I read (yesterday, from Tuesday's paper) this article "In Women, Training for a Sharper Mind," and it raised some interesting questions for me.
To whit: Does strength training change the brain somehow? OR, and this is my main question, OR is there something about strength training that changes the way we think?
For example, after doing some crazy hard workout like, let's say, Barbara,* I think, "Holy shit! How did I do that?" Then, later, after I have consumed a lot of water and protein, I think, "Wow! I did that." Then, even later, when confronted by some arduous task, I think, "Well, that might be a little hard. Sort of hard. But it's not as hard as Barbara!" And so then I do that task, which does not involve lifting weights, or doing pull ups, and I finish it.
I think, maybe, the study discussed above did involve some brain measuring, but all I can say is that, from personal, non-scientific experience, I would say, Yes. Crossfit helps my brain.
* FYI: Barbara is 20 pullups, 30 pushups, 40 sit ups, 50 squats. That doesn't sound too bad? Right. Oh wait, 5 rounds. Yeah. It took me 53 minutes. Ha!
4 comments:
There has been a lot of scientific work on the effect of exercise on depression and how getting regular exercise reduces the onset and duration of depression. I don't see why it wouldn't effect other elements of brain function either. The mind is another organ in the body, after all, that is going to be effected by how well the body is processing energy, etc. etc.
i keep thinking, "hey. i should get on the crossfit with dr. w!" and then i think back at myself, "when?"
i am in awe. how do you find the time?
RG: early in the morning. It also helps if that live in dishwasher gets the kid up and ready for school. Also, no writing.
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