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Now that the Winter Olympics have come to an end, many are left wondering how extreme sports athletes manage to perform those unbelievable tricks that leave the rest of us in awe. But a more intriguing question to ask is not how they do it – but why? Physics can explain the mechanics of every flip, spin and jump, but the human mind is much more difficult to explain. What exactly is it that gives some of us a personality that’s always ready to leap off of an icy cliff?
Some of us are born daredevils. Parents and scientists have believed for a long time now that a “sensation seeking” personality, as it’s called in psychological terms, has a specific genetic component. A 2006 study that examined risky behavior in pairs of twins found that this thrill-seeking personality type was far too common in the pairs of twins than could be explained by only environmental factors. In most cases, if one twin tended to seek out risky experiences, the other was quite likely to do so as well, despite outside influences.
Research has shown that these thrill-seekers definitely have a genetic component that leads to the urge to do crazy things, like attempting a near-impossible flip during the Olympic finals. However, the exact genes (or more specifically, the tiny portions of DNA within the genes) that lead someone to perform triple back flips off a mountain have yet to be pinpointed.
For many years, researchers assumed that a person’s tendency to gravitate towards risky behavior had to do with the levels of, or response to, the neurotransmitter known as dopamine. Dopamine naturally occurs in the brain and has to do with feelings of gratification, satisfaction and pleasure. Scientists assumed that people who are drawn to extreme sports must process dopamine differently than the rest of us. However, studies that compared dopamine-related genes to sensation-seeking personality types were inconsistent in their results. But they did find that people who have certain variations within the genes – particularly a gene known as “DRD4” – gravitated towards risky behavior much more than others.
Most of this research didn’t focus on the kind of risk-taking that wins Olympic gold, though. Instead, it mostly looked at negative risky behavior (or “deviant risk-taking”) like gambling and drug addiction. Dr. Cynthia Thomson, a teaching fellow at Quest University Canada, noticed the way these studies were being conducted and realized that the research seemed to focus on the wrong types of behavior. Dr. Thomson believed it may be more revealing to study thrill-seekers competing in sports like skiing and snowboarding, where athletic styles range from steady, cautious movements to gravity-defying spins off mountains.
Dr. Thomson created an in-depth questionnaire specifically for skiers and snowboarders – questions included how often, how fast, and how recklessly the winter athletes performed. Along with the slope-specific questionnaire, Dr. Thomson had participants fill out a standard personality questionnaire and provide a cheek swab for DNA. A high score on the combined tests would indicate a significant tendency to seek out risky behavior, and the DNA samples would reinforce the participants’ answers.
In her research of the genetic aspect, Dr. Thomson focused on the variations of the participants’ DRD4 genes. By zeroing in on a very small section of this gene, she found that skiers and snowboarders who had a specific pattern of DNA coding were far more likely to have a higher score on the risk-taking tests. When the study was repeated on a larger group of volunteers, Dr. Thomson found the same results – a close association between the variation of the DRD4 gene and the willingness to engage in risky behavior on the slopes.
Overall, Dr. Thomson’s study suggests that some people – those with that specific DRD4 gene variation – have a genetic, instinctive need to take part in risky activities. These people have an “optimal level of arousal” that is naturally higher than others, Dr. Thomson explained, even if their parents are shy and reserved. It’s quite possible for each parent to have different parts of that sensation-seeking gene in their DNA, which may combine and result in a child who is a total daredevil.
There is no single aspect that causes us to do the things we do, but Dr. Thomson believes that if thrill-seeking personality types must have a healthy outlet for their daredevil tactics. If not, they may turn to damaging behavior like gambling or drugs as a way to release those daredevil-type urges. So if you have a child who likes to jump off couches and do flips from the monkey bars, you might want to consider encouraging them in a sport like skiing, gymnastics or snowboarding as a healthy way to put that daredevil gene to good use!
Source: The New York Times
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All too often, we think of exercising and workouts as a chore. But staying in shape doesn’t have to be boring! Here are some great workouts that are so much fun, you’ll forget you’re burning calories.
You’re probably wondering how hula hooping, something we did as little kids, can possibly be a good workout for adults. It’s crazy, but true – hooping is a fantastic workout. When I took my first class I broke a sweat within five minutes, and I’ve been a dancer and gymnast my entire life! Hooping is a full body workout. It works muscles you probably don’t even realize you have – studies suggest that it uses as many as 30 different muscles in the body. Depending on the intensity and style, you can burn up to 600 calories per hour. Hooping is great for your heart, it improves your spine’s strength and flexibility, it helps with hand-eye coordination and motor skills, and it is SO much more fun than running on the treadmill! This type of workout can be done from home which is good for those with a home gym; in a similar vein, a suspension trainer may be worth looking into for your fitness regime.
Being outdoors will lift your mood right away, and going out on a hike either alone or with friends is a great way to exercise without even realizing it. Hiking uphill will give your workout some extra intensity. You can also challenge yourself by carrying a backpack or hand weights while you walk. So get outside, find a great hiking spot near you, and enjoy the scenery while you burn some serious calories. Bring your dog with you for an extra boost – keeping up with them will give you no choice but to move faster and work harder!
Rock climbing is one of the best ways to work out your back, arms, shoulders and forearms, and you’ll feel like a hero when you reach the top of the wall! You can increase the intensity of your climb as you become stronger and fitter. At a moderate intensity, rock climbing burns about 400 calories per hour. There are facilities both outdoor and indoor to practice rock climbing. This is a total body workout that improves cardiovascular health and muscle tone while bringing out your competitive spirit – once you start climbing, you won’t want to give up until you reach the top.
There are endless types of dance to choose from, and every one of them will give you a great total body workout. Between salsa, swing, hip-hop, ballet, ballroom and all the rest, you’ll be able to find a style you love and a class you feel comfortable in. Find a studio with a lot of class options and a good adult program to help you become more confident on the dancefloor and get fitter as you do it. Try out every class available until you find one you really love – dance works out your mind just as much as your body. You’ll get the best workout in a class where you can put everything you have into your dancing.
You’ve probably heard of Zumba classes, but Zumba toning adds an extra element – hand weights. Zumba toning uses the same basic dance moves from merengue, salsa, and flamenco, but with the added challenge of hand weights. You can choose the level of weights that you use to determine how hard you would like the workout to be while considering any injuries or weaknesses. Using weights doubles the intensity of your class, letting you burn more calories than your average Zumba class. You can buy fun hand weights for your Zumba toning class that shake like maracas and are easier on the joints than regular weights. Find out more here: www.zumba.com
Exercise doesn’t have to be a drag – just think outside the box! With these creative workouts, you’ll add so much more to your fitness routine. So, try swapping your usual routine for a dance class, an outdoor hike or a hoop lesson. Once you try one of these fun workouts, you’ll be switching up your routine all the time – and showing off your impressive new skills, too!