12/6/2014

WhyDoesPhysicalInactivityDrainHumanBrainPower?|PsychologyToday

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Sweatandthebiologyofbliss
byChristopherBergland

WhyDoesPhysicalInactivityDrainHumanBrainPower?
Neuroscienceconfirmsthatsedentarismreducescognitiveperformance.
PublishedonDecember4,2014byChristopherBerglandinTheAthlete'sWay

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Humansthroughouttheageshaverealizedthatphysicalactivityleadstocreativethinking,new
ideas,innovation,andoptimumcognitivefunction.Modernneurosciencehasconfirmedthatmoving
yourbodyboostsbrainpower.Ontheflipside,beingphysicallyinactivedrainsyourbrainpower.This
isauniversalandtimelessphenomenonforpeopleofallages.
Wearenodifferentfromourhumanancestors.Ourbodiesaredesignedtomoveeveryday.
Unfortunately,ourbodiesandmindsmaybeshortcircuitinginadigitalagethatbyitsverynature
promotesalackofdailyphysicalactivity.

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TheancientGreeksunderstoodthelinkbetweenregularphysicalactivity,
learning,memoryandoptimizingcognitivefunction.Basedonthe
principleofmaintainingaSoundMindinaSoundBody,Aristotlefounded
thefamousPeripateticSchoolwhereteachingtookplacewhilewalking
onpathwaysaroundtheLyceum.
SteveJobswasfamousforholdingimportantbusinessmeetingswhile
walkingbecauseheknewthatwhenthebodyisinmotiontheminddoes
itsbestthinking.Thisistrueforallofus.
ModernNeuroscienceConfirmsthatPhysicalActivityBoostsBrain
PoweratAnyAge

WhyDoesPhysicalInactivity
DrainHumanBrainPower?
byChristopherBergland

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12/6/2014

WhyDoesPhysicalInactivityDrainHumanBrainPower?|PsychologyToday
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ResearchersattheUniversityofIllinoisatUrbanaChampaignaredoing
cuttingedgebrainresearchonthecognitivebenefitsofphysicalactivity
andaerobicfitnessthroughoutthehumanlifespan.
TheirmostrecentstudyfromNovember2014,TheImportanceof
PhysicalActivityandAerobicFitnessforCognitiveControlandMemoryin
Children,waspublishedinMonographsoftheSocietyforResearchin
ChildDevelopment.
Theresearchersofthisarticleincluded:LauraChaddock
Heyman,CharlesH.Hillman,NealJ.Cohen,andArthurF.Kramer.
IhadalivelydiscussionwithLauraChaddockHeymanthisafternoon
abouttheirnewstudy.Insumminguptheresearchshesaid,"Ourwork
suggeststhataerobicfitnessandphysicalactivityplayakeyroleinbrain
andcognitivehealthduringdevelopment.Wehopeourresearchwill
encouragechildrentogetmoving!"Ihopeso,too.
TheStatisticsofInactivityAreAlarming
Overthepastthirtyyears,children
havegraduallystartedmovingless
andlesseverydecade.Asthe
fatherofa7yearold,thisissueis
personaltomeandmyfamily.Iam
onacrusadetoturn
thenationalepidemic
ofinactivityaround.
In2012,theCentersforDiseaseControlandPreventionfoundthatonly
30percentofchildrenattendedaschoolinwhichtheywereoffered
physicaleducationdaily.ThemajorityofstudentsintheUnitedStatesof
Americadonotengageinanyformofplannedphysicalactivityduringthe
schoolweek.
Currently,theU.S.DepartmentofHealthandHumanServicesguidelines
callforchildrentohaveaminimumof60minutesofintermittentphysical
activityperday.Themajorityofthe55.5millionAmericanstudents
currentlyinpreKto12thgradedonotengageinanyformofplanned
physicalactivityduringtheschoolweek.
DoubleWhammy:ForcingaChildtoSitStillAllDayStudyingfora
TestCanLowerScores
Ironically,thefindingsofthisstudyindicatethatthegrowingemphasis
beingputonachievinghighscoresonstandardizedtestsbynot
givingstudentsabreaktoexercisemayactuallybeleadingtodecreased
academicperformance.
Acrosstheboard,childrenwhoarephysicallyfittendtooutperform
theirlessactivepeersoncognitivetestsofachievement.The

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12/6/2014

WhyDoesPhysicalInactivityDrainHumanBrainPower?|PsychologyToday
researchersfoundthatwhencomparedtotheirlessfitpeers,children
whoarephysicallyactivehavelargergraymatterbrainvolumesin
thebasalgangliaandhippocampus.Thesebrainareasarespecifically
associatedwithcognitivecontrolandmemory.
PreviousresearchbytheteamatUniversityofIllinoisatUrbana
Champaignfoundthatphysicalactivityincreasesthestructureand
functionofwhitematterinthebrain.Whitematterhelpsthegraymatter
ofvariousbrainregionscommunicatemorefluidlyandefficiently.
OtherconclusionsofthisNovember2014studyincluded:
Physicallyactivechildrenhaveincreasedconcentrationand
enhancedattentionspanswhencomparedtotheirlessactive
peers.
Fitnessisrelatedtotheabilitytoinhibitattentiontocompeting
stimuliduringatask.
Regularphysicalactivityhelpschildrenstayfocusedandpersevere
tocompleteanassignment.
Theauthorsalsoconcludethatregularphysicalactivitycanbea
nonpharmaceuticalinterventionforchildrenwithADHD,aswellas
childrenwithautismspectrumdisorders(ASD).
Inapressrelease,Dr.CharlesHillman,professorofkinesiologyand
communityhealthattheUniversityofIllinoisatUrbanaChampaignand
leadauthoronthecurrentMonographsissuesaid,
"Theseresultspointtotheimportantpotentialofapproaches
focusingonphysicalactivityforstrengtheningchildren's
brainhealthandeducationalattainment.Itisimportantfor
stategovernmentsandschooladministratorstoconsiderthis
evidenceandpromotephysicalactivityintheschoolsetting,
whichiswherechildrenspendmuchoftheirtime."
Conclusion:SmallDosesofPhysicalActivityPayHugeDividends
atAnyAge

AnOctober2014studyfromtheUniversitdeMontralfoundthatyou
dontneedtofollowaspecifictrainingprogramorbetrainingfor
marathonsortriathlonstoimproveyourcognitivefunctionthrough
physicalactivity.Alittlebitofexercisegoesalongway.
Researchersaroundtheglobeagreethatthethemostimportantthingfor
peopleofallagestodoismovetheirbodiesalittlebiteverydayand
makeacommitmenttoavoidalifestyleofsedentarism.Asmallamount
ofphysicalactivityeverydayisalwaysgoingtobebetterthannothing
regardlessofhowyoungoroldyouare.
Ihavewrittenmanyblogpostsabouttheneuroscienceofwhyphysical

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12/6/2014

WhyDoesPhysicalInactivityDrainHumanBrainPower?|PsychologyToday
activityimprovescognitivefunctionandboostsbrainpowerthroughoutthe
humanlifespan.
Ifyou'dliketoreadmoreonthistopic,checkoutmyPsychology
Todayblogposts:
"WhyIsPhysicalActivitySoGoodForYourBrain?"
"PhysicallyFitChildrenHaveEnhancedBrainPowers"
"WhereDotheChildrenPlayin2014?"
"PhysicalActivityImprovesCognitiveFunction"
"WhatDailyHabitCanBoostHealthyAgingOddsSevenfold?
"FiveLifestyleChoicesThatWillHelpYouLiveLonger"
"WhyDoesAerobicActivityImproveCognitiveFunction?
"CanPhysicalActivitiesImproveFluidIntelligence?"
"TheNeuroscienceofMadonna'sEnduringSuccess"
"IWanttoMakeYouWanttoSweat"
Irisin:TheExerciseHormonehasPowerfulHealthBenefits
TheBrainDrainofInactivity
"PhysicalActivityBoostsBrainPower"
"OneMoreReasontoUnplugYourTelevision"
FollowmeonTwitter@ckberglandforupdatesonTheAthletes
Wayblogposts.
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