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How about working out makes you cognitively sharp because it requires COGNITION? It's not the kind of "thinking" we normally consider but your brain is working

How about working out makes you cognitively sharp because it requires COGNITION? It's not the kind of "thinking" we normally consider but your brain is working to direct your body. Basketball is my favorite way to exercise and there is a lot of analysis of how to get my body to the right places to achieve a goal. Or how to deceive a defender and manipulate their body to the wrong place. Or simple shot mechanics or how to move my eyes so I don't lose awareness of other players. I started dance because it's such a different way of moving my body that I never tried before. Figuring out how to do something and improve (even physically) takes strategizing.

jasfi 4y ago
This is a very good answer. Even walking on a treadmill requires cognition you typically take for granted. There are other exercises that are more obviously related to cognition such as mental math and crosswords, but physical exercise is likely in the same league.
brookst 4y ago
Yep. I find climbing 100% mentally absorbing, and the problems and solutions are so far from my day job’s domain that I believe it helps with mental adaptability.
googlryas 4y ago
Running doesn't require much cognition (imho), my body is on auto pilot and I forget time has passed - but I still feel like I get the beneficial effects from doing it.
- boole1854 4y ago
  In my experience, the cognitive load depends on the speed at which you're running. Jogging at a leisurely pace, I don't need to consciously think about the jogging process at all and my mind is free to think about the books I have been reading lately, or to listen to an information-dense podcast, or to plan out the rest of my week. But that all changes if I switch to running at near my maximum speed for the distance I'm going to run. Then understanding a podcast becomes nearly impossible and/or it interferes with the running. Indeed, having any internal, verbal 'train of thought' is difficult, other than my internal voice metronomically saying 'left, right, left, right' in time with my leg movements.
a9h74j 4y ago
> because it requires COGNITION FWIW, one set of snippets from Joe Rogan on YT included this statement: I believe academics underestimate just how mental it is to get through a hard workout.

jasfi 4y ago

This is a very good answer. Even walking on a treadmill requires cognition you typically take for granted. There are other exercises that are more obviously related to cognition such as mental math and crosswords, but physical exercise is likely in the same league.

brookst 4y ago

Yep. I find climbing 100% mentally absorbing, and the problems and solutions are so far from my day job’s domain that I believe it helps with mental adaptability.

googlryas 4y ago

Running doesn't require much cognition (imho), my body is on auto pilot and I forget time has passed - but I still feel like I get the beneficial effects from doing it.

boole1854 4y ago
In my experience, the cognitive load depends on the speed at which you're running. Jogging at a leisurely pace, I don't need to consciously think about the jogging process at all and my mind is free to think about the books I have been reading lately, or to listen to an information-dense podcast, or to plan out the rest of my week. But that all changes if I switch to running at near my maximum speed for the distance I'm going to run. Then understanding a podcast becomes nearly impossible and/or it interferes with the running. Indeed, having any internal, verbal 'train of thought' is difficult, other than my internal voice metronomically saying 'left, right, left, right' in time with my leg movements.

a9h74j 4y ago

> because it requires COGNITION FWIW, one set of snippets from Joe Rogan on YT included this statement: I believe academics underestimate just how mental it is to get through a hard workout.