There’s this idea that I came across multiple times online.
It’s the idea that if you fix your mechanics and become a better mover, you’ll consequently become better in various other areas of your life. Specifically, I’ve often heard that if you move better:
You’ll think better.
You’ll regulate your emotions better.
You’ll have more confidence and more self-esteem.
Furthermore, many who make those statements also go on and say that since biomechanics has an impact on one’s cognitive functions, then biomechanics is what we should focus on in society because by doing so, we’ll have a better society.
I probably even said those kinds of things myself at some point!
That said, I think there is some truth to this because society will obviously be better off if people have better health. I think it’s also true that our physical health will impact our cognitive functions to some extent.
But there is a lot of wishful thinking and limits to those ideologies as well. Here’s why:
FIRST
The idea that biomechanics will improve our cognitive functions is often backed up by the popular phrase that Roger Sperry supposedly quoted, which is:
“90% of the brain’s energy is used for posture alone.”
Well, I’ve been through five of Perry’s most important publications, and none of them came close to that statement. On top of my investigation, I also asked GPT 4o and got the same results:
While Perry DID talk about human movement, it was in some very specific contexts. From what I read, his studies mainly revolved around how the left and right hemispheres of the brain work, and while this is absolutely relevant to movement, he never talked about posture and movement the same way those misusing his findings do.
That said, if someone can get their hands on the specific paper where Sperry mentions this, I would LOVE to see and read it. So please send it my way.
But for the time being, let’s be scientific for a minute and not quote people for something they haven’t said.
SECOND
I do think movement efficiency has something to do with one’s mental capabilities. There are indeed various studies about how elderly people’s gait can say a lot about their cognitive functions, for example. So, there is a link between movement and what goes on in our brain. But let’s also consider this:
Mike Tyson is undoubtedly an excellent mover, with a movement quality that so many people can only dream of having.
That said, would you be comfortable if society were run by a bunch of Mike Tyson?
Now, I’m not saying that moving well will make you a dumb and dangerous person. I’m also not saying that all athletes are like this. There are likely very smart people who also have very efficient biomechanics.
My point is more that if biomechanics was the most important aspect to control for when it comes to enhancing human behaviour, then all those athletes would also be superhumans cognitively. But this doesn’t appear to be the case.
So, all this to say, yes, work on your mechanics, and yes, get healthier. You will benefit in many ways from it, and so will society. But don’t assume that because you move well, you’ll be wiser and smarter.
Don’t assume that because your fascia is hydrated, you’ll then be able to think better.
If you want to get smarter, you’ll have to work on getting smarter.
If you want to make better decisions in life, you’ll have to work on making better decisions in life.
If you want to solve problems better, you’ll have to work on solving problems.
Again, don’t get me wrong, having good health can absolutely contribute to you using your brain in a more efficient way.
But it’s false to say that simply working on your mechanics will make you smarter.
There are nerds out there who aren’t physically gifted, but I’d much rather have them make some decisions for our society than the well-moving sports jocks.
So, having said all this, let’s adopt a scientific and pragmatic approach and avoid falling into some marketing traps that only consider the variables that support their message. By doing so, we’ll all benefit from working with a realistic foundation rather than wishful, delusional concepts.