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Old 11-10-17, 10:16 PM  
susan p
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best exercise for your brain

I have known for a long time that steady state cardio, however maligned it may be these days, has an important, foundational place in my fitness life. I FEEL it in my body and in my heart and mind that steady state is just GOOD for me. It's not all I need, by any means. But it's important.

So it was great for me to read this article, about brain health and what kind of exercise is best for brain health. PraisetheLordandpassthemashedpotatos, IT IS NOT HIIT!! yay! Something, at long last, for which HIIT is not the answer!!

Read on:

https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/...for-the-brain/
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Old 11-11-17, 01:16 AM  
beyond.omega
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Yes! Thanks for posting.
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Old 11-11-17, 01:41 AM  
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For rats, anyway.
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Old 11-11-17, 03:55 AM  
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Susan, I've read quite a bit about the benefits of steady-state. I think the key is intensity. From what I've read, it's when steady-state is relatively high intensity and performed for longish periods of time (like endurance activities) it can have a negative effect on hormone balance, cortisol levels, etc. low to mid intensity (like walking the dog, running errands on a bicycle, etc.) is very good for us, indeed!

That said, my favorite comment from the article was, "maybe the benefit resulted from the rats being allowed to run around happily at will, instead of being forced into a prescribed activity?" much wisdom there, I think!
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Old 11-11-17, 10:39 AM  
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I don't discount any type of exercise. I enjoy some steady state here and there so that's what I do. Sometimes I just crave it so I don't deny myself. I did Step Blast last week for the first time in a long time, which I feel is steady state except for the few intervals at the end. It was a lot of fun. Plus, this type of activity engages my brain since there is a lot of footwork in that workout. The music also makes it enjoyable for me. I think it's important to have some fun no matter what you do. Plus, I was sweaty and felt the endorphins flowing when I was finished. It was 55 minutes that flew by and was well spent.

That said, there's times when I crave HiiT, muscle building, circuits, etc. I just go with what I feel like doing if I'm not in the middle of a rotation. I think it's important to include ALL types of workouts into a routine to engage both fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fibers and also to reduce over-training and risk of injury. Variety is the spice of life! I think that's especially true of workouts.
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Old 11-11-17, 11:42 AM  
hch
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I particularly noticed these two paragraphs, at the end:

Quote:
These results do not mean, however, that only running and similar moderate endurance workouts strengthen the brain, Dr. Nokia said. Those activities do seem to prompt the most neurogenesis in the hippocampus. But weight training and high-intensity intervals probably lead to different types of changes elsewhere in the brain. They might, for instance, encourage the creation of additional blood vessels or new connections between brain cells or between different parts of the brain.

So if you currently weight train or exclusively work out with intense intervals, continue. But perhaps also thread in an occasional run or bike ride for the sake of your hippocampal health.
While reading everything before this conclusion, I'd already been thinking that the title was a bit odd. Whatever "[prompts] the most neurogenesis in the hippocampus" and whatever "is best for the brain" aren't most obviously the same, and I was looking for evidence that they actually are. The second-to-last paragraph of the piece (the first paragraph quoted here) seems to confirm that they aren't.

I'm pleased, then, that the last paragraph recommends variety. A lesser writer might have recommended a kind of reduction instead: "so now we have Scientific Proof that you should stop doing certain forms of exercise, and your brain will thank you!"

Because this recommendation is in the last paragraph, though, I wonder if some readers missed it because they stopped reading early. I also wonder if the author would recommend similar variety for those who, let's say, "exclusively work out without intense intervals"--if only for the sake of possible "different types of changes elsewhere in the brain."
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Old 11-11-17, 01:29 PM  
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I've recently read several articles touting meditation as a great "exercise" for the brain. Aging and stress shorten the end caps of chromosomes in the brain called telomeres:

"Can meditation slow rate of cellular aging? Cognitive stress, mindfulness, and telomeres."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3057175/

Interesting stuff!
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Old 11-11-17, 02:09 PM  
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And to add to the mix....I had read this week that dancing is best for the brain....
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/29/w...the-brain.html

Personally, I think all movement is great...change things up a bit here and there. Do what you love.
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Old 11-11-17, 04:00 PM  
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We have all read studies which claim "X is the superior exercise for the brain/longevity/etc.". The significance of this article is its support of a form of exercise that is not considered "legitimate exercise". Culturally low intensity steady state cardio is considered "just a warm-up" or "for the unfit" or "for the off day" or "activity that is real activity rather than activity for the lazy or uncreative" as if it is not as valid as more intense exercise or activities. This isn't the first study to see benefits to LISS (yes, it even has its own acronym .)

In addition, it is possible to read the entire article and still accept the original thesis and not see the additional perspectives at the end as diminishing the study hypothesis. However, it takes an open mind to be able to do so, as the conclusions are intended to present addition questions this study raises in addition to providing context.
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Old 11-11-17, 07:33 PM  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by beyond.omega View Post
The significance of this article is its support of a form of exercise that is not considered "legitimate exercise". Culturally low intensity steady state cardio is considered "just a warm-up" or "for the unfit" or "for the off day" or "activity that is real activity rather than activity for the lazy or uncreative" as if it is not as valid as more intense exercise or activities. This isn't the first study to see benefits to LISS (yes, it even has its own acronym :
Wait, running isn't considered legitimate exercise? And is considered just a warm-up, or for the unfit?
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