There are so many things we do in life that we do without even thinking about. As I type this article right now, my fingers automatically go to the keys without me having to look (I know, I’m super talented) – and it’s the same for other people. They might be able to play a tune on their guitar without having to read music because their hands just ‘know’ where to go, and people even drive without thinking about every single aspect of moving along the road. Because you don’t actually think about all of these automatic functions, many people believe that ‘Muscle Memory’ exist. But what do the experts think? Is there really such a thing as ‘Muscle Memory’?
The straight answer
Well, if you want a straight answer – we haven’t really got one for you (sorry!). Instead, most experts agree that the idea of Muscle Memory really is something that happens in our lives, but that the name is almost a misnomer. While our bodies can go about these automatic movements, it actually has nothing to do with our muscles themselves, unless you count the coolest muscle that we own… our brains! According to experts, we should really call this phenomenon a ‘subconscious memory.’
The subconscious memory
By this, we’re really talking about the fact that these actions are ingrained within our subconscious and only accessible through the non-conscious part of our brains. Yep, I know that this sounds pretty confusing, but when you break it down, it really makes sense. When it comes to the daily activities that we have in life, we do them so often that they become ingrained as subroutines within our brain, and we don’t have to think about them. One of these subroutines is walking. While we all know that we have to put one foot in front of the other to walk, we don’t consciously think, “right, okay, so I’ve gotta move the left foot now, and then after that the right. Okay, now go!” Instead, we do it without thinking, and we can even do other things at the same time (because we’re talented like that).
On autopilot
Another way to think of these subroutines is that your body places yourself on autopilot – but this can something land us in hot water. Indeed, sometimes we become so out of tune to these daily activities that our subconscious takes over and we forget to actually use our conscious brain. Indeed, you might have experienced yourself when you have got in your car in the morning on your day off, turned the key in the ignition, and intended to drive to the store. However, you’re so used to driving on that day to work, that you actually end up at the office without even realizing it. This is one of the most extreme cases of the idea of muscle memory – and there are also times where this idea falls at the other end of the spectrum. In fact, many people think that our ability to remember cell phone numbers is muscle memory, but in fact, it is routine. Because of brains have not evolved to remember large and ongoing numbers such as cell phone numbers, we have learned to chunk these numbers down into smaller segments, allowing us to remember them easier. After a while, you will have the ability to simply punch in a number without thinking about it, as this has become routine. Yet, it also forms part of the subroutine actions that make up your subconscious brain.
So does muscle memory really exist? Well, it does in a sense. We do have the ability to create actions in our minds that do not need intense thought, but that has nothing to do with the muscles themselves. Instead, it’s all down to your brain.
