As a community, we spend untold amounts of money on software and games to train our brains. We’ve long known that exercise helps various neurological functions; now science says perhaps all you need is a pill.
Friends and loved ones often ask me about jogging. I tell everyone that if you want to look like a distance runner, jog. However, if you desire a muscular, toned or athletic look, sprint. I may be correct, but if you heed my advice, you may not be as smart. I kid, but stay with me. From Forbes:
What this boils down to in practice is that regular endurance exercise, like jogging, strengthens and grows your brain.
For a period of several years, I was pounding the road regularly. I’d get out there and run at a slow and steady pace for 25 miles a week, give or take a few. I lost some lean tissue on my physique, but may have built some in my noggin.
In particular, your memory and ability to learn get a boost from hitting the pavement. Along with the other well-established benefits of endurance exercise, such as improved heart health, this is a pretty good reason to get moving. If jogging isn’t your thing, there’s a multitude of other ways to trigger the endurance effect – even brisk walking on a regular basis yields brain benefits.
And all this time I thought my forgetting names was just me getting old. Luckily, resistance training offers some of its own benefits. From the University of New Mexico:
Executive function is the ‘command and control’ conductor of cognitive skills. This brain control center is what manages all of the tasks in a person’s life, such as writing an article, doing a research project, preparing for class and organizing a trip…Uniquely, one of the most profound effects of resistance training is the marked improvement in memory and memory-related tasks. Additionally, it appears that improved executive functioning is one of the major benefits from resistance training (Anmderson-Hanley, Nimon and Westen, 2010) as well as cardiovascular exercise (Colcombe and Framer, 2003).
So perhaps I only have myself to blame for my memory lapses. New news suggests that maybe I don’t have to bother with the exercising at all, however. Arghhh. From the same Forbes article:
Researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard Medical School (HMS) have also discovered that it may be possible to capture these benefits in a pill. The same protein that stimulates brain growth via exercise could potentially be bottled and given to patients experiencing cognitive decline, including those in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Bitchin’. Another short cut. This pill may cause nausea, dry skin and loss of brain cells. Seems logical.
What was your name again?
Kap
Duane says
Excellent post Kap! I think I’ll skip the pill and pound the pavement. I have enough side effects from life itself I don’t need a pill to assist.
Gabe Kapler says
Thanks, Duane. Have a great one.
Matt C says
Hey Kap,
Interesting post. I know some people that swear by low intensity cardio (60-65% heart rate) first thing in the morning or post-workout for burning fat. Do you discourage that as well?
Matt
Gabe Kapler says
Hey, Matt. Here’s my take on cardio:
https://kaplifestyle.com/2014/02/stop-doing-cardio
Hope this helps.
Michelle W says
Sometimes my friends give me a hard time about the miles I put on my shoes. Now I can tell them if they go with they might be able to beat me at pub quiz! : )
great post! have a great one!
Gabe Kapler says
Love your style, Michelle. Thanks.
Joel says
Damn, pills and shortcuts for everything. It’s the American way. No wonder we are an unhealthy nation. Exercise, cut the carbs, and you’ll be ok. Oh, and maybe some savoring, too.
Gabe Kapler says
Tell ’em, Joel. Take care.
Ed H says
I may have to stop coming here…. Your lack of arrogance is a turn off. 🙂
Actually, It’s quite refreshing seeing you do “about faces” as you learn new things. It makes me feel like were all walking in the same shoes. Not long ago you made a negative remark about a microwave and it was opposite of my own view. A couple weeks later came your post debugging your previous opinion…
To be completely fair, your track record is excellent. Seeing you improve your “mistakes” doubles, triples, qintupletizes the value of your entire body of work.
Gabe Kapler says
We often hear what we are listening for, Ed. Peace, my friend.
Ed H says
Re-reading the post, I’d have to agree. My compliments to you represent other posts too. You keep writing and I’ll keep misreading…
Richie Ernst says
I will pound the pavement and do sprints…. and still continue to loose my mind! I take enough pills and meds already, I will skip the pill.
Gabe Kapler says
I’ll follow suit.
BoojieMaw says
I hate running with a passion because of the wear it puts on injuries I have, but I’ll be danged if I take a pill to replace good old fashioned exercise.
I do have to say that the nausea, dry skin and loss of brain cells could be worth it to someone suffering from Alzheimer’s. Don’t know if you’ve ever had the displeasure of witnessing that decline, but it’s a real bitch.
Gabe Kapler says
Thanks as always, BM.
billstraehl says
Where is the fun in taking a pill? Fun is the best medication I’ve every taken!
Gabe Kapler says
Isn’t it? Dig.
Michelle says
Whose blog is this?
Gabe Kapler says
A+
Steve says
Slow down everyone…do you know how great it would be if they came out with a pill? My father suffers from Parkinson’s and I would love to see him and others with the condition recover.
His doc told him to keep up the exercise and you bet he’s been on that bike everyday grinding!
#ThoughtsBecomeThings
#MassUp
Gabe Kapler says
I hope your father gets precisely what he needs, Steve.
Steve says
Thank you so much Kap! I discussed this post with him. Really hit home.
Ed H says
Steve, I for one would encourage everyone to stay away from pills…. but there’s a context to that statement. The context is most pills are designed for making money first and helping second. Believe me as I write this… I wish some decent human being would find a cure for your dad, whether it be a pill, diet program or physical treatment.
Steve says
Thank you Ed!!! I do understand the context you’re talking about.
kbeyazdancer says
My name is Kelebek (I think!) and I don’t like running. My asthma doesn’t like me running either.
Gabe Kapler says
Ha, thanks. Enjoy the rest of your day.
M.squared says
Big fan of the brisk walk. Mentally and physically.
Awesome way to decompress.
M.squared says
Ps-
I only run when chased.
#BeatUTEP (@HutchBeav) says
I tore my knee up running in a half marathon. Hurt like shit. MIle 8 it felt like an explosion in my knee. Finished the damn thing though!
Still have some pain when I attempt to run at a distance. All medium distance sprints for me now. I feel better now compared to when I ran distance.
Speaking of sprinting, how about Jarod Dyson and what his speed does!
darby wright says
Great post.keep them coming
Kyle G. says
Looking forward to a “limitless” pill… It’ll make a major in applied Mathematics and dual minor in spanish and accounting easier, right?