Exercise Can
Significantly Help Your Chess Game
For years, world class chess players
have prepared for important chess tournaments by exercising, but few
chess players know how to do this in an optimum way.
Serious chess players are intellectuals and not inclined to keep up
a regular regimen of exercise. That’s probably one of the reasons
that few chess players remain at world class level into their
forties and older. Yes, chess players get older, but with a healthy
diet and exercise program, a chess player can stay physically fit
and healthy far into old age.
Chess players who understand the need to become and stay physically
fit, especially to prepare for important matches, will do better if
they tailor their exercise program to fit their chess playing goals.
Often, however, even a grandmaster will exercise in a hodgepodge way
rather than systematically with his chess playing purposes in mind.
He might hire coaches and trainers, but not a physical trainer who
understands his purpose in exercising. Most people exercise to
increase their capacity to exercise, but chess players exercise to
increase their capacity to sit still for a long time. That's not
what physical exercise trainers are used to!
Why should you, as a serious chess player, exercise?
First, to increase your brain's ability to concentrate, remember,
focus, visualize, and plan ahead. To ensure a steady, rich supply of
oxygen to your brain, you have to increase your cardiovascular
capacity.
Second, to increase your body's ability to sit still and be
comfortable for long periods of time. Keeping your muscles toned and
strong and your joints flexible will prevent aches and pains from
distracting you and keeping you from concentrating on the game.
The four best ways to increase your cardiovascular capacity are
walking, jogging, swimming, and cycling.
While exercising, eliminate distractions to the greatest extent
possible. You want to be able to let your mind relax and wander
without having to deal with interruptions in your environment. You
might take a walk in a quiet neighborhood instead of in a mall or on
a busy street so that you don’t have to watch out for traffic. You
could jog on a track or jogging trail. If you swim, you could choose
a time when you have the pool to yourself, or when there are only a
few other adults. If you cycle, you could find a bicycle path in a
park or use a stationary bicycle.
To achieve your purposes, you might stay away from sports like golf
and tennis, as the exercise benefits are uneven, especially if you
ride a golf cart instead of walk. Team sports involve their own set
of skills and mindset. If you play tennis, for example, your
competitive nature might tempt you to practice your backhand instead
of your chess end game.
Two excellent choices for improving your body’s flexibility, energy
level, muscle tone, and overall health are yoga and tai chi.
Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years to keep the body
flexible and healthy. It was originally developed by yogis in India
seeking to be free of any disease or discomfort that would distract
them from the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. You might think
it's tough to sit for eight hours during a chess tournament, but
yogis can meditate for days on end sitting cross-legged on cave
floors. Today it’s easy to join a yoga class where you can learn
many good exercises, such as the head stand and shoulder stand, for
improving blood flow to the brain, strengthening the back and all
the muscles, keeping the joints in good shape, and stimulating the
internal organs to work better. Pilates is a set of exercises
developed by Joseph Pilates that combines yoga exercises and
exercises from other sports disciplines.
Tai chi, a Chinese system of exercise that is also thousands of
years old, is another great way to develop physical flexibility and
total health. You can learn tai chi through a local class or you can
learn from a video or book.
Weight training may be essential for athletes, but a chess player
only needs to maintain muscle strength, tone, and mass and good
circulation. Aerobic exercise, yoga, tai chi, or Pilates are all
excellent ways to accomplish this. If you want to increase your
upper body strength, you can always add a few pushups to your daily
routine. The benefits of staying physically fit will repay the time
you put into exercising. Not only will your chess playing improve,
but you’ll be able to sleep better and therefore need less sleep.
This means you’ll have more time to study chess!
Few chess champions know how to get the most out of their exercise
regimen. Don’t be one of them. Physically fit, during chess
tournaments you’ll find it easier to maintain your competitive zeal
and mental focus. This will give you an important edge over your
opponent.
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