ONE WORD ANSWER #51

In 1974, Muhammad Ali sent George Foreman to the canvas with a left-hook, straight-right combo; four years later, he reclaimed his heavyweight title from Leon Spinks with volleys of jabs. Ali’s hands were versatile, even outside the ring. At a book signing in 2004, he performed parlour tricks for fans, tightening his big, heavy fist around a handkerchief and making it disappear.

The human fist, historian Garry Wills wrote, is “a fragile little birdcage of bones”. Used properly, however, it’s a powerful tool that can help you punch far above your weight – with no violence necessary. The mere act of clenching, for example, can enhance memory*: balling up your right hand activates the left side of your brain, associated with encoding information, while clenching your left triggers your right hemisphere’s recall function.

Making a left fist also focuses your mind when under stress. In a German study**, athletes significantly improved their performance in high-pressure situations when they did so. In a process called “hemisphere-specific priming”, the gesture kick-starts regions of your brain linked to mechanical actions, discouraging the kind of over-thinking that can lead to panic.

Another paper† reported that you can boost your ability to “withstand immediate pain, overcome food temptation, consume unpleasant medicines and attend to… essential information” – all by hacking cognitive processes through the action of clenching your hand muscles. So, when you’re against the ropes, do as the Greatest did and make a good fist of it.