100 Ways To Motivate Yourself, Third Edition

61. Swim laps underwater

When Bobby Fisher prepared for his world championship chess match with Boris Spassky, he prepared by swimming laps underwater every day. He knew that as the chess matches wore on into the late hours, the player with the most oxygen going to his brain would have the mental advantage. So he built his chess game by building his lungs. When he defeated Spassky, many were surprised by his astonishing wit and mental staying power, especially late in the matches when both players should’ve been weary and burned out. What kept Bobby Fisher alert wasn’t caffeine or amphetamines—it was his breathing.

General George Patton once gave a lecture to his troops on brainpower. He, too, knew the connection between breathing and thinking. ...