Cardio on the Brain

Cardio.  There are days when I love truly it.  I run, I spin.  I sweat it out and get my heart rate going.  I get that anaerobic high.

 

Then there are the other days.  The ones when I just don't want to wash my hair for the millionth time.  Then there's the whole cardio makes you hungrier thing.  It just does.  I would never do this, but I have several friends who swear they're skinnier when they give up cardio and stick to weights or yoga for that very reason.

The thing is, love it or hate it, cardio is good for you.  And, according to an article on the New York Times Well blog yesterday, pushing it when you do that cardio may make you smarter.  According to a recent study, mice who were forced for run on little mouse tredmills outperformed the regular hampsterwheel mice in terms of certain cognitive responses.

 

The article goes on to discuss other studies involving humans that suggest that aerobic excercise also has a positive impact on our brain function, and more so than other forms of excercise.  What I found most interesting is that the one of human studies were measured the very short-term effects of aerobic excercise.  It's pretty impressive, and kind of makes me wish I'd run before high school math tests.

Something to ponder on those hard-to-motivate days.  Or when you're running late to work.  As long as you mean it literally, perhaps you're legitimately warming up for the day ahead?

-Gym Belle-

Comments

[Courtenay]

There is a really awesome book on this topic (how cardiovascular exercise improves brain function) called "Spark".