I'll confess that I'm not always diligent about making sure I get my eight hours of sleep every night, even though I know I feel better and do better work when I get that sleep. And while I always have good intentions about getting my exercise in, I often decide to do something else instead.
But I'm reading the excellent Brain Rules by John Medina, and it's given me another push to make sure I do indeed get the sleep, and do indeed exercise. Here's just one quote about exercise:
If all you do it walk several time a week, your brain will benefit. ... In the laboratory, the gold standard appears to be aerobic exercise, 30 minutes at a clip, two or three times a week. Add a strengthening regimen and you get even more cognitive benefit.But here's the quote that really caught my attention:
Your lifetime risk for general dementia is literally cut in half if you participate in leisure-time physical activity. Aerobic exercise seems to be the key. With Alzheimer's, the effect is even greater: Such exercise lowers your odds of getting the disease by more than 60 percent.And here's the word on sleep:
How much exercise? Once again, a little goes a long way. The researchers showed you have to participate in some form of exercise just twice a week to get the benefit. Bump it up to a 20-minute walk each day, and you can cut your risk of having a stroke - one of the leading causes of mental disability in the elderly - by 57 percent.
The bottom line is that sleep loss means mind loss. Sleep loss cripples thinking, in just about every way you can measure thinking.Anyone else feeling inspired to make some changes?
2 comments:
I have always been exercise-phobic. Dress it up as fun - bush walking, or skating or something - I'm okay. However, this year I turned 40 and I didn't want to be 40 and fat. Since I can't change the 40, I decided I really had to overcome my exercise phobia.
I've been doing a short strength and interval routine every morning since New Year. I recently changed my work hours and this week haven't had time every morning to exercise.
I have been surprised by how bad I feel during the day on those days when I haven't exercises. I'm tireder, I'm not at all alert, I struggle with motivation at work, I drink more coffee (usually I drink none).
I've worked out how to change my routine a little so I can ensure I have some exercise in the morning, because I realise now the benefits far outweight the pain.
Good for you, SueBK!
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