Each physical activity, to which I also rank speed reading, requires not only the correct technical approach, but also depends largely on how comfortable the body feels at the time of exercise I would like to devote a separate chapter of this book to ergonomics, i.e. optimize the lessons themselves in terms of the physiology of the reader.
Imagine, that you came to a fitness club, where the coach tells you about the workouts needed to create the perfect figure. In addition to the description of the exercises themselves, he will certainly tell you how to stretch the muscles correctly, what you need to do if the body gets overloaded, how to eat properly to maintain strength. While learning speed reading, one should also pay attention to the general principles and laws of passing the methodology.
Compliance with certain rules helps to exclude the possibility of obtaining undesirable consequences – deterioration of vision, headache.
On the basis of the conclusion of oculists and physiologists, the distance at which the text should be from the eye level during reading – 30-40 centimeters is revealed. Most often this figure is concretized – 33 centimeters. It can also be calculated as follows – it should be no less than the length from the elbow to the fingertips. With the help of such a "line" you can always keep this distance under control. This distance should always work if you are reading while sitting at a table with a straight back.
There is a hidden meaning in this distance, since 30-40 centimeters is the range in which peripheral vision begins to work. While reading the information, the view simply needs space in order not to snatch one word from the text, but to be able to cover it entirely. If you bring a book or tablet too close to the eyes, lateral vision simply cannot reveal its potential. In addition, the minimum distance leads to eye strain, as a result of which the vision may deteriorate.
During the reading process, we engage the optic nerves and brain, which are closely connected with other organs of our body.
During the reading, try to follow the posture. Back should be straight, so that the organs don’t pinch and the brain receives enough oxygen. In addition, the brain, constantly monitoring the position of the body, won’t be distracted by foreign objects.
The best position for reading is standing and sitting. Brain activity increases. I noticed, that when I read standing up, I concentrate more on the text, the extra streams of thoughts disappear from my head. If you feel, that the body is too tense, you can take a slightly relaxed posture, but only for a short period of time. Of course, the most comfortable position is sitting, but try using the vertical position to feel the difference.
The most heated debate is the question of whether it is possible to engage in speed reading while lying. I absolutely do not recommend it. In the floor, lying down, we cease to control internal processes, the brain begins to relax and fall asleep. That creates the moment of deconcentrating, which often leads to regressions. Another reason not to read while lying is tension on the cervical vertebrae. If the head rests on the pillow, the neck gets excessive tension and starts to hurt. And, finally, a distance of 30 centimeters in the prone position is almost impossible to observe, and therefore peripheral vision suffers. This implies a total inefficiency in the exercises in the supine position.
In childhood, we often liked to lie on the grass or on the couch, reading adventure novels. Often this wondrous process was interrupted by my mother's remarks: “Don’t read lying down – you’ll hurts your eyesight!” If the children's conviction that there is nothing wrong with lying and my previous words have not convinced you, I’ll cite a few more facts.
Firstly, this habit is harmful and in its consequences is as destructive as any other habit that destroys the body.
Secondly, in the prone position, the chest is squeezed, causing oxygen to enter the brain poorly. Just think that it’s so important to follow the rhythm of breathing during exercise! The horizontal position doesn’t allow the body to balance the process of inhalation and exhalation, so attention and concentration will suffer from this.
Thirdly, blood circulation is hampered, which can cause stagnation in the cerebral cortex. They lead to a constant headache. They are concentrated mainly in the occipital region.
Change the position of sitting-standing while doing speed reading. If you feel, that your body start to get used to these poses, change the place of dislocation. You can walk around the room with a book. Your body at rest doesn’t contribute to attentive reading as periodic physical activity does.
You should remove eyestrain that the visual system receives during the exercise. In order for the eyes not to be injured from overwork, I recommend turning to a special gymnastics.
It is recommended to be engaged for 10-15 minutes in the morning and in the evening. You can do the exercises, both in the middle of training and after it.
All previous exercises are recommended to do sitting with a straightened back.
Exercise is performed while standing. Look straight ahead for two to three seconds. Then stretch your index finger 25-30 centimeters from your eyes. Translate your gaze to your fingertip and hold it for five seconds. Then lower your hand for a couple of seconds and start the exercise again. The cycle is at least ten times. This technique reduces fatigue and is extremely useful when working with texts at close range.
In order to keep your eyesight healthy for many years, it’s enough to remember five simple rules:
In addition to eye health, I also thought about the problem that we face quite often. It lies in the fact that some of the activities take away a lot of energy from us – after performing these or other tasks, we feel exhausted.
Imagine, that on your way home from work you are anticipating how to plunge into the world of an exciting detective story, how you will, with the Belgian detective, unravel the tangle of crimes. But it also happens, that unfinished work can wait at home when you need to view and structure whole canvases of complex and confusing text – a situation like this only takes a fair amount of energy at the thought of it.
What to do in this situation?
Additional feed required. The easiest way to do this is through physical exercises that contribute to the production of endorphins – the so-called. hormones of joy. When I face a difficult task or have a sleepless night with a lot of textual information, I start to squat.
This trick was prompted to me by my acquaintances, students of the medical university. Before a difficult exam, when you need to repeat a lot of material a day, they accelerated blood circulation through various exercises. During classes, drowsiness disappeared, the brain was saturated with oxygen. Therefore, the learning process was more productive.
During the reading every hour and a half, take breaks of five minutes to perform squats or pushups. You can do the following exercise. Put your palms together and begin to rub them as if you are washing your hands or rubbing the snow. Do you feel the appearance of warmth? Fine. Now shake one hand with the other as if you were greeting yourself. This simple technique will help to distract for a short time and saturate the body with energy.
Be sure to switch during hard work. For more than an hour. You will feel strong pressure in the temporal lobe and on the eye nerves, so reduce the time to 30 minutes between intervals. Stretch, knead the spine, perform finger exercises. The brain will respond to body movement and react as if it were a ringing alarm clock.