Brain plasticity is the ability of your brain to modify its neuronal connections and re-wire itself to learn a new task or enhance an old one. Each time your body moves or even thinks about moving, there are tens of thousands of neurons sending electrical signals so that errors in movement or thought can be easily corrected by rerouting signals along a different pathway. You might be saying to yourself, “what does this have to do with my health and or learning?”. Well, if we take a deeper look into how our brain actually functions we would see that almost every action is a motor pattern or reaction to one. Thinking, learning, speaking, running, even sleeping all require motor commands that help you thrive and survive in this life.

What makes the brain special is that, unlike a computer, it processes sensory and motor signals in parallel. Plasticity means your brain can strengthen existing connections between neurons and even form new functional pathways. Whether you’re training for a triathlon or learning a new piece of music, your brain needs to refine how it learns that information and how it produces an output; endurance or a symphony.

Your brain’s unique ability to redefine itself is a developmental process that occurs by recalibrating neurons and synaptic connections. Through this process, you progress from the raw, unrefined actions of a novice to a powerful, precise, and efficient thinker similar to that of an expert. Not to mention all the health benefits that follow when your brain is working optimally! Its time to think differently about your health and let your brain learn more about your body today!