Get a “Why” For Exercising
Could you use a stronger “why” for exercising? If so, you are not alone. It seems that a lot of people are in need of more motivation to exercise.
Do you care about the health of your brain? Do you care about reducing stress? Do you care about your level of intelligence? Do you care about the level of anxiety in your life? Do you care about reducing depression?
All these things and more are discussed in the book “Spark” by John J. Ratey. According to Mr. Ratey, “exercise is the single most powerful tool you have to optimize your brain function.”
Your brain runs the whole show as far as running your body is concerned. The brain as it relates to exercise really does affect your intelligence, memory, mood, anxiety levels, attention, stress factors and more.
Since 1998 we’ve known that brain cells do grow back. Researchers first found that making mice run, massively increases their new brain cell growth. Further research has confirmed a similar effect in humans. Basically, exercise stimulates new brain cell growth and optimizes the health of those new brain cells.
A list of topics from the chapter headings in the book that exercise helps with are: Learning, Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Attention Deficit, Addiction, Hormonal Changes, Aging.
Hopefully knowing that exercise is so good for your brain and intelligence, mood, attention, stress etc. is a good “why” for you to exercise more. But even for the sake of your brain health, instead of saying to yourself that you “should” or “have to” exercise, say to yourself that you “want to” exercise. Besides once you really get going with it regularly, you will begin to notice some of the benefits that are mentioned in that book, Spark, like feeling less anxious, less depressed, more alert etc.
If this intro into the benefits of exercise for your brain wasn’t enough motivation for you to get out there and exercise more, then I suggest you go out and get the book, “Spark” by John J. Ratey, for yourself. The hardback edition is readily available at Amazon.com.
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