4 ms·

Aerobic exercise can increase brain size, keeping you mentally sharp

27 points by nopinsight 16y ago

michaelcampbell 16y ago
I have been reading this sort of advice for quite a few years now, and I'm glad to see that study after study seems to agree. Having lost my mother to Alzheimers a few years back, I'm somewhat paranoid about losing my faculties as I get older, so I've been exercising a lot more. Not sure if I'm getting any smarter, or just getting stupider slower... but even if it doesn't help my brain, it's helping other things healthwise.
evilmushroom 16y ago
I'm a software engineer... and being tired of being out of shape and gaining weight, I joined an extreme workout program/class a number of months back where we do kickboxing and resistance training alternating 6 days week.... and I absolutely love the results. I feel amazingly better, I sleep better, I lost my belly completely, and actually have abs! My heart rate went from the upper 60s to the upper 40s. (athlete range... and I code all day/night!) But more interestingly I've found that I can focus a lot better... I feel way more productive. I really recommend to all my fellow tech people to try some program like this! We spend a lot of time stationary in chairs... We're all highly analytical, and like engineering whatever we're working on to best fit our goals. Think of exercise as some important performance module for the human framework? :)
- berntb 16y ago
  What he said -- but start a bit slower than six days a week! Let the body adapt slowly (weeks to months) to a heavy exercise regimen!! You will not feel better if you hurt a should or knee, which is hard to repair. Edit: My point is not to avoid feeling bad, but to avoid damage which will hinder exercise and/or lower life quality.
  - evilmushroom 16y ago
    True.. I did feel like a tank ran over me for the first two weeks. :)
zeteo 16y ago
A much more accurate title would be "walking shown to reverse the decline in hippocampus size and function after the age of 55".
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
mhartl 16y ago
I'd bet dollars to doughnuts this is true even with s/aerobic exercise/exercise/. "Cardio" is overrated; if you do one kind of exercise, it should probably be strength training.

27 points by nopinsight 16y ago

I have been reading this sort of advice for quite a few years now, and I'm glad to see that study after study seems to agree. Having lost my mother to Alzheimers a few years back, I'm somewhat paranoid about losing my faculties as I get older, so I've been exercising a lot more. Not sure if I'm getting any smarter, or just getting stupider slower... but even if it doesn't help my brain, it's helping other things healthwise.

evilmushroom 16y ago

I'm a software engineer... and being tired of being out of shape and gaining weight, I joined an extreme workout program/class a number of months back where we do kickboxing and resistance training alternating 6 days week.... and I absolutely love the results. I feel amazingly better, I sleep better, I lost my belly completely, and actually have abs! My heart rate went from the upper 60s to the upper 40s. (athlete range... and I code all day/night!) But more interestingly I've found that I can focus a lot better... I feel way more productive. I really recommend to all my fellow tech people to try some program like this! We spend a lot of time stationary in chairs... We're all highly analytical, and like engineering whatever we're working on to best fit our goals. Think of exercise as some important performance module for the human framework? :)

berntb 16y ago
What he said -- but start a bit slower than six days a week! Let the body adapt slowly (weeks to months) to a heavy exercise regimen!! You will not feel better if you hurt a should or knee, which is hard to repair. Edit: My point is not to avoid feeling bad, but to avoid damage which will hinder exercise and/or lower life quality.
- evilmushroom 16y ago
  True.. I did feel like a tank ran over me for the first two weeks. :)

zeteo 16y ago

A much more accurate title would be "walking shown to reverse the decline in hippocampus size and function after the age of 55".

deleted 16y ago
[deleted]

mhartl 16y ago

I'd bet dollars to doughnuts this is true even with s/aerobic exercise/exercise/. "Cardio" is overrated; if you do one kind of exercise, it should probably be strength training.