Surely you know that human beings have different types of memory and different ways of retrieving information. Well, this memory can affect different parts of our body, since, in a certain way, our muscles can also enjoy a type of memory that benefits us when exercising them.
If you haven’t been to the gym for a long time or haven’t been doing any activity because you think you’ll have to start from scratch and it’s hard for you, we have good news. It will not take as long to recover your muscles as the first time, but the process will be much faster and easier.
What does it mean that muscles have memory?
When someone stops training they effectively lose muscle. If this is your case, you may have stopped going to the gym due to an injury, lack of time or simply lack of desire. Well, if you want to return this news, it will surely give you extra motivation. Regaining a muscle that you exercised before, even if it is a long time ago, is much easier.
Although the reality the term memory is misused, the comparison is good to explain what happens with the muscles. In reality, the reason for all this lies in the muscle fibers, which are capable of storing information. In this way, some exercises that have been done before can be done more quickly and easily, not only for learning, but because the muscles can anticipate the reaction they will have.
So that we understand it better, the muscle fibers have as a warehouse where the exercise that the muscle has previously performed is stored, in the same way that happens with DNA. And not only that, but training often makes new muscle fibers appear, so we will be betting on a simpler training and a way to promote this memory of the muscles.
And what happens in the muscles when we stop training?
That muscles have memory is good news, but it is not something miraculous. Do not think that this means that when you stop training you will continue to maintain your muscles, on the contrary, you will lose them in the same way that you will lose in shape. If we stop training the muscle fibers will lose thickness and weaken, so you will not favor the memory of the muscles.
On the other hand, you have to know that to lose muscle and cause these fibers to atrophy it takes a long time. It is not true that muscle is lost much faster than it is gained. In fact, if you are concerned about how long it took you to gain muscle, think that it will take a lot to lose it too. Therefore, if you are going to take a couple of months of vacation, you should not worry. The memory of your muscles is to protect you.
The importance of exercising for muscle memory
Exercising muscles is something that we should all do from a very young age. It is true that, with work, family, rush and stress, it is difficult to find a space to dedicate to your body, but the truth is that it is very worth it.
While it is true that many people start going to the gym for a mere physical matter, exercising the muscles goes much further than how we see ourselves in the mirror. Think that muscles are organs that process the energy we consume in the form of carbohydrates or fats, so they help the proper functioning of our endocrine system, protecting us from various diseases.
In addition, when we exercise we release stress, we are in a better mood and much more concentrated. You don’t have to sign up for a marathon, but just by deciding to move a little more than you do, you will notice the difference.
