How to practice effectively...for just about anything - Annie Bosler and Don Greene
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0:08 - 0:10Mastering any physical skill,
-
0:10 - 0:12be it performing a pirouette,
-
0:12 - 0:13playing an instrument,
-
0:13 - 0:15or throwing a baseball,
-
0:15 - 0:16takes practice.
-
0:16 - 0:20Practice is the repetition of an action
with the goal of improvement, -
0:20 - 0:25and it helps us perform with more ease,
speed, and confidence. -
0:25 - 0:30So what does practice do in our brains
to make us better at things? -
0:30 - 0:33Our brains have two kinds
of neural tissue: -
0:33 - 0:33grey matter
-
0:33 - 0:35and white matter.
-
0:35 - 0:38The grey matter processes information
in the brain, -
0:38 - 0:42directing signals and sensory stimuli
to nerve cells, -
0:42 - 0:47while white matter is mostly made up
of fatty tissue and nerve fibers. -
0:47 - 0:49In order for our bodies to move,
-
0:49 - 0:52information needs to travel from
the brain's grey matter, -
0:52 - 0:53down the spinal cord,
-
0:53 - 0:56through a chain of nerve fibers
called axons -
0:56 - 0:58to our muscles.
-
0:58 - 1:04So how does practice or repetition
affect the inner workings of our brains? -
1:04 - 1:06The axons that exist in the white matter
-
1:06 - 1:09are wrapped with a fatty substance
called myelin. -
1:09 - 1:15And it's this myelin covering, or sheath,
that seems to change with practice. -
1:15 - 1:18Myelin is similar to insulation
on electrical cables. -
1:18 - 1:23It prevents energy loss from electrical
signals that the brain uses, -
1:23 - 1:26moving them more efficiently
along neural pathways. -
1:26 - 1:31Some recent studies in mice suggest
that the repetition of a physical motion -
1:31 - 1:36increases the layers of myelin sheath
that insulates the axons. -
1:36 - 1:40And the more layers, the greater
the insulation around the axon chains, -
1:40 - 1:43forming a sort of superhighway
for information -
1:43 - 1:46connecting your brain to your muscles.
-
1:46 - 1:48So while many athletes and performers
-
1:48 - 1:51attribute their successes
to muscle memory, -
1:51 - 1:54muscles themselves
don't really have memory. -
1:54 - 1:57Rather, it may be the myelination
of neural pathways -
1:57 - 2:00that gives these athletes
and performers their edge -
2:00 - 2:05with faster and more efficient
neural pathways. -
2:05 - 2:07There are many theories that attempt
-
2:07 - 2:11to quantify the number of hours,
days, and even years of practice -
2:11 - 2:13that it takes to master a skill.
-
2:13 - 2:16While we don't yet have a magic number,
-
2:16 - 2:20we do know that mastery isn't simply about
the amount of hours of practice. -
2:20 - 2:24It's also the quality and effectiveness
of that practice. -
2:24 - 2:26Effective practice is consistent,
-
2:26 - 2:28intensely focused,
-
2:28 - 2:30and targets content or weaknesses
-
2:30 - 2:34that lie at the edge
of one's current abilities. -
2:34 - 2:36So if effective practice is the key,
-
2:36 - 2:39how can we get the most
out of our practice time? -
2:39 - 2:41Try these tips.
-
2:41 - 2:43Focus on the task at hand.
-
2:43 - 2:47Minimize potential distractions by turning
off the computer or TV -
2:47 - 2:50and putting your cell phone
on airplane mode. -
2:50 - 2:54In one study, researchers observed 260
students studying. -
2:54 - 2:55On average,
-
2:55 - 3:00those students were able to stay
on task for only six minutes at a time. -
3:00 - 3:03Laptops, smartphones,
and particularly Facebook -
3:03 - 3:06were the root of most distractions.
-
3:06 - 3:08Start out slowly or in slow-motion.
-
3:08 - 3:13Coordination is built with repetitions,
whether correct or incorrect. -
3:13 - 3:16If you gradually increase the speed
of the quality repetitons, -
3:16 - 3:19you have a better chance
of doing them correctly. -
3:19 - 3:24Next, frequent repetitions with allotted
breaks are common practice habits -
3:24 - 3:26of elite performers.
-
3:26 - 3:30Studies have shown that many top athletes,
musicians, and dancers -
3:30 - 3:35spend 50-60 hours per week on activities
related to their craft. -
3:35 - 3:38Many divide their time
used for effective practice -
3:38 - 3:42into multiple daily practice sessions
of limited duration. -
3:42 - 3:45And finally, practice in your brain
in vivid detail. -
3:45 - 3:48It's a bit surprising, but a number
of studies suggest -
3:48 - 3:51that once a physical motion
has been established, -
3:51 - 3:54it can be reinforced
just by imagining it. -
3:54 - 4:00In one study, 144 basketball players
were divided into two groups. -
4:00 - 4:04Group A physically practiced
one-handed free throws -
4:04 - 4:07while Group B only
mentally practiced them. -
4:07 - 4:10When they were tested at the end
of the two week experiment, -
4:10 - 4:13the intermediate and experienced
players in both groups -
4:13 - 4:17had improved by nearly the same amount.
-
4:17 - 4:20As scientists get closer to unraveling
the secrets of our brains, -
4:20 - 4:24our understanding of effective practice
will only improve. -
4:24 - 4:28In the meantime, effective practice
is the best way we have -
4:28 - 4:30of pushing our individual limits,
-
4:30 - 4:31achieving new heights,
-
4:31 - 4:34and maximizing our potential.
- Title:
- How to practice effectively...for just about anything - Annie Bosler and Don Greene
- Speaker:
- Annie Bosler and Don Greene
- Description:
-
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-practice-effectively-for-just-about-anything-annie-bosler-and-don-greene
Mastering any physical skill takes practice. Practice is the repetition of an action with the goal of improvement, and it helps us perform with more ease, speed, and confidence. But what does practice actually do to make us better at things? Annie Bosler and Don Greene explain how practice affects the inner workings of our brains.
Lesson by Annie Bosler and Don Greene, animation by Martina Meštrović.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TED-Ed
- Duration:
- 04:49
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