a difficult situation.
For example, the clicking sound made by a partner can simulate a shot and serve as a signal to quickly bounce to the side, duck or fall to the ground. The effect should be sudden – we should not control the stimulus, that is, the actions of the partner.
To get rid of fear, in particular falling on ice, will help a pre-developed “plan”. For example, when falling on our back, we must quickly press our chin to our chest so as not to injure our head. In this case, we can replay our actions mentally. This will speed up our reaction, so that if we do fall, we will avoid injury.
5. Play
Games of football, volleyball, table tennis and tennis perfectly develop a quick reaction, so it’s worth choosing the one you like and start playing.You can juggle.
It is curious that the speed of reaction is also developed by computer games – this was proved by scientists from one of the American universities. During the experiment, the players showed high results in quick decision-making not only in the game itself, but also in tests to determine the speed of reaction.
6. We train
Exercises are useful only if they are carried out daily, and not from time to time.
Our subconscious, intuitive reactions (the right hemisphere of the brain is responsible for them) is faster than the conscious, analytical ones, which are controlled by the left hemisphere.The huge role of the latter is undoubted, but at critical moments the subconscious is the first to react. And since it is it that responds to the stimulus in the first place, you can train the reaction rate by repeating the same movements many times – up to 200 at a time.
Starting training, it is worth deciding what exactly we will increase the reaction rate: to hearing, touch or visual stimulus. At first, it is better to separate them, and only then train them all together.
We train the speed of the auditory reaction.For example, two people are sitting at a table with an object. The third walks around them and suddenly claps his hands. On this signal, everyone should strive to be the first to grab the given object.
We train the speed of reaction to touch. The one who trains should not see his coach (you can blindfold him). One person sits at the table, the second, whom he does not see, must unexpectedly touch his shoulder. In response, he must clap his hands, jump to the side, etc.
We train the speed of visual reaction. This is very important because most of the information goes to the brain through vision.
Crackers game. Two stand opposite each other, both have their arms bent at the elbows and raised, palms turned towards the partner. One hits the palm of the other with his palm. His task is to guess and remove in time the hand that his partner wants to hit.
Alternatively: both hands are on the table in front of you. Each in turn tries to cover the hand of the other with one hand, and he must have time to pull it back.
By the way, these games are familiar to many from childhood.
But, of course, the most effective way to increase your reaction rate is to do team sports, tennis or martial arts.
Hello dear friends!
Nowadays, speed is of global importance. A person who analyzes what is happening with the speed of a turtle runs the risk of simply not being in time for a personal holiday of life.
Think, all managers want to see universal soldiers in the units of their fighters who are fast, energetic and know how to qualitatively respond to situations that have arisen, without falling into a stupor.
Developing reaction at home is a chance to pump your skill to unimaginable levels! Why is this necessary, you ask? Even if an individual is in a dark street at night, having a good reaction, it gets a priori more chances to keep its health and life, in contrast to its slower relatives.
Work, personal relationships, personal safety and speed of decision-making are closely related to the reaction of the individual to what is happening. But how can you develop this skill quickly and efficiently?
For today’s material, I have prepared TOP-7 exercises that help to increase the degree of dexterity, formulation of thinking and, of course, the level of comprehension.
Few facts
It is the psyche of the average individual that is responsible for the speed of reaction to stimuli. But before you pump it, you need to pacify your own. After all, they are the basis of correctly taken actions.
Which emotion is considered the most powerful and influential? Of course . It cannot be completely eradicated from your subconscious, but taming it and learning to control it is easy!
We all know that the best exercise for pacifying him is a personal encounter with the object of fear.At the same time, there are triggers that appear in front of us suddenly and scare the soul into the heels! This happens in a split second and it is simply not possible to understand something or make the right decision.
How to stop being afraid of sounds and develop an excellent reaction? To do this, you need daily work on yourself and perseverance. You can ask your loved ones to participate in similar training games.
For example, an unexpected clap trains your reaction very well.For children of this kind, the lesson will develop into the exercise “ bring mom to a semi-faint state
”, but over time you will stop responding to it, lowering the psychological barrier.
How to develop a lightning-fast response to stress? Yes, this is perhaps one of the most exciting and important questions. Since a person has a couple of meaningful minutes to make a decision, the actions must be pre-verified and logical.
In the development of such a skill, computer games, especially team games, are excellently recommended.As an example, I can put football, volleyball. Games of this kind, in an adult way, train an instant assessment of the situation, its analysis and force to make decisions in a matter of moments. And all because the overall result depends on them.
How to develop a skill while at home?
1. Account
Solo exercises, ideal for working out your own feeling of being “included”. Psychologists often recommend resorting to the mental calculation technique. Let’s say, making or planning any purchase, calculate how much you should give to the seller?
This method not only increases the level and reactions, but also pumps the memory.
2. Auditory signals
Exercise 1
Feeling responses are indisputably important in this kind of training. I advise you to involve your family in joint activities. You will need to respond to certain auditory signals in a characteristic manner.
For example, develop a squat reflex with the word “stop”, with a whistle – jump up, with the command “op” – lift your left leg up.
The more varied the tasks, the more effective.Start with basic and simple combinations, gradually increasing the load. Try to use as many muscle groups as possible during exercise.
This will allow you to establish and become aware of the direct signal of the brain in conjunction with the coordination of movements, as well as develop a certain reflex, which can save your life.
Exercise 2
For example, when a shot sounds, it is most logical to jump to the side or cover your head with your hands while crouching down.This increases the development of body agility and preparedness for the unexpected. Dealing with auditory stimuli is very productive. The sound message itself must certainly be understandable and familiar.
But a prerequisite is the fact that the source must be hidden for you. You can try to sit with your back to him or be blindfolded.
By practicing these techniques, you will learn to react sensibly to incoming sound tricks and develop the correct behavioral response in advance.
3. Touch
Exercise 3
In terms of increasing the speed of reaction, tasks on the sense of touch are excellently recommended. You need to work with closed eyes or a bandage.
I offer you an effective exercise for developing quick reactions using tactile sensations.
Sit on a chair. Your arms should be in front of you and shoulder width apart. To work out, you need a partner who will unexpectedly and pointwise touch your torso from behind.
After you feel the touch, you need to clap your hands as soon as possible (at the level of the solar plexus). Your goal is to reduce the interval between touch and cotton produced.
Exercise 4
Another excellent exercise is based on sleight of hand. Ask your child to press a regular student ruler against the wall. Your personal trainer should hold it in the middle with your thumb and suddenly release it.
Once she starts to fall freely, your main mission is to intercept her with your thumb before she falls to the floor.A good mood and excitement are guaranteed to you, so feel free to take on the implementation.
4. Vision
Exercise 5
We all know that 90% of the information entering our brain is the merit of sight. Therefore, it is very important to train the visual response to stimuli, learning how to weed out unnecessary, interfering factors.
For the next assignment, you will need an impromptu screen or counter, as well as a partner. Its task is to show you various kinds of objects from behind the cover at a slow speed.
Your condition is to demonstrate a reaction only to previously agreed items. Over time, increase the frequency of the displayed attributes and add sound triggers. Thanks to this, you will be able to train several important reactions at the same time.
Exercise 6
Be sure to practice playing games with finding different differences between objects. For this, games on a computer or a “live” game may be suitable. Its essence lies in the fact that one person put on the maximum number of items of clothing or accessories.The trainer’s task is to freeze in a certain position, and after the participant has memorized the location of the wardrobe items, change their position.
Think at your leisure, where exactly will you need the acquired skill? Your feedback on the external factor of influence should be logical, convenient and understandable.
By practicing the above exercises, you will be able to notice that your reaction to the surrounding Universe has increased, similar to being involved in what is happening “here and now”.I think that confidence in personal strength will also increase and will be positively noted by you.
Friends, that’s the point.
Be sure to subscribe to the blog update and recommend it for reading on social networks. In the comments, tell us about how you train the skill of the correct reaction to what happened?
See you on the blog, bye-bye!
). Well, now let’s touch on the topic how to increase the reaction speed
in terms of practice exercises
.But to begin with, there is still a little theory. For skinning
refreshment memory ?
How to increase your reaction speed through practice and exercise – when such a question arises, then a related question should arise: to increase the reaction speed WHAT
? What do you want to react to faster? For example, you can react:
- by ear
- to touch
- for visual stimulus.
Accordingly, if you train your reaction to one of these stimuli.Subsequently, they can be mixed – but for a start, according to the principle of gradualness, it is better to divide and train in turns.
Regardless of what kind of reaction you train – to hearing, to touch, to sight (there is no sense of smell or taste to train a lot) it is important to clearly understand what will be the response
during training, which is specific
action. It will be correct to train one sense organ for different actions.
Although training the olfactory response can have its benefits:
So, the story is known when two red commissars were on duty at the safe house of some enemies of the people (White Guards, Trotskyists, Denikinites, fascists, etc.).- in this respect the sources of the story do not agree). Be that as it may, the commissars had a task: to sit quietly in the apartment, not sticking out – and wait until the necessary enemy of the people appears. Well, and, accordingly, to seize and torture him (shoot, dispossess, etc. – here the sources also cannot agree).
So, the brave commissars are sitting in ambush, chewing dry rations, waiting. They wait for a day, wait for two. You will neither go out, warm up, nor sleep properly – after all, the Motherland gave the task to be vigilant! And watch out unnoticed.
In general, they waited for some time – and then one of the commissars lost his nerves. And also the habit of smoking let down. Well, he took it and lit a cigarette on the machine. The partner saw this disgrace, stopped. They are waiting further. And what do you think?
The very enemy of the people trained the speed of reaction, among other things, to the sense of smell! He entered the apartment, smelled that they were smoking here not a week ago, as it should have been, but just a day ago – and started shooting at the smell. Accordingly, one commissar is wounded, the second is chasing the enemy of the people throughout the city.
How the chase ended, the sources have not been determined either. But nevertheless, the moral is this: firstly, smoking is harmful. And secondly, the speed of reaction can be on the sense of smell.
Continuing our theme of increasing reaction speed through exercise.
So, it would be correct to train the speed of reaction to different signals from one sense organ. It is possible even on completely absurd signals, it is important to provide variety in the training process
movements and use maximum
number of muscles.But these actions should be very simple and performed, what is called one touch, in one movement. These movements can be completely different, and require different efforts. From “reach” to the command “lie down”, pull-ups and push-ups. The main thing is that the movement is simple.
It is also important that the exercise should not be meaningless
; it must have a certain semantic load. That is, so that it can be useful in real life. The main emphasis in the choice here should be placed on safety or the acquisition of certain professional or sports skills.In this case, the stimulus should also be adequately selected. For example, the sound of a loud click (imitation of a shot) should be used to train a jump to the side, a fall, but not “take off the cap”.
Of course, you need to start according to the principle of gradualness
– from the simplest exercises, the same “get the yavar” or moving a light object from place to place.
The second feature of reaction training is the obligatory presence of an absolutely random and uncontrollable source of irritation
.Exercising by giving yourself mental orders is a waste of time, and it gets boring quickly. A truly random source of events is needed.
The most ideal source of random events would be another person – partner
. The participation of two people in the training immediately introduces a certain element of competition. Each tries to win against the other and tries to make the opponent’s task as difficult as possible. A partner can be your friend, children, parents, etc. No one refuses to improve their reaction.
By the way, if you can handle this, then you can create conditions on your own where there are chances – as much as you like ?
Here are some exercises designed to increase your reaction speed. Naturally, they are not a dogma, but just a template from which you can create many different and more suitable exercises for you.
How to increase the speed of reaction to hearing.
A sound signal acts as a stimulus. It must have a distinct beginning.This can be, for example, a bell, a sound made by a musical instrument, knock, click, etc. Even a doorbell. When training the auditory response, it is important to break the visual connection between the source and the trainee. Those. the trainee should not be able to predict the appearance of a sound by any actions of the coach. You can make a sound behind your back or use the simplest computer program.
When training hearing from a safety point of view, the exercises should be directed to the appropriate actions (bending down, jumping to the side, falling).
Examples of exercises to increase the speed of reaction to hearing:
- The coach walks out the door. The trainee, at the signal of the bell, must move a small object from one place to another (the places must be clearly marked). Must get the item (from the table, pocket, remove from the shelf).
- The coach, sitting behind his back, hits the table sharply with a ruler. The trainee must make a response click.
- When training for safety, it is important to practice the procedure for drawing a weapon or something that replaces it by sound (shouting, knocking, stamping, etc.)etc.).
- Two partners are sitting opposite each other with an object lying on a chair in front of them. The coach walks around the teammates and suddenly claps. The teammates must grab the object by claping – who is faster. To complicate the exercise, the trainer can not only clap, but also make sounds such as “clap”, “boom” and so on. Caution: Companions should pay attention to the fact that they should not bang their foreheads.
How to increase the speed of reaction to touch
This is a practice of reaction to touch, especially not visually controlled, for example, from behind.It is a very important part of the security element.
During training, the trainee puts on a blindfold if hand sensitivity is being worked out, or the coach is behind him if safety exercises are being practiced.
Examples of exercises to increase the speed of reaction to touch:
- The trainee sits on a chair, blindfolded, hands shoulder-width apart lie on the table in front of him. The trainer touches the trainee’s hands in a random order and at a random interval of time.The trainee, when touched, should clap his hands in front of him, over his head or behind his back. The less time elapses from the time of touching to cotton, the better.
- The coach is behind the trainee at arm’s length. The coach touches the trainee’s shoulder with his hand. The trainee should sit down sharply, jump forward or to the side, turn around and take a fighting stance.
How to increase the speed of reaction to vision
Vision is our main sense.A person receives 90% of information through sight. Therefore, special attention should be paid to training the reaction from the “visible” stimulus. Fortunately, this is the easiest to train. During training, special attention should be paid not only to the reaction to any event, but also to the selection of the visual event by the trainee. For example, don’t just “light the lamp”. For example, you need to light one of several lamps. At the same time, the brain must assess the situation and weed out unnecessary stimuli.
Examples of exercises to increase the speed of reaction to a visual stimulus:
- The coach presses the student’s ruler against the wall.The trainee holds his thumb 1 cm from the ruler at a level of about 10-15 cm from the beginning. When the coach releases the ruler, it will start to fall. The trainee’s task is to press the ruler against the wall with his thumb. The fewer centimeters the ruler “flies”, the better the reaction.
- The coach accidentally lights one of the two table lamps (the switch must not be visible to the trainee).
- At this (lighting a certain lamp) the trainee must move an object, clap his hands, etc.d.
- The coach shows the trainee various objects from behind the screen. The trainee’s response should only be to a specific subject.
Various types of finger games are an excellent workout. For example, even-odd, rock-paper-scissors.
Even-Odd
. The leader “throws out” one of the numbers from 1 to 5 on his fingers. The follower must throw out his own number, but the opposite in meaning. If the leader showed 3 fingers (odd), then the follower should show 2 or 4 (even).
Stone, scissors, paper
. The stone (fist) is blunt with scissors, the scissors (index and middle finger) cut the paper, the paper (palm) covers the stone. In the normal scenario, the players “discard” the item at the same time. In this case, the coach gives the trainee a head start, so that he would figure out and show the winning object.
Okay
. Players sit opposite each other at the table and keep their hands on the table in front of them. The leader tries to cover the follower with his palm, and he tries to pull it back in time.
Further, such training of the speed of reaction to a visual stimulus is also possible:
- Children’s game, when several people stand in a circle and jump clockwise, trying to step on the foot of a neighbor. The neighbor tries to remove his leg with a jump. The one who jumped, attacking, freezes in place. The one who jumped, jumping back, jumps on the leg of the next player. Whoever has been stepped on gets out of the circle.
- A simple game “catch a piece of paper. One person holds a small piece of paper (money, for example).The second puts his hand on the hand that holds the piece of paper. The first one releases a piece of paper, and the second has a task – to catch this piece of paper with the hand that lay on the hand of the first. If you play for the money of someone who trains the speed of reaction (you caught the money – it is yours, did not catch it – it belongs to your partner) – then the speed of reaction trains very, very quickly.
- Juggle. Just start learning to juggle. Here it is not only a matter of reaction, but also without it in any way.
An excellent workout for increasing reaction speed for the whole body is to catch a tennis ball with your hand.You’ve seen how tennis players train. They stand against the wall and work out the blow. The ball bounces off the wall and returns to them. You can also take a tennis ball, stand against a wall and start throwing it forcefully, just like in tennis – hand – ground – wall – hand. First, one hand is trained, then the other, then both at once. You can throw with one hand, and catch strictly with the other. This complicates the calculation of the trajectory. It’s even better when a partner appears and you and him catch the ball in turn.
Thus, you can easily and simply increase your reaction speed through practical exercises. And here your intention to win will help you – it will give you the basis for the actions that need to be trained.
When writing this article, materials were used from http://www.leovit.ru/reaction.html
If you have any useful recipes for speeding up the reaction – write in the comments!
Reaction speed is of great importance in the modern world.Speed and energy are necessary in many life situations, without them it is impossible to achieve success in business and sports. The advice of psychologists and trainers will help you develop a good reaction.
How to develop a good reaction
What is a reaction
A reaction is the ability to respond to external stimuli received by the senses. Most of all, the reaction rate depends on the characteristics of the human nervous system. Affects the speed of response and the speed of life – a person living in a rural area has a slightly lower reaction than a city dweller.
How to develop a good reaction speed
Many sports help to develop a reaction. Table tennis is especially useful. If you don’t have a partner, bounce the tennis ball off the wall. And to increase the effectiveness of your workout, bounce the ball off the wall carpet. In this case, the reaction increases due to the fact that you have to apply more physical effort.
Many computer games, such as races, shooters and various simulations, also help to develop the reaction.However, do not get carried away with them too much – computer toys should only be part of your workouts.
To increase the speed of reaction are well suited: – boxing with a sparring partner, – running on rough terrain, – push-ups with cotton, – football, – volleyball, – ping-pong, – badminton, – baseball.
Great for your purpose and children’s games. “Bouncers”, playing snowballs and all the fun with moving objects help the brain to analyze the situation faster and make the right decisions.
You can also develop a reaction with the help of special exercises aimed at training various senses. Classes should start with the simplest exercises that require a simple response to a specific stimulus. Then try more complex combinations. Such exercises help to bring the desired reaction almost to the level of a reflex.
Reaction training is best done with rivals – the spirit of competition will significantly increase the effectiveness of the training
90,000 Games for the development of reaction and attention.Collection # 5 of 11 free games.
You can see the scattered parts of the drawing in front of you. By rotating them in space, you need to get the whole image.
Reaction test, hold in the field.
Reaction test: The sheep should be euthanized as soon as it starts to move. Click on the arrow.
Test for reaction and attention. Average result 20 sec.
Reaction test.Press the circle when changing the color. Excellent for results from 0.1 to 0.2.
Test for reaction and attention. Collect black squares and avoid red ones.
Your task is to indicate all black numbers in ascending order from 1 to 13. Get ready, concentrate.
Write all 50 numbers in order: 11 black, 11 orange, 12 black, 12 orange,…, 35 black, 35 orange. If you do this in less than 3 minutes and faster than the last record from the table of records, then a button with the word “Hurray!” records.
Reaction test: Press the asterisk as quickly as possible.
Game for development of attention and memory. Free online.
This is an online game to develop the speed of counting.
Wrong Puzzle
This is no ordinary Puzzle, it tests your visual processing capabilities. the task mainly involves the parietal lobe, the visual cortex, and the temporal lobe.
ONLINE TEST FOR KNOWLEDGE OF GEOGRAPHY
This online geographic test will help you figure out where different countries are on the map, what are their capitals and flags.
There is a Russian language and mute.
ONLINE TEST FOR PERCEPTION OF COLORS
A test for the ability to perceive colors and find them on the color palette. All you need is to quickly find the same color on the palette as this online test offers.Or something similar. This is not only a test of the brain, but also a test of the functioning of the right side of the brain, which is responsible for the perception of color.
Games with required registration
Entangled shapes
Various objects such as flowers, fruits, animals, geometric shapes
or amoebas form a complex shape when assembled.
Identify the items that make up it.
To play, you need to register for free and save your password.And only after that games will be available for free ..
Birdsong
Combine the name of the birds with their picture and singing.
To play, you need to register for free and save your password. And only after that games will be available for free.
Rearranged characters
To play, you need to register for free and save your password. And only after that games will be available for free.
Turn all the time
To play, you need to register for free and save your password. And only after that games will be available for free.
Restaurant
To play, you need to register for free and save your password. And only after that games will be available for free.
Reflection Exercises – BookCooks.com
A good reaction is an important ability of the human body that will come in handy in life.People who have it well developed are attentive and collected, which helps them to quickly navigate in difficult situations and find a way out.
How to train your reaction?
It is easy to develop different abilities of your body, the main thing is to do it regularly and correctly. An important point in making training successful is not to be afraid, because fear blocks logic. Before you understand how to train your reaction speed, it is worth noting the need for a partner, since doing the exercises on your own is often meaningless.It is the other person who will provide such important characteristics of training as the unpredictability and uncontrollability of the stimulus.
Games for training reactions
The simplest and most accessible training option for every person is computer games, which, in the opinion of many people, are useless. Such entertainment forces you to concentrate your attention on what is happening, to react to various types of stimuli. Reaction exercises – dynamic games such as arcades, simulations, racing, etc.Choose an option for yourself that requires various movements, and develop for your own pleasure, but do not abuse it, because a long stay at the computer is harmful to health.
Reaction speed training
The ability to quickly respond to various stimuli is necessary for athletes, for example, boxers or tennis players. There are fitness exercises to develop the speed of reaction in a person, used in self-defense classes. They are simple and do not require any special sports training.It is best to do them with your eyes closed, which will make your workout more effective by sharpening your reaction.
- Gripper . The partner stands behind his back and puts his hand on his shoulder. You need to immediately grab her and twist out.
- Pistol . The assistant rests his finger on either the left or right side of the back. The place of contact determines where in which direction you should take a step.
- Assuming a pose . The coach should stand behind his back at arm’s length.Task – after touching the shoulder, it is necessary to perform some action as quickly as possible, for example, jump or crouch.
How to develop a reaction?
To develop your abilities, it is recommended to choose a variety of tasks that will involve different muscles in the work. There are these types of reactions: visual, auditory and tactile, and they all lend themselves to development. At the initial stages of training, it is recommended to perform exercises at a slow pace in order to develop the correct movement algorithm.The development of the reaction implies regular exercise, since without this the result will not be progress.
Visualization gives a good effect in this matter. In a calm environment, relax and imagine doing different movements at the desired speed. This kind of mental preparation is a great addition to physical training. Visualization allows you to develop the right hemisphere, which is less active. Regular practice for a short period of time will affect the results.
Speed Exercises
Vision is an important process that allows you to learn about the world around you, assess the situation and highlight potential danger. It is the training of visual reaction that is important to pay more attention to. The result depends on how quickly the person makes a decision after visual inspection. Choose reaction-building exercises that involve assessing the situation and performing a specific action.
- The assistant presses the ruler against the wall at eye level of the trainee.The participant holds the thumb at a distance of 1 cm from it and at the mark of 10-15 cm from its edge. The task is to stop the ruler with your finger when it is released by your partner.
- Rock / paper / scissors play is a good reflex trainer.
- The partner must show with his fingers any number from one to five. The challenge is to show it the opposite meaning, given the even / odd rule.
- Two people sit opposite each other: one holds his hand on the table, palm up, and the other tries to touch it.The task of the first person is to prevent him from doing this.
Development of the reaction rate
It is necessary to include exercises in training to develop the speed of sound perception. Music, knocking, clicking and other sounds act as a rarefying factor. The reaction speed exercises should be performed with a partner, since the trainee does not have to predict the moment of the sound signal.
- The assistant stands behind the back, and the trainee places any object in front of him.The task is to move it to the left one by one, and to the right by two.
- Two people sit opposite each other, and any object lies on the table between them. By sound signal, for example, you can use the timer on the phone, you must first pick up the item.
- The coach sounds the whistle. If one signal was given, then you need to jump in place, two signals – squat, and three – clap your hands. This exercise allows you to reduce your response to a sound stimulus.
Home reaction exercises
Improve your abilities easily on your own at home. The easiest option is to flip a coin and catch it. A great way of training involves using a special ball with an unusual shape, thanks to which it is impossible to predict in which direction it will bounce after hitting the surface. Good for home workouts and tennis ball exercises to develop reflexes.
- Hit the ball on the floor like a basketball, changing the receiving hand.When the exercise works out, use two balls at once, dribbling them with both hands at the same time.
- Throw the ball at different angles and points at the wall. Catch it also with the hand you throw. Do the exercise in turn with both hands.
- For this exercise you need an assistant who should stand behind your back at a distance of several meters. You need to stand in front of the wall. The partner throws the ball against the wall and the trainee catches it. This exercise teaches you to make quick decisions.
- Two people stand opposite each other at a distance of about 3-4 m. It is necessary to simultaneously throw shady balls to each other, one passing from the bottom, and the other from the top.
Reaction is an important element of our life. It is responsible for the ability of our nervous system to respond quickly to external stimuli. Its quality also depends on the lifestyle; it has been proven that the reaction rate of rural residents is much slower than that of urban residents.This difference is due to the swiftness and richness of the external environment. Therefore, everyone should learn how to develop a reaction.
Why do you need such training?
Reaction is the response of our body to external stimuli. This is a kind of manifestation of the human defense mechanism. Thus, the higher the reaction rate, the higher the degree of protection of a person. By reaction, we mean a whole range of body responses, which are manifested through the muscles, senses and eyes.
For your reaction development to be effective, we recommend simultaneous exercises on several zones at once. Each sense organ must respond in a timely manner to certain factors so that a person has more chances to avoid an unpleasant situation. Next, let’s look at how to train your reaction.
Exercises for visual response
Thanks to vision, our brain receives up to 80% of the surrounding information, so it is very important to develop this area. Let’s look at how to develop your reaction speed through exercise – at home, in the gym, on the street:
- Tennis balls .In general, tennis is very good at improving reaction speed, highly recommended if you want to work out the reaction metrics. Alone, you can take two balls (one in the left hand, the second in the right). Next, we throw into the wall with our right hand, in parallel with this, we shift the ball from the left hand to the right. As soon as the first ball bounces off the surface, you need to catch it with your left hand, but do not forget to throw the second ball. Of course, in the first attempts you will fail, but after a few workouts, you will be able to make up to 7-10 continuous throws;
- Ruler exercise. Here we need a friend’s help. To do this, you need to stand tightly against the wall. Your partner holds the ruler over your head, in turn, you fix your hands over the ruler. At some point, a friend lets go of the ruler – you must catch it;
- Even – Odd. And again, the partner shows you any number from 1 to 5, you must show him the opposite number, but next to it. For example, if he demonstrates 3, then he must indicate 2 or 4, respectively;
- “Stone, scissors, paper”. This game is familiar to us from childhood, and is a good way to develop reactions. The combination of various combinations of hands and the need to quickly give out the right one – make the brain and eyes work many times faster.
Exercises for auditory response
A quick and correct response to a sound stimulus is very necessary in everyday life, because it can cost someone his life (a sharp signal from a car, crying of children, a cry for help, etc.). Here’s a small selection of great ways to improve your reaction speed:
- Whistle training. This is an entire exercise program that will depend on the number of scrolls. For example, one – you squat, two – bounce, three – running in place, and the like. The sound signal must constantly come out in various combinations so as not to develop a false reflex;
- Repeat signal. For the first lessons, we will choose three subjects (a book, a plastic bottle and a ruler). The partner enters behind a small screen or partition, then hits the table with any of the objects.You must determine exactly and quickly what the subject was;
- Correct distribution of items. Popular hearing training. It is necessary to determine in advance the places for further arrangement, for example, of three objects (notebook, cup, pen). Further, on a signal, a person must distribute everything that is correct in a matter of seconds.
Exercises for Tactile Response
For the development of this sense organ, it is best to close your eyes, then perceptions will intensify.For training, some complexes from fitness programs, boxing and martial arts are used:
- Wrestling throw. A well-known exercise among wrestlers when it is necessary to capture the opponent from the back. For this training, your partner must place their hand on their shoulder. You have to react quickly, and blindly, twist and grab;
- Pistol. Assistant rests the index or thumb on your back. Depending on where exactly the finger rests, you take a step to the left or to the right;
- Response. Your partner will touch your arms, legs, or other body parts. You start to squat, clap, or do other pre-agreed actions in response to these touches;
- Sitting. You can cover your ears with ear plugs to make the reaction speed exercise more difficult and more effective. As soon as the assistant barely touches your shoulder with his hand, you should immediately make a loud clap.
How to develop reaction and speed with computer games
Despite the fact that many people consider computer games useless, in fact, this is another way to develop reaction and speed.A lot of different objects (different in shape, color and speed) appear in front of a person, and it is necessary to give an appropriate reaction to each of them. Of course, games with a dynamic storyline – races, shooters, arcades, and so on – are best suited to train your reaction. You can choose any genre just for yourself. However, the main thing to remember here is that long games at the computer can be very harmful, since there is a strong load on the eyes, as well as bad posture.
The most effective sports games for reaction
Speed and energy help us succeed in both business and sports.To develop this ability, games to train your reaction will also help you. The most effective, as we have already said, is tennis. If you don’t have time to go to gyms or don’t have a partner, just bounce the tennis ball off the wall. To enhance the effect of training, you can hit the ball off the soft surface, in this case, you use not only the reaction speed, but also physical strength.
Reaction training can be carried out using the following sports games:
- regular or futsal;
- volleyball;
- basketball;
- floor press with clap;
- boxing with a partner;
- ping pong;
- badminton.
Children’s games, such as bouncers, snowballs or any other games with moving objects, are also suitable. This type of games trains a person to quickly analyze circumstances and make the right decision.
Conclusions
A reaction is something that is given to a person from birth, a kind of our natural defense mechanism. It is thanks to her that we can avoid many dangerous and fatal situations, but, unfortunately, not everyone has it properly developed. The measured daily life and work in the office made us more carefree, which made our instincts to react dull.However, with regular training and full dedication, you can achieve high results. And so that all activities do not seem boring, you can select game forms or those that you can safely apply in real life.
Video: “How to develop the reaction speed of an exercise.”
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90,000 Kegel exercises for men with urinary incontinence: rules, benefits and contraindications
In 1948, Arnold Kegel developed a therapeutic gymnastic complex to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, increase their flexibility and improve blood circulation.Most often, these exercises are recommended for women, but Kegel gymnastics for men with urinary incontinence is no less effective.
According to the observations of doctors, thanks to exercises for urinary incontinence in men, it is possible to reduce the manifestation of pathology by 50% after a month. Those who practice three times a day for 5 minutes, after six months, can completely eliminate the problem or reduce the frequency of manifestations to a minimum.
The effectiveness of training increases with the correction of a lifestyle in favor of a healthy one (nutrition, daily regimen, rejection of bad habits).But before you start training, you need to understand the causes of the problem in tandem with a specialist, and, if necessary, undergo diagnostics in order to determine the treatment regimen. Causes of incontinence:
- excessive fluid intake;
- weakening of the ligaments and muscles that ensure the functioning of the bladder;
- operations on the pelvic organs;
- diseases of an inflammatory nature.
Kegel exercises for men with urinary incontinence are effective if the cause of the problem is in the weakness of the muscles and ligaments.In other cases, additional research is required and complex treatment is necessary.
Who is not allowed to do
Despite the seeming safety and ease of implementation, Kegel gymnastics for men with urinary incontinence has contraindications:
- undergone abdominal abdominal surgery;
- benign and malignant tumors of the prostate and pelvic organs;
- infectious, acute inflammatory process in the body.
There are other, temporary and permanent, contraindications that you can ask your doctor (urologist or therapist) about.
Basic rules for performing gymnastics
The benefits of gymnastics for urinary incontinence in men will be if you follow the correct technique and exercise regularly. Basic Rules:
- Start with small loads, gradually increasing the time of muscle tension. If the studied exercise is given without much effort, it is time to increase the load;
- number of repetitions – up to 30 times;
- performance is provided not by one exercise, but by the whole complex;
- when positive dynamics appear, you cannot stop training.It is allowed to reduce the load, but continue to do gymnastics throughout life;
- Control the muscles involved in order to eliminate tension in the muscles of the thighs and buttocks.
If you follow these rules, you can soon feel the first positive changes. Gymnastics is useful not only for the health of the genitourinary system, but also for the whole organism.
Useful complex
Before you start performing a set of Kegel exercises for men with urinary incontinence, you need to locate the desired muscles.The main one responsible for the control of urination is the pubococcygeal one. To find it, you need to put 2 fingers behind the testicles while urinating and try to stop the stream. At this moment, the work of the desired muscles is felt.
The first exercises may not work because the pelvic muscles are too weak, but the effect will definitely be there. You need to do gymnastics at least twice a day. Where to study, everyone decides for himself – at home, at work, in transport or on the street. This versatility is another advantage of this gymnastics.
The most beneficial exercises for male incontinence are:
- Increased stamina. Slowly strain the pubic-coccygeal mouse (LMB), hold it in a tense state for a couple of seconds and relax. Repeat 10 times. After a week, start gradually increasing the stress time.
- Improved control. Slowly tense your muscles and then quickly relax them. Repeat 10 times. In the future, repeat the number up to 30 times.
- Expansion of the coverage area of the paintwork.Mentally count to 10, in parallel straining the pubococcygeal muscle. Relax at the same pace. It takes 10 approaches.
- Increased reaction rate. Contract and relax LMB at a fast pace so that the penis begins to twitch. Repeat for a minute.
- Gradual build-up of tension. Tighten the working muscle, hold it for a couple of seconds, then tighten it even more, and so continue until the maximum contraction. And then relax in the same way.
It is important to maintain calm breathing with each exercise for urinary incontinence in men.If discomfort, pain, burning sensation occurs, stop exercising immediately and consult a doctor.
How to diversify loads
If over time, standard exercises for urinary incontinence in men get bored, you can diversify the complex by changing the starting positions. The load on the pelvic floor muscles varies according to the position of the body. By varying the starting position from time to time, you can work out all the muscles and improve their tone. It is advisable to perform the daily complex 3 times, each in a different position.
A set of exercises:
- Starting position – standing, spread straight legs shoulder-width apart. The palms are on the buttocks. Make circular movements with the hips and pelvis, straining the muscles of the lower torso as much as possible.
- Starting position – on all fours. Emphasis on knees and elbows. Relax your back, cross your arms in front of you and rest your head on them. Move the pelvis inward and backward, contracting and straining the pelvic muscles.
- Lie on your stomach, stretch your arms along the body.Bend one leg at the knee. Perform sequential contraction and expulsion 10 times. Change leg, repeat.
- Lie on your back, with the feet of your bent legs resting on the floor. Put one palm on the lower abdomen, the other under the lower back.