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Running as a Thinking Person’s Sport

nytimes.com

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Re: Running as a Thinking Person’s Sport

#61

Post by logicallee »

theobold wrote: post #18
russellbeattie wrote: post #12

"There also, interestingly, was less activity among the runners in a part of the brain that tends to indicate lack of focus and mind wandering." That's also called "thinking". An unfocused, wandering mind is a creative mind. This article completely reinforces my general opinion of runners tending to be mindless automatons, obsessively rehashing their to-do list and daily schedule while out on their morning jog, befor…

And yet, Turing was.

True, and a good argument for running, however using Turing and the effects on him of running as an example (it clearly led to his breakthrough scientific work as well as every other part of his life), it must be said that many people enjoy the company of women and would not be willing to become gay (from running) for a slight mental improvement.

(this is a joke comment pointing out how silly this thread is being.)

Re: Running as a Thinking Person’s Sport

#62

Post by WalterBright »

eutectic wrote: post #11
gragas wrote: post #7

I hate how much the authors of this article imply causality. >There also, interestingly, was less activity among the runners in a part of the brain that tends to indicate lack of focus and mind wandering. Could it not be that people who have the willpower to run regularly also have the willpower to stay focused? >In essence, the runners seemed to have brains in which certain cognitive skills, including multitasking a…

There are plenty of compelling arguments against excessive running: 1) It is destructive to your joints and tendons. Injury rates are very high among runners. 2) It is stressful, resulting in chronically elevated cortisol levels. 3) It is time consuming and boring (of course this is subjective), and very inefficient at improving fitness.

> It is time consuming and boring

Not for me. Mentally, it's the most productive part of my day. I "zone out" and work on problems that I haven't solved yet. Most design issues I work out while running, I write papers while running, I put together presentations while running. Many, many perplexing bugs I've solved while out for a run.

Of course, I've been running for decades. When I started out, it was time consuming, painful, and boring. It took maybe 5 years for that to change into what it is now - I look forward to it, I enjoy it, and it works for me.

Also, switching from a heel-strike gait to a ball-strike one has eliminated the knee pain.

Re: Running as a Thinking Person’s Sport

#63

Post by JohnTHaller »

hueving wrote: post #40
notacoward wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anything done excessively can be unhealthy, by definition, but there's only a grain of truth to what you're saying. To your point 1: done properly, running isn't particularly harmful to joints and tendons, and some studies even seem to show that running can be beneficial in that regard[1]. The rapid changes in direction that cause the most stress are less prevalent in running than just about any other sport, not even…

Biking, swimming, and rowing are all better on the joints than the impact from running. >P.S. Instead of getting your friends to downvote, how about suggesting an actually-healthy alternative? Don't complain about downvotes, it makes for boring conversation.

Rowing should only be done with a very good coach. Source: Girlfriend has two bulging discs in her back due to a bad coach of her freshman year rowing team.

Re: Running as a Thinking Person’s Sport

#64

Post by elchief »

Some things I've realized / hypothesized over the years:

I like and am good at biking, swimming, running, and weight lifting because I'm poorly co-ordinated, so bad at other sports (that involve changing direction right/left quickly)

I like and am good at biking, swimming, running, and weight lifting because I'm kind of socially awkward and you don't need to talk to other people to do those

Regarding exercise and cognition: I was studying for the GMAT and training for a triathlon. If I did practice questions shortly after a workout, I did poorly compared to a no-workout-day, as I was tired. I think exercise helps long-term cognition, but impairs short-term cognition

Re: Running as a Thinking Person’s Sport

#67

Post by dmpk2k »

sosborn wrote: post #60
hueving wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Biking, swimming, and rowing are all better on the joints than the impact from running. >P.S. Instead of getting your friends to downvote, how about suggesting an actually-healthy alternative? Don't complain about downvotes, it makes for boring conversation.

> Biking, swimming, and rowing are all better on the joints than the impact from running. I was a competitive swimmer for a large portion of life. My back hated me for it. Running has been nothing but good to me.

Competitive sportsmen of any stripe tend to have various injuries. Unless you're a competitive runner too, the two cannot be compared.

Re: Running as a Thinking Person’s Sport

#68

Post by paulddraper »

eutectic wrote: post #11
gragas wrote: post #7

I hate how much the authors of this article imply causality. >There also, interestingly, was less activity among the runners in a part of the brain that tends to indicate lack of focus and mind wandering. Could it not be that people who have the willpower to run regularly also have the willpower to stay focused? >In essence, the runners seemed to have brains in which certain cognitive skills, including multitasking a…

There are plenty of compelling arguments against excessive running: 1) It is destructive to your joints and tendons. Injury rates are very high among runners. 2) It is stressful, resulting in chronically elevated cortisol levels. 3) It is time consuming and boring (of course this is subjective), and very inefficient at improving fitness.

#1 and #2 seem reasonable points, but

> very inefficient at improving fitness

Efficiency relative to what? Time? Joules? Cost?

I'm skeptical running is "inefficient" at improving fitness.

Re: Running as a Thinking Person’s Sport

#69

Post by dahart »

naasking wrote: post #34
projektir wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Running is not great for losing weight, so I'm having doubts about this one...

> Running is not great for losing weight Since when? I'd like a citation on that.

Here's a couple of citations for you. Both are generally exercise vs calorie control, not specific to running. Of course, running lands in the exercise category.

https://youtu.be/ztiHRiFXtoc https://youtu.be/eXTiiz99p9o

My personal experience of a lifetime of moderate amounts of running has been that it didn't help me lose weight at all, it increased my strength and endurance. But when I run and when I exercise, I eat more to compensate. A decade of regular exercise left me healthy, and just as chubby as when I started.

Finally realizing exercise is a strength plan and not a weight loss plan, and getting myself into the right mental place to count calories -- I lost 40 pounds in 6 months and have kept the weight off for years because I learned how to eat & exercise. I get fat by eating more and skinny by eating less, I get strong by exercising and weak by not exercising.

Re: Running as a Thinking Person’s Sport

#70

Post by FrancoDiaz »

eutectic wrote: post #11
gragas wrote: post #7

I hate how much the authors of this article imply causality. >There also, interestingly, was less activity among the runners in a part of the brain that tends to indicate lack of focus and mind wandering. Could it not be that people who have the willpower to run regularly also have the willpower to stay focused? >In essence, the runners seemed to have brains in which certain cognitive skills, including multitasking a…

There are plenty of compelling arguments against excessive running: 1) It is destructive to your joints and tendons. Injury rates are very high among runners. 2) It is stressful, resulting in chronically elevated cortisol levels. 3) It is time consuming and boring (of course this is subjective), and very inefficient at improving fitness.

#2 is something that can affect your mood, energy, focus, work productivity levels...
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