The amazing power of
exercise
For
the last 6 months I have been studying and reading about the amazing power of
exercise on the brain. I have been reading Dr John Ratey’s articles and books,
and I would like to share with you some of the fantastic research he has done.
John
J Ratey, MD, is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard
Medical School, Research Synthesizer, Speaker, and Author, as well a Clinical
Psychiatrist maintaining a private practice in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He has
lectured and published 60 peer reviewed articles on the topics of Aggression,
Autism, ADHD, and other issues in neuropsychiatry.
Dr. Ratey expressed
openly his passion about the benefits of even moderate exercise; one doesn't
have to run 5 miles a day to see improvements in attention, energy levels and
mood. Even brisk walks around the block can help.
Dr. Ratey, "Exercise is the single most
popular tool we have to optimize our brain function....exercise not only makes
us smarter; it also makes us less stressed, depressed and anxious."
In fact, his books and articles isn't
only about exercise and how it improves ADHD, stress, depression and anxiety
symptoms; they also include information on addiction, hormonal changes and
aging.
Dr. Ratey heard
about a Physical Education project in Naperville, IL schools where all students
were exercising daily, in an attempt to improve NAP scores and health and
fitness of the students. In studying these children, Dr. Ratey found something
interesting- the exercise was improving the student's ability to learn. Until
then, most research on the benefits of exercise focused on seniors' health. Dr
Ratey started to use exercise as part of his treatment for all his patients. Now,
it became clear that exercise helped not only children, but people of all ages
who struggled with more than just weight and obvious health issues; but with
psychiatric and other challenges.
Some of the things Dr.
Ratey discovered:
- Exercise increases brain-cell
production in the hippocampus; the brain's center for memory and learning.
Thus, it improves cognition.
- Exercise combats stress hormones and
helps in the production of antioxidants.
- Exercise improves anxiety, panic and
worry almost as fast as medications.
- If you move your body, it tricks the
brain into coming out of hibernation and reduces symptoms of depression.
- Exercise boosts norepinephrine and
dopamine, which is exactly what ADHD medications target.
- Exercise staves off addiction
cravings. For smokers trying to quit, 5 minutes can help with the
associated irritability.
- Women report significant improvement
of PMS symptoms.
- Those over 60 who exercise regularly
at 60 to 70 percent of their maximum heart rate led to a size increase of
the brain's cortex.
Many find starting an exercise
routine to be nearly impossible. But for those with ADHD, it's imperative. Dr.
Ratey states that for those with ADHD, exercise will increase focus and
decrease impulsivity; there is less of a need to fidget and move; and there is
increased mental clarity and focus.
Dr. Ratey explains that if you miss a
few days or even a week or so, your brain will respond again quickly- as soon
as the second day back on track.
Dr. Ratey discuss how the latest research is clear
about how lifestyle influences the mental hazards that coming with aging, and
how the same things that kill the body kill the brain. Running to lower our
blood pressure and strengthen our heart also keeps the capillaries in the brain
from collapsing or corroding and causing a stroke. Lifting weights to prevent
osteoporosis from devouring our bones releases growth factors the make
dendrites bloom.
Getting older is
unavoidable, but falling apart is not. Exercise is one of the few ways of
counter the process of aging because it slows down the natural decline of the
stress threshold. Exercise is preventive medicine as well as antidote. Age
happens. There’s nothing you can do about the why, but you can definitely do
something about the how and the when. And the sooner you start the better
chance you have to body and brain fit and healthy.
Whatever time or type of
exercise you choose, there's one main thing to remember. As Nike so smart
expresses it, "just do it."
Yours in Health & Fitness,
Birgitta
www.newfitness.com.au
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