While Bobby Fisher was preparing for his world championship chess match with Boris Spassky, his daily workout also included swimming underwater for a while every day. Because he knew that the longer the chess matches, the more oxygen the player got to his brain, the more he gained a mental advantage. Thus, he was able to develop his brain while developing his lungs.
When he defeated Spassky, many critics credited his astonishing intelligence and high ability to concentrate, especially towards the end of long games, when chess players were sluggish. Yet it wasn’t caffeine or amphetamines that made him more successful at concentration; it was just good breathing.
The principle that there cannot be a working mind in a non-working body was Bobby Fisher’s secret weapon in winning the World Chess Championship. Who would have guessed that swimming underwater would make you a better chess player? Probably not the overweight, decrepit chess prodigy Boris Spassky…
Sometimes all you need to motivate yourself is to breathe deeply. Jogging, walking, or just taking a deep breath will give your brain the fuel it needs to feel fresh and creative again.
Steve Chandler – “100 Tips for Personal Success”
