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Evolutionary history and why physical activity is important for brain health

scientificamerican.com

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Re: Evolutionary history and why physical activity is important for brain health

#31

Post by jp42 »

newnewpdro wrote: post #26

This is something I've observed personally, especially with running and mountain biking. It had me pondering if perhaps humans evolved to become smarter in response to these frequent physical stressors. Like if we find ourselves regularly having to outrun predators and/or chasing prey to survive, it would probably be advantageous to grow smarter and depend less on endurance and speed. So I've been taking an attitude…

Similar experience. Running clears my mind, improves cognitive capabilities, mental stamina and overall performance. Once I reached a "improved" state, then somehow I lose motivation to keep going until, I go back to state where I start feeling down or low on energy. This is going on for several years.

I wonder why brain dont get motivated/incentivized to keep it going(running or physical activity) when its in "improved" state and why it has to reach "feeling down" state to get motivated again. Is it just me or others have similar experience?

Re: Evolutionary history and why physical activity is important for brain health

#32

Post by dnhz »

gherkinnn wrote: post #25
dnhz wrote: post #2

The claim is that by running around outdoors, the brain gets used in a variety of ways such as navigation, decision-making, and sensory processing. Then why doesn't driving around in a car have similar benefits? Or does it?

They are vastly different things. Feeling the ground, constantly adapting your gait, managing your resources (consciously or otherwise), navigating, pacing yourself, the smells, the sounds, wind and weather. Your thoughts. Eventually hunger, thirst, and maybe an ache or so become noticeable. Pushing through anyway. A car on the other hand has layers and layers of abstraction between you and your environment. Satnav,…

For the record, I believe the added blood flow from aerobic exercise is the most important factor -- I have no citation though. Being in a car is certainly different from being directly in the environment, but it's still mentally demanding, akin to a video game perhaps. I don't think the brain is somehow specially stimulated by natural inputs, so isolation of the body from the natural environment via technology should not make that much of a difference.

An experiment comparing treadmill running vs outside running (as mentioned in the article) would help determine to whether tasks like navigation and non-essential sensory stimuli like smelling the air contribute to BDNF levels. I'd be curious to see if there'd be a difference.

Re: Evolutionary history and why physical activity is important for brain health

#33

Post by nradov »

honopu wrote: post #15

I do a stair climber, 2000 steps 5 days a week. I think this has a pretty good mix of cognitive and aerobic, I switch it up to skip steps, and stuff like that. I've not really noticed a huge change in energy, but resting heart rate etc have dropped considerably in the last year. I recommend a combo of this with a podcast to stave off the boredom. Mental clarity wise, I feel like your brain and body need the elevated…

Stair climbers are great, but most people get better long term results by cross training a mix of different activities. Doing the same exercise daily tends to cause unbalanced muscle development and a higher risk of overuse injuries.

Re: Evolutionary history and why physical activity is important for brain health

#35

Post by adamqureshi »

blackearl wrote: post #20
honopu wrote: post #15

I do a stair climber, 2000 steps 5 days a week. I think this has a pretty good mix of cognitive and aerobic, I switch it up to skip steps, and stuff like that. I've not really noticed a huge change in energy, but resting heart rate etc have dropped considerably in the last year. I recommend a combo of this with a podcast to stave off the boredom. Mental clarity wise, I feel like your brain and body need the elevated…

Kettlebells have gotten a very bro-ey reputation but there are some great exercises that are a good mix of cardio and mental focus. Regular swings can get boring but learning to do snatches was punishing, yet fun, while forcing me to pay attention to my technique. Would definitely recommend it.

I started doing kettlebelle swings. I got upto doing about 70 swings and follow it up with 40 sumo squats then 50 lifts. Takes me 12 min. The workout is incredible and does not take long and i can do it at home. Trying to improve my form without paying a coach. I watch you tube videos from that russian guy pavel.

Re: Evolutionary history and why physical activity is important for brain health

#38

Post by markus_zhang »

peter303 wrote: post #18

There is a more interesting article in Scientific American and other places that humans evolved requiring an hour of vigorous exercise a day to avoid metabolic diseases like diabetes and dementia. Our closest relatives chimps and gorillas dont require vigorous exercise.

Hate it! Hate it! Hate it...

Re: Evolutionary history and why physical activity is important for brain health

#40

Post by hollander »

fasteo wrote: post #27

>>> Cognitively challenging exercise may benefit the brain more than physical activity that makes fewer cognitive demand. This. I have noticed a significant mental “clearing” since I started boxing. Being forced to think when you are really tired is key.

Dancing is similar I guess, but less aggressive if people don't like boxing or fighting. Solo or with a partner or in a group, choose what you like.
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