Boosting your brain… and your biceps.
One of the best things any of us can do to keep our minds and bodies sharp is to learn a new skill. Yet as we age, we can be reluctant to try a new physical activity. Well, you might just reconsider when you hear that mastering a new skill as we age can expand our brain’s “neurogenesis” which not only reaps physical benefits but also can increase cognitive and memory function. According to research, “Physical activities increase the number of new brain cells created in parts of the brain that are integral to memory and thinking.” (“Learning a New Sport May be Good for the Brain.” NYTimes WELL blog)
Water WELLing up around me
Four years ago, I decided to do just that by taking up a brand-new sport: rowing. This involved not just rowing on a machine in a gym, but actually climbing into a scull on the water. I could have never imagined how much there was to learn. Thanks to the Atlanta Rowing Club’s “Learn to Row” program, I had a four-week immersion course into both sweep rowing and sculling (yes – there are 2 different kinds). Sweep rowing involves multiple rowers each with a single large oar in a boat with a coach, or “coxswain” steering and giving commands. Sculling is more agility-based, yet still provides an intense cardio workout. It involves manipulating two oars in unison while turning around backwards to steer your own way.
It only looks easy…
The skill comes in keeping the boat upright. It is a matter of balance to keep the blades (oars) flat on the water as well as twisting the handles to “square and feather” to propel you forward. It’s all in the technique, which can take years to master. This sport (commonly called “crew”) provides training for both males and females from the beginner level all the way to Olympic level intensity. (And by the way, one of the requirements is having to carry our own boats, which means you are expected to lift a minimum of 35 pounds over your head! Not the easiest task for my 5’3” frame but I have worked up the strength to do just that).
Girls In the Boat
The coaches at my club work tirelessly and continue to be models of patience, encouragement and provide, literally, a boatful of expertise. They strive to keep us safe, afloat, and challenge us with intense workouts. Today, I am a proud member of this wonderful club and have solidified incredible friendships. I have even passed my level II sculling exam (only one more level to go!) and have also been training to steer the boat as a coxswain. By putting aside my initial apprehension to trying an entirely new sport, I now get to experience rowing on the picturesque Chattahoochee River and have even raced in two regattas. Unfortunately, with the pandemic, we are only able to row in single sculls for the time being. At least there is still an opportunity to connect with nature and meet up with my fellow rowers on a socially-distanced basis. I hope (when our lives get back to normal) that this inspires you to explore your community to find an activity that boosts your body and brain and go for it!
I’d love to hear what new activities you are learning help boost your brain and body. Please leave me a reply below. If you’d like to hear more about what it feels to glide along the river, check out my next blog post, “Solitude”— a poem about the sculling experience.
Source: “Learning a new Sport May be Good For the Brain.” Reynolds, Gretchen. blogs.nytimes.com. 2 Mar 2016. https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/03/02/learning-a-new-sport-may-be-good-for-the-brain/
Cameo Drive 