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Evolutionary history and why physical activity is important for brain health

scientificamerican.com

111–120 of 138 posts

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

#111
post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I like your reference to catabolic/anabolic processes. Alas, you then made some incorrect claims. >you can't lift weights and gain muscle (i.e. grow) without also gaining fat Of course you can. I'd be happy to share my Google sheet of daily weight, losing about 0.06lb/day, and my BodPod measurements showing going from 28% to 20% body fat while gaining 2.5lbs of muscle mass. Sarcopenia would have taken another 0.5lbs…

>Of course you can. I'd be happy to share my Google sheet of daily weight, losing about 0.06lb/day, and my BodPod measurements showing going from 28% to 20% body fat while gaining 2.5lbs of muscle mass. Sure your muscle/fat percentages changes over time. But you didn't simultaneously grow muscle and lose fat, that is not possible. >Drew Baye has several articles on losing fat while gaining muscle Again its done over…

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

#112

If I understood the article properly, then: PLAY - Playing a physical game like tag, catch, soccer, volley ball, hide and seek... provides both physical exercise and cognitive / social stimulation because of group play's dynamic nature. This next bit might not be useful. In college, the distance from my apartment to school was 15 - 20 minutes. And I took to the habit of listening to audio books on my ride (traffic wa…

> I noticed that if I listened to a track while riding, I would remember exactly where I was the next time I listened to the track. I experienced the same thing recently by listening to a book on my drive to/from work! I often listened to sections of the book a second time to catch things I missed, or to help ideas sink in, and found that I could often clearly picture the stretch of road on which I heard a passage.

This is just a modern twist of the memory palace technique known since ancient times.

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

#113

If you're like me an dread the monotony of working out give climbing a try! Every climb is different which keeps the workout fresh and exciting and it works out every core muscle group.

This is a great idea, but climb what? You need to live close to a mountain range for this to be practical.

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

#115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I noticed that if I listened to a track while riding, I would remember exactly where I was the next time I listened to the track. I experienced the same thing recently by listening to a book on my drive to/from work! I often listened to sections of the book a second time to catch things I missed, or to help ideas sink in, and found that I could often clearly picture the stretch of road on which I heard a passage.

This is just a modern twist of the memory palace technique known since ancient times.

>modern twist Just weird twist which triggers nostalgia

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

#116

If you're like me an dread the monotony of working out give climbing a try! Every climb is different which keeps the workout fresh and exciting and it works out every core muscle group.

Another niche sport recommendation: unicycling! Good for core, a unique skill, insanely fun. Learning is a test of perseverance. If you're physically talented, advanced skills will keep you engaged. If you're merely able-bodied, you can still learn to ride. A surprising number of people take it up in their 50s and 60s.

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

#117
post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I like your reference to catabolic/anabolic processes. Alas, you then made some incorrect claims. >you can't lift weights and gain muscle (i.e. grow) without also gaining fat Of course you can. I'd be happy to share my Google sheet of daily weight, losing about 0.06lb/day, and my BodPod measurements showing going from 28% to 20% body fat while gaining 2.5lbs of muscle mass. Sarcopenia would have taken another 0.5lbs…

>Of course you can. I'd be happy to share my Google sheet of daily weight, losing about 0.06lb/day, and my BodPod measurements showing going from 28% to 20% body fat while gaining 2.5lbs of muscle mass. Sure your muscle/fat percentages changes over time. But you didn't simultaneously grow muscle and lose fat, that is not possible. >Drew Baye has several articles on losing fat while gaining muscle Again its done over…

This explanation/assertion is in sore need of citations.

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

#118
post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You should try crossfit. It is basically like Fight Club if the first two rules were the opposite.

Crossfit is great if you don't plan on needing your joints for a long life. As Bill DeSimone, author of Congruent Exercise[0], explained in a podcast, "Everyone gets a set of free passes. You decide if you want to use up all your free passes." So don't do needlessly stupid things with your body that wear out your joints any faster than necessary. Your 80 year old self will appreciate not needing a walker. F=ma, it's…

More generally, it's worth asking older athletes about their health issues, to really appreciate what it means to have constant pain and physical limitations due to wrong use of the body. I learned what kind of an ordeal is to have, say, knee surgery. I came to appreciate the value of mobility and strength excercises, and am sceptical at the general state of health of elderly people in the west.

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

#119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't say for sure, but having played other sports and also spent a lot of time climbing I don't think that I've experienced the same flavor of focus on the basketball court or in a flow-state while mountain biking. I feel like there is a different and very high-quality kind of focus that comes from having to perform correctly or die.

Ever ridden a motorcycle? That certainly triggers a flow state when you're on a good curvy road, and the stakes are similarly real.

High stakes/low reward (reward being the benefits of exercise).

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

#120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You should try crossfit. It is basically like Fight Club if the first two rules were the opposite.

Don't let the Crossfit brand turn you off of the whole thing. If you ignore the weird culty online culture, it's just a bunch of people doing a hard workout. You'll make lots of friends, get healthier and you'll start to enjoy the workouts a lot faster than you think.

It isn't just the Crossfit brand that turns me off; it's the Crossfit mentality. When these people can't get to their "box", they come to a regular gym and tie up multiple pieces of equipment at a time doing circuits.
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