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Do you know the best exercise for your brain? Actual exercise. Running increases neurogenesis[1] more than anything else. [1]: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/

by pdog 9y ago

Do you know the best exercise for your brain? Actual exercise. Running increases neurogenesis[1] more than anything else. [1]: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/04/well/move/for-your-brains-sake-keep-moving.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/04/well/move/for-your-brains...

taeric 9y ago
Amusingly, I would not be surprised to find some people need both. In particular, exercise is boring. Very very boring. Anything that can help with concentration during boring tasks is useful. Obviously, that is my experience. Ymmv
- mpweiher 9y ago
  > exercise is boring Yep. So listen to podcasts during. Seminars About Long Term Thinking and In Our Time being my favorites.
- tgb 9y ago
  I used to think that running was boring and that I'd do more of it if it were less boring. At the time I was running on a treadmill while watching a TV show. But every time I hit the end of my run and went into the 5 minute cooldown, I'd find myself becoming engrossed in the show and not want to end. The difference? I wasn't exercising as hard any more. I was getting tired, not bored. Now I run outside for sometimes five times as long as I was running back then, without podcasts or TV shows, and I never get bored. I do run slower, though. Try going slower next time! And going outside in a straight line or long loop. I get very bored/frustrated if I have to do laps to make my distance. Of course YMMV too.
  - noir_lord 9y ago
    That's why I love cycling on a road bike, at a steady 17mph it's rarely boring because the scenery changes quickly, I used to run but since I don't drive it was largely the same places over and over.
  - mamon 9y ago
    One great alternative to running are team sports like soccer or basketball. You can get cardiovascular excercise similar to HIIT training, while also having fun. The downside being that injuries can happen more often than during jogging.
    - okreallywtf 9y ago
      Yeah, when playing soccer for fitness you really need to think about how you are going to play because it can be easy to get hurt. Sometimes when I am hurt I play my best because I play smarter and don't overextend. Position yourself well and be strategic and sometimes you'll be better than if you go all out physically.
- harbie 9y ago
  This was how I felt about lifting weights. I know about all of it's amazing health benefits, but you've got 3-5 minutes rest between sets, with most programs having you do at least 9 sets total. That's not even counting the time added on if someone else asks to work in sets with you. Plus the need for a spotter when benching. Point is, I ended up getting into bouldering. If you want to send a bouldering problem, you have to spend a while actually planning out your movements, because if you waste time trying to figure out your next move in the middle of all but the easiest problems, you'll run out of energy before completing the problem. Like lifting, you need rest time between climbs, but you can spend that time planning out your next attempt. Only downside is that indoor bouldering walls tend to be crowded most of the time, and outdoor bouldering can require a bit of a drive depending on where you live. Still, I find it a lot more stimulating than lifting; I actually look forward to bouldering, while lifting still felt like a chore even after 8 months of doing it. edit: I should add that I've only been bouldering regularly for about 2 months, and mostly at an indoor gym.
  - andai 9y ago
    I picked up bouldering a few weeks ago and I love it! I wish I'd learned about it sooner. I've never experienced such a satisfying muscle ache before.
    - mrfusion 9y ago
      Seems really fun! Couple reservations I have. Do you have to wear a harness? Are people going to be telling me what to do? Isn’t it expensive?
      - dangerlibrary 9y ago
        1. No, not for bouldering, though it helps to have climbing shoes. 2. It's generally considered impolite to give advice on how to climb something, unless the person asks. 3. Most bouldering/climbing gyms have small workout areas in addition to the walls, and memberships that aren't a lot more expensive than a regular gym.
- collyw 9y ago
  "exercise is boring". You are clearly very unimaginative when it comes to exercise. I find the gym pretty bloody boring. But whitewater kayaking, mountain biking, rock climbing easily beat sitting in front of a computer. If those are too much go for a hike in the mountains and take in some scenery. Or learn to surf. Or cycle to work. I get an hours solid exercise every day doing that and save myself time and money as a result.
  - marcoperaza 9y ago
    >You are clearly very unimaginative when it comes to exercise. I find the gym pretty bloody boring. But whitewater kayaking, mountain biking, rock climbing easily beat sitting in front of a computer. If those are too much go for a hike in the mountains and take in some scenery. Or learn to surf. Those aren't routine activities, unless you are fortunately situated.
    - collyw 9y ago
      Admittedly I have to drive 3 hours to get to the closest whitewater to where I live. But cycling is pretty easy to do anywhere. There are loads of interesting ways to exercise, I just listed ones that I happen to have done. Like I say, you sound very unimaginative.
    - okreallywtf 9y ago
      Soccer is available just about everywhere at just about ever age range and is great exercise and is stimulating mentally as well.
  - taeric 9y ago
    I do quite a few of those things. I still get quite bored with them. :) Biking to work only works for me because it becomes an obligation. And, if I had my bus pass with me, I would easily take the bus on more days than not. Also again, my point was that getting good at exercising is getting good at a relatively quiet mindset that many people deprive themselves of. So, I believe there to be a feedback loop between the two ideas.
- noir_lord 9y ago
  > In particular, exercise is boring. Very very boring. I regularly spend 2-4hrs on a road bike and I've never found it boring and I have a low boredom threshold generally (outside of programming). It's just a case of finding your niche.
  - sndean 9y ago
    > 2-4hrs on a road bike and I've never found it boring Same here, which is a bit surprising whenever I think about it. Especially since I never listen to music/podcasts/anything, it's always the same place [0], and it's an out-and-back route only. But I hate driving, which seems like a relatively similar activity... no idea. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_%26_Old_Dominion_Railroad_Regional_Park https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_%26_Old_Dominion_Ra...
    - abakker 9y ago
      If you need even more stimulation, Mountain Biking! With Audibooks! My preferred workout is climb with audiobook, descend with silence, rinse and repeat.
      - okreallywtf 9y ago
        Its funny I have just started biking semi-seriously in the last year and I haven't even gotten to the point where I am even listening to music while I am getting my skills up. Do you listen to books riding singletrack? I find the challenge of singletrack at a reasonable speed (for myself, dog slow for most serious riders) is more than enough to keep me entertained.
        abakker 9y ago
        Not downhill, definitely. Single track is more than enough. But, uphill, I’m not real quick. A benefit of audiobooks, in my opinion, is that you have less awareness of the passage of time. A nasty habit I have is knowing (memorizing) how Long songs are and measuring my time by how many songs I’ve heard. That makes long climbs on the mountain bike worse, rather than better.
- rukuu001 9y ago
  There's always something to think about while, say, running. Is my posture correct? Are my feet hitting the ground well? Is this a good pace? And lots and lots of self talk about not shirking the next effort (30s hard running, hill run etc etc).
  - a_c_s 9y ago
    Different people are different: I find running almost painfully tedious.
  - taeric 9y ago
    Boring doesn't mean nothing to do. It means no interest in what is there. Not shockingly, people good at setting somewhat mundane objectives and iterating on them are good at both intelligence and exercise. They probably feed each other. :)
    - rukuu001 9y ago
      > Boring doesn't mean nothing to do. It means no interest in what is there. Fair enough :)
- thenomad 9y ago
  Try some exercise in VR. "Thrill Of The Fight", "Holopoint", "GORN" or similar games are a lot of fun and are at least a moderate workout. I've literally just finished a half-hour session of GORN, I'm fairly sweaty, and I wasn't bored once. (I also recommend similar things in IRL with Actual People, but I'm aware that those tend to be both more intimidating and harder to fit into a pre-set schedule.)
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
  - seanmcdirmid 9y ago
    I know it looks kind of stupid, but DDR was a wicked nice workout last a certain level (medium or so). And you never get bored because there is always something you haven't accomplished.
- SilasX 9y ago
  By default exercise is boring, but you can fix that. Headphones/earbuds for music or to listen to audiobooks. I find that if I don't do that, I notice the exertion and discomfort a lot more and that limits how far/long I can run. You can also get your exercise from exciting activities like sports or Dance Dance Revolution (but your experience may vary!).
- nathanm412 9y ago
  In my experience, how boring an exercise is seems to be inversely related to your aptitude with that exercise. Running started out to be extrememly boring. I would listen to audiobooks while out on a trail. After a few months, I would notice that I'd miss sentences here and there. If I tried harder to concentrate on my otherwise very interesting audiobook, my running pace would suffer considerably. Eventually, I couldn't do books any more and switched to music. After a couple of years, I found the music distracting, and my pace increased when I did away with it. This also seems to be a theme I've noticed while weightlifting in the gym. The more proficient I am with a movement, the more my brain is being engaged.
- falcolas 9y ago
  Boring and painful. Seems about right. Boring, because you frequently have to do something in addition to exercising to make the time spent exercising interesting. See the myriad of sibling comments. Painful, because my exercise as a youth (competitive swimming) badly damaged most of my major joints, making anything but the lightest of impact workouts painful (which leads, sadly, back to point 1).
- nugga 9y ago
  It is only boring if you have a restless mind that wants to constantly preoccupy itself with distractions and run away from the slightest discomfort instead of being here and now. With some ZEN focus any activity can be interesting when done with full awareness. Sorry couldn't resist. Carry on.
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
  - freshhawk 9y ago
    I also thought "someone needs to do some mindfulness meditation practice or something and learn how to deal with that" as well. People rarely want to hear about it though.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- ardit33 9y ago
  You need to find a sport that you like. I find simply running boring, but when done in a sport is a completely different thing. Apart from the gym, I play soccer three times a week and it is nothing by fun. Switching volleyball session during the winter. One of the best things I did both for my health and productivity was exercising + sports.
  - xur17 9y ago
    I've found the same thing. I still run ~once a week (and find it boring), but I find competitive sports to be pretty engaging.
- WalterBright 9y ago
  Running certainly started out painful and boring for me. But after a year, things changed. I started to look forward to it, and it ceased being boring. I do my best thinking while running, and make use of it to solve problems, write articles, etc. Lifting weights, however, remains painful and boring :-( and I think that is because it requires mental focus. Running does not, you can just drift off into something that interests you.
- plaguuuuuu 9y ago
  Boredom is probably a really good thing in many ways. A constant need for stimulation isn't healthy and makes it harder to do boring but otherwise necessary chores. Plus there's the whole creativity thing when the mind is at rest.
jjtheblunt 9y ago
more than swimming? seems surprising
- starrychloe 9y ago
  No, it's actually any aerobic exercise. Running, cycling, swimming, etc. Anything where you are breathing hard for your next breath and can't think about anything else but breathing.
hammock 9y ago
"More than anything else"? Link?
dyarosla 9y ago
The link does not compare running versus other forms of exercise. It compares running vs no exercise. "Running increases neurogenesis[1] more than anything else." is not a finding in the article.
- 0xJRS 9y ago
  Does anyone have a similar study done for other types of cardiovascular exercise? I never run but have a hybrid MTB I got a few months ago and ride a few miles 3-5 days a week, but if its not as effective as jogging i'll start to switch it up a little.
  - NegativeLatency 9y ago
    Cross training never hurts. That bike will be better on your joints in the long run. Also you can see/ go more places on a bike.
- ksk 9y ago
  Also, they used a mice model. Even otherwise, assuming the study showed it to be the case in humans as well, that means absolutely nothing. Science simply presents a theory that fits a particular data-set. It doesn't mean its an established fact, or that it applies to your particular biology, or even that the effect is seen in every person.
- pdog 9y ago
  Here are a few more articles for you. Take your pick. ;) https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/02/17/which-type-of-exercise-is-best-for-the-brain/ https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/02/17/which-type-of-exer... https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/07/13/can-running-make-you-smarter/ https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/07/13/can-running-make-y... https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/22/well/move/jogging-the-brain.html https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/22/well/move/jogging-the-bra... https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/14/well/move/running-as-the-thinking-persons-sport.html https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/14/well/move/running-as-the-... https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/30/well/move/moving-when-young-may-strengthen-the-adult-brain.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/30/well/move/moving-when-you...
fgGAMI 9y ago
What if you did this memory game while running?!

by pdog 9y ago

taeric 9y ago

Amusingly, I would not be surprised to find some people need both. In particular, exercise is boring. Very very boring. Anything that can help with concentration during boring tasks is useful. Obviously, that is my experience. Ymmv

mpweiher 9y ago
> exercise is boring Yep. So listen to podcasts during. Seminars About Long Term Thinking and In Our Time being my favorites.
tgb 9y ago
I used to think that running was boring and that I'd do more of it if it were less boring. At the time I was running on a treadmill while watching a TV show. But every time I hit the end of my run and went into the 5 minute cooldown, I'd find myself becoming engrossed in the show and not want to end. The difference? I wasn't exercising as hard any more. I was getting tired, not bored. Now I run outside for sometimes five times as long as I was running back then, without podcasts or TV shows, and I never get bored. I do run slower, though. Try going slower next time! And going outside in a straight line or long loop. I get very bored/frustrated if I have to do laps to make my distance. Of course YMMV too.
- noir_lord 9y ago
  That's why I love cycling on a road bike, at a steady 17mph it's rarely boring because the scenery changes quickly, I used to run but since I don't drive it was largely the same places over and over.
- mamon 9y ago
  One great alternative to running are team sports like soccer or basketball. You can get cardiovascular excercise similar to HIIT training, while also having fun. The downside being that injuries can happen more often than during jogging.
  - okreallywtf 9y ago
    Yeah, when playing soccer for fitness you really need to think about how you are going to play because it can be easy to get hurt. Sometimes when I am hurt I play my best because I play smarter and don't overextend. Position yourself well and be strategic and sometimes you'll be better than if you go all out physically.
harbie 9y ago
This was how I felt about lifting weights. I know about all of it's amazing health benefits, but you've got 3-5 minutes rest between sets, with most programs having you do at least 9 sets total. That's not even counting the time added on if someone else asks to work in sets with you. Plus the need for a spotter when benching. Point is, I ended up getting into bouldering. If you want to send a bouldering problem, you have to spend a while actually planning out your movements, because if you waste time trying to figure out your next move in the middle of all but the easiest problems, you'll run out of energy before completing the problem. Like lifting, you need rest time between climbs, but you can spend that time planning out your next attempt. Only downside is that indoor bouldering walls tend to be crowded most of the time, and outdoor bouldering can require a bit of a drive depending on where you live. Still, I find it a lot more stimulating than lifting; I actually look forward to bouldering, while lifting still felt like a chore even after 8 months of doing it. edit: I should add that I've only been bouldering regularly for about 2 months, and mostly at an indoor gym.
- andai 9y ago
  I picked up bouldering a few weeks ago and I love it! I wish I'd learned about it sooner. I've never experienced such a satisfying muscle ache before.
  - mrfusion 9y ago
    Seems really fun! Couple reservations I have. Do you have to wear a harness? Are people going to be telling me what to do? Isn’t it expensive?
    - dangerlibrary 9y ago
      1. No, not for bouldering, though it helps to have climbing shoes. 2. It's generally considered impolite to give advice on how to climb something, unless the person asks. 3. Most bouldering/climbing gyms have small workout areas in addition to the walls, and memberships that aren't a lot more expensive than a regular gym.
collyw 9y ago
"exercise is boring". You are clearly very unimaginative when it comes to exercise. I find the gym pretty bloody boring. But whitewater kayaking, mountain biking, rock climbing easily beat sitting in front of a computer. If those are too much go for a hike in the mountains and take in some scenery. Or learn to surf. Or cycle to work. I get an hours solid exercise every day doing that and save myself time and money as a result.
- marcoperaza 9y ago
  >You are clearly very unimaginative when it comes to exercise. I find the gym pretty bloody boring. But whitewater kayaking, mountain biking, rock climbing easily beat sitting in front of a computer. If those are too much go for a hike in the mountains and take in some scenery. Or learn to surf. Those aren't routine activities, unless you are fortunately situated.
  - collyw 9y ago
    Admittedly I have to drive 3 hours to get to the closest whitewater to where I live. But cycling is pretty easy to do anywhere. There are loads of interesting ways to exercise, I just listed ones that I happen to have done. Like I say, you sound very unimaginative.
  - okreallywtf 9y ago
    Soccer is available just about everywhere at just about ever age range and is great exercise and is stimulating mentally as well.
- taeric 9y ago
  I do quite a few of those things. I still get quite bored with them. :) Biking to work only works for me because it becomes an obligation. And, if I had my bus pass with me, I would easily take the bus on more days than not. Also again, my point was that getting good at exercising is getting good at a relatively quiet mindset that many people deprive themselves of. So, I believe there to be a feedback loop between the two ideas.
noir_lord 9y ago
> In particular, exercise is boring. Very very boring. I regularly spend 2-4hrs on a road bike and I've never found it boring and I have a low boredom threshold generally (outside of programming). It's just a case of finding your niche.
- sndean 9y ago
  > 2-4hrs on a road bike and I've never found it boring Same here, which is a bit surprising whenever I think about it. Especially since I never listen to music/podcasts/anything, it's always the same place [0], and it's an out-and-back route only. But I hate driving, which seems like a relatively similar activity... no idea. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_%26_Old_Dominion_Railroad_Regional_Park https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_%26_Old_Dominion_Ra...
  - abakker 9y ago
    If you need even more stimulation, Mountain Biking! With Audibooks! My preferred workout is climb with audiobook, descend with silence, rinse and repeat.
    - okreallywtf 9y ago
      Its funny I have just started biking semi-seriously in the last year and I haven't even gotten to the point where I am even listening to music while I am getting my skills up. Do you listen to books riding singletrack? I find the challenge of singletrack at a reasonable speed (for myself, dog slow for most serious riders) is more than enough to keep me entertained.
      - abakker 9y ago
        Not downhill, definitely. Single track is more than enough. But, uphill, I’m not real quick. A benefit of audiobooks, in my opinion, is that you have less awareness of the passage of time. A nasty habit I have is knowing (memorizing) how Long songs are and measuring my time by how many songs I’ve heard. That makes long climbs on the mountain bike worse, rather than better.
rukuu001 9y ago
There's always something to think about while, say, running. Is my posture correct? Are my feet hitting the ground well? Is this a good pace? And lots and lots of self talk about not shirking the next effort (30s hard running, hill run etc etc).
- a_c_s 9y ago
  Different people are different: I find running almost painfully tedious.
- taeric 9y ago
  Boring doesn't mean nothing to do. It means no interest in what is there. Not shockingly, people good at setting somewhat mundane objectives and iterating on them are good at both intelligence and exercise. They probably feed each other. :)
  - rukuu001 9y ago
    > Boring doesn't mean nothing to do. It means no interest in what is there. Fair enough :)
thenomad 9y ago
Try some exercise in VR. "Thrill Of The Fight", "Holopoint", "GORN" or similar games are a lot of fun and are at least a moderate workout. I've literally just finished a half-hour session of GORN, I'm fairly sweaty, and I wasn't bored once. (I also recommend similar things in IRL with Actual People, but I'm aware that those tend to be both more intimidating and harder to fit into a pre-set schedule.)
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- seanmcdirmid 9y ago
  I know it looks kind of stupid, but DDR was a wicked nice workout last a certain level (medium or so). And you never get bored because there is always something you haven't accomplished.
SilasX 9y ago
By default exercise is boring, but you can fix that. Headphones/earbuds for music or to listen to audiobooks. I find that if I don't do that, I notice the exertion and discomfort a lot more and that limits how far/long I can run. You can also get your exercise from exciting activities like sports or Dance Dance Revolution (but your experience may vary!).
nathanm412 9y ago
In my experience, how boring an exercise is seems to be inversely related to your aptitude with that exercise. Running started out to be extrememly boring. I would listen to audiobooks while out on a trail. After a few months, I would notice that I'd miss sentences here and there. If I tried harder to concentrate on my otherwise very interesting audiobook, my running pace would suffer considerably. Eventually, I couldn't do books any more and switched to music. After a couple of years, I found the music distracting, and my pace increased when I did away with it. This also seems to be a theme I've noticed while weightlifting in the gym. The more proficient I am with a movement, the more my brain is being engaged.
falcolas 9y ago
Boring and painful. Seems about right. Boring, because you frequently have to do something in addition to exercising to make the time spent exercising interesting. See the myriad of sibling comments. Painful, because my exercise as a youth (competitive swimming) badly damaged most of my major joints, making anything but the lightest of impact workouts painful (which leads, sadly, back to point 1).
nugga 9y ago
It is only boring if you have a restless mind that wants to constantly preoccupy itself with distractions and run away from the slightest discomfort instead of being here and now. With some ZEN focus any activity can be interesting when done with full awareness. Sorry couldn't resist. Carry on.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- freshhawk 9y ago
  I also thought "someone needs to do some mindfulness meditation practice or something and learn how to deal with that" as well. People rarely want to hear about it though.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
ardit33 9y ago
You need to find a sport that you like. I find simply running boring, but when done in a sport is a completely different thing. Apart from the gym, I play soccer three times a week and it is nothing by fun. Switching volleyball session during the winter. One of the best things I did both for my health and productivity was exercising + sports.
- xur17 9y ago
  I've found the same thing. I still run ~once a week (and find it boring), but I find competitive sports to be pretty engaging.
WalterBright 9y ago
Running certainly started out painful and boring for me. But after a year, things changed. I started to look forward to it, and it ceased being boring. I do my best thinking while running, and make use of it to solve problems, write articles, etc. Lifting weights, however, remains painful and boring :-( and I think that is because it requires mental focus. Running does not, you can just drift off into something that interests you.
plaguuuuuu 9y ago
Boredom is probably a really good thing in many ways. A constant need for stimulation isn't healthy and makes it harder to do boring but otherwise necessary chores. Plus there's the whole creativity thing when the mind is at rest.

jjtheblunt 9y ago

more than swimming? seems surprising

starrychloe 9y ago
No, it's actually any aerobic exercise. Running, cycling, swimming, etc. Anything where you are breathing hard for your next breath and can't think about anything else but breathing.

hammock 9y ago

"More than anything else"? Link?

dyarosla 9y ago

The link does not compare running versus other forms of exercise. It compares running vs no exercise. "Running increases neurogenesis[1] more than anything else." is not a finding in the article.

0xJRS 9y ago
Does anyone have a similar study done for other types of cardiovascular exercise? I never run but have a hybrid MTB I got a few months ago and ride a few miles 3-5 days a week, but if its not as effective as jogging i'll start to switch it up a little.
- NegativeLatency 9y ago
  Cross training never hurts. That bike will be better on your joints in the long run. Also you can see/ go more places on a bike.
ksk 9y ago
Also, they used a mice model. Even otherwise, assuming the study showed it to be the case in humans as well, that means absolutely nothing. Science simply presents a theory that fits a particular data-set. It doesn't mean its an established fact, or that it applies to your particular biology, or even that the effect is seen in every person.
pdog 9y ago
Here are a few more articles for you. Take your pick. ;) https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/02/17/which-type-of-exercise-is-best-for-the-brain/ https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/02/17/which-type-of-exer... https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/07/13/can-running-make-you-smarter/ https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/07/13/can-running-make-y... https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/22/well/move/jogging-the-brain.html https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/22/well/move/jogging-the-bra... https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/14/well/move/running-as-the-thinking-persons-sport.html https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/14/well/move/running-as-the-... https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/30/well/move/moving-when-young-may-strengthen-the-adult-brain.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/30/well/move/moving-when-you...

fgGAMI 9y ago

What if you did this memory game while running?!