posted
I decided recently that letting all my muscles wither away was a bad idea. It would make moving a bit more difficult, for one thing. So I decided to take up jogging -- hey, the local gym has personal televisions, so it couldn't be that bad.
Wow.
I don't know how it happens, but after a good 30-40 minutes excersize, I feel incredible. I feel calm. My mind is clear. I actually feel energetic!
Why is it that an intensive physical effort should have such an effect? And what's better: how can I get more of it .
Posts: 3060 | Registered: Nov 2003
| IP: Logged |
Have you heard of exercise addicts? Run distance. But gradually increase your distance as you train. Don't do too much at once.
Especially if you train outside during daylight hours, where you're getting more sunlight into your optic nerve as well (the light outside even on a cloudy day is like 50 times brighter than indoors, or something) it does really good things for your brain chemistry. For those of us with brain chemistry that doesn't want to act right, this does a better job than any drug possible.
It also improves the quality of your sleep, which is another great boon for brain chemistry, and overall physical health.
Basically, what it means is that we (modern technological) humans screw ourselves up by staying indoors too much and not exercising and sleeping enough.
Posts: 6246 | Registered: Aug 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I think you may find that the full answer is more complex than just the release of endorphins. The causes and extent of the beneficial effects of exercise on physical function, mood, and cognition are still not completely nailed down, but one thing we do know is that they differ greatly from the effects of merely dumping endorphins into the system.
As a personal theory, I think that it's likely there is an activation effect. That is, when things aren't getting used, they generally shut or slow down. However, exercise activates the body and, through brain-body connections, some of the precursors to cognitive activity. It also burns away certain impurities in body chemistry, making activiating and using systems easier.
I further think it's sort of a mistake to conceptualize exercise as something to be added to rhe normal human state. Looking at a historical view, it's only been very rarely that mankind has had the ability to lead a primarily sedentary life style. I think it may be more useful to look at the "unnatural" effects of this lifestyle and how exercise ameliorates them.
---
Exercise is as close to a panacea as we've ever found. It makes almost everything better. It treats depression, ADHD, and a host of other psychological ailments. It boosts mood, concentration, and certain types of cognitive ability. It also has health benefits too numerous to list. Plus it makes you look better. And it's free.
The most common state while watching T.V. on the other hand is similar to mild depression.
To sum up, Americans are stupid.
Posts: 10177 | Registered: Apr 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
I just started running every other day, about 1-3 miles in about 30-35 minutes. I've noticed a similar trend.
MrSquicky: I'd actually say that where a large group of people have more freedoms to do anything, there will be a chunk that will do nothing, and in this case America exhibits quite a few freedoms, therefore this 'chunk' gives everyone else a bad name. You can't simply force people to be the best for themselves, they have to motivate themselves. In my experience, the best way to motivate anyone is to simply share the load with them.
To sum up, saying Americans are stupid doesn't fix the problem; However, helping those around you can be a good start.
Posts: 1132 | Registered: Jul 2002
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
