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Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Does Exercise Make You Smarter?
Well, a recent study seems to indicate that it makes rats smarter. The Sunday NY Times Magazine reports on a study conducted at the National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan tested two groups of mice performing at differing levels of exercise. The findings revealed that exercise enhanced the ability of the creatures to perform an avoidance task, and that those which were forced to exercise more strenuously showed greater skill than the control group. The article also describes studies with elderly adults and with college students. What are the implications?
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In Plato's Republic, The Philosopher Kings in training were required to practice gymnastics. We can agree that athleticism doesn't help the king in Government, but the strategies of sport, and possibly the increase in circulation can aid in clear thinking, as well as helping him not to dwell too heavily on any one thing.
ReplyDeleteI believe it doesn't necessarily make you smarter but exercise is the best way of boosting your body's Serotonin levels which greatly influences many functions of the brain such as learning, sleep, appetite,etc.
ReplyDeleteI first heard of this idea in high school when my Calculus teacher brought it up and after trying to do math in my head while I was swimming, I actually did pretty good. Even though at first I thought that it was because your brain gets more blood while exercising, I don't think that anymore because the brain actually gets the same amount of blood even when you are sleeping.
ReplyDeleteI have always heard that those who exercise on a regular basis often have high grades. However I do not know if this is true for everyone. When I tried to exercise last school year I found that it made me more tired and I had no energy to study.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it has been said that people who exercise experience higher grades, I don't think they are saying that these people are any smarter than those who don't exercise. Being smart is determined by how much you know, not by how much you exercise.
ReplyDeleteI definitely believe that exercise, sleep, and diet all work together throughout the day to help your brain and body out with tasks. Interestingly enough, I read an article over the summer about how getting too much strenuous exercise can be detrimental to your health. I don't remember the specifics, but overdoing it on your body in the gym could basically have the opposite effect on your mental and physical health than what the NY Times is talking about. So, I've concluded that having a moderate workout program is much better than none at all, or one that asks too much. Unlike most people, my exercise is not influenced by a desire to get skinny.
ReplyDeleteI think that excercising could be related to waking up your body and mind to get you mind running but i don't think it would increase you grade point from studying more. This could also be a reason that in high school you had to do some sort of physical activity besides what schools are required.
ReplyDeleteWorking out definetly increases chemical activity in your brain which can correlate to studies being more productive. Which in time can make you smarter if utilized.
ReplyDeleteWell said, Kevin! The point of the research is that aerobic exercise has a beneficial effect on efficient thinking, i.e., effective information processing.
ReplyDeletei believe that it doesn't make you smarter but it does help you think more freely. Working out helps me release stress and get things off my mind that are bothering me. Working out is suppose to be something you enjoy and makes you feel great. I am able to concentrate better after working out which leads to retaining information better.
ReplyDeleteExcercise does (1)help boost your brain especially when it comes to grasping and retaining information. (2)It helps in energizing the body so you are not as tired during the day and more alert in your classes. (3)Helps keep you in shape. It takes an average of two weeks for a change to become a habit but this is a beneficial one.
ReplyDeleteOne idea that a friend suggested and I tried before a final is...on the day of an exam, do something you really enjoy instead of studying.
I had studied for 4 1/2 days straight, understanding the concepts but having trouble with the details. I love volleyball so I played for three straight hours before my final exam in Counseling Psychology. When I arrived twn minutes before my exam, I asked the professor two questions I was a little unsure towards and once answered, sat down, and took a few deep breaths. Instead of my normal 40 to 60 minute test taking, I finished the exam in 20 minutes because two things the exercising did for me was (1) fired up the neurons in my brain (connected synapses), and (2) released any and all stress, anxiety, nerves, etc. I may have had. I come into a test with 80% stress. This test, I had probably around 1 to 2%. The information I retained came so easily, I breezed right through everything. I did check it over to make sure I had not missed anything as well if my answers were right. Result: Stress free, energized, and aced the exam!
Note: Practice something you love to do. I had been exercising for two months as well as playing on intramural co-ed and women's v-ball teams throughout the semester.
I really wouldn't be surprised if regular exercise had an affect on your learning ability. I have PT for the Air Force on a weekly basis. In fact it is 6am-7am Tuesday, Thursday. After PT I feel like I have a lot more energy and I can usually focus better on things. I find when finals come I usually run the bear trail, more than usual and it really helps me to stay focused on studying.
ReplyDeleteI do believe exercise does increase your learning ability just because it is essential in staying healthy and having the body stay healthy obviously allows for the brain to work at its maximum ability. Exercise often relieves stress and just helps the blood circulate so it is always an advantage to exercise on a regular basis.
ReplyDeleteBack when I was in high school, I would go to class until 3:30 and then I'd hit the gym until late at night. I would do this 5-6 times per week, and I noticed that it greatly increased my energy and mood. However, here at Baylor it is impossible to do anywhere near that much. One can only wish... due to my full-time job and being a full-time student, regular exercise is not on the top of my priority list.
ReplyDeleteI do not know if it is completely true that exercise makes you smarter but I do think it has an effect. It relieves stress and makes it easier to study.
ReplyDeleteIf exercise truly makes you smarter then why do we have the 'dumb jock' stereotype? Exercising releases endorphins to make you in a better mood, not necessarily increase brain activity. Michael Phelps couldn't even read a television prompter.
ReplyDeleteI know when I exercise I feel more energized and relaxed. This makes it a lot easier to focus and study. I don't necessarily think that exercise makes you smarter, but I do think that it has an effect on your ability to focus and the energy you have.
ReplyDeleteI know when I exercise I feel more energized and relaxed. This makes it a lot easier to focus and study. I don't necessarily think that exercise makes you smarter, but I do think that it has an effect on your ability to focus and the energy you have.
ReplyDeleteExercizing has always helped me personally and all other people I have worked out with. It reduces stress, helps refocus, keeps your blood flowing, helps you collect your thoughts, and above all else make you feel better about yourself. It in no way can provide a negative impact on your day. It is simply an improvement to yourself.
ReplyDeleteI feel like exercise better prepares my mind to study. It takes energy away and relaxes my body more. Also I feel like it keeps my mind from wandering.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that exercising makes you any smarter by any means. Because if it did, than i would DEFINITELY be exercising a WHOLE lot more! I think that exercising is an aid to clearing your mind of distractions and anything else that could prevent you from actually learning and studying. I believe that if you really put your mind to it, than you can achieve your goals regardless of exercising or not.
ReplyDeleteI think the implications are that to perform at one's best, you must take care of yourself the best you can. Exercising improves health, which improves brain activity, which improves thinking. Evertyhing in our bodies ties into one another somehow.
ReplyDeleteExercise definitely improves state of mind. Whether or not u realize it, you feel more positive than previously after a workout because endorphins get released. Having an improved state of mind probably equates to smoother thinking.
ReplyDeleteI think it kick starts your brain and allows your working memory to become active. It gives you the energy to fully concentrate, and also has those awesome endorphines that give you a greater outlook on everything!!
ReplyDeleteExercise, along with eating right, and getting enough sleep at night all promote better thinking performance.
ReplyDeletePersonally, when I go a day without exercising I just feel lazy and much less productive than I would if I would have worked out! That's not saying that exercise necessarily makes a person smarter, but it does increase your learning ability.
I feel as though exercising helps me to have more energy and think better. Therefore when it comes to study, with more cognitive function, I can definately better learn and retain the material.
ReplyDeleteI definitely believe that exercise is good for your mind and your body. Exercise not only relieves tension you may be feeling from all the studying, but it also gets your heart pumping your body with oxygen enriched blood. Is there a down side? Perhaps only getting into exercise too much and putting off the studying. Is that what happens with the stereotypical athlete? Hmm.. Something to think about.
ReplyDeleteI think that exercise does help your mind and body feel better and more relaxed. It also definitely relieves stress and gets your brain and memory more active and be more focused.
ReplyDeleteI deffinatley think that exercise gives me more energy, which in turn allows me to be more productive. The more energy I have, the more likely I will be to accomplish my daily tasks. If I am completley drained of energy, it is difficult to force myself to do anything.
ReplyDeleteI think exercise is great for the mind especially for students. I think it's a better alternative to energy drinks. Not only will it save you money but it doesn't make you crash and it leaves you in a good mood and it's healthier.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard this, but I would not be surprised if it was true. In high school I was a really good student and I was involved in sports and because of that I was working out all the time. When I entered college however I stopped playing softball and working out and my grades suffered. Whether this really was because of my decline in working out or not I am not too sure, but I do believe that working out does benefit students. It keeps students minds and body healthy so they are ready to learn and also it makes the person have to better manage their time.
ReplyDeleteI don't necessarily know if exercise makes you smarter. I do know that when I exercise i feel more awake and better about myself. Exercising makes me feel more accomplished and wants me to accomplish more throughout the day. I am inclined to study more when i've exercised that day.
ReplyDeleteI have read somewhere that doing cardio everyday makes you think better also, I run everyday and I think it helps a lot, I feel good about myself and it makes me want to start the day with off with a bang, it relaxes your mind and boosts bloodflow.
ReplyDeleteI make a point of walking briskly and simultaneously running material through my head whenever I approach an exam. I find that somehow the increase in bloodflow and more rapid intake of breath can hone my focus and make me feel like I can recall things more quickly. I really do not know how that works simulatenously. I can imagine that bringing oxygen more rapidly to the brain could somehow speed processes there, and I imagine that by doing things more rapidly you somehow encourage your brain to keep pace, but it is interesting to learn that there is science supporting the concept of excercise contributing to thought. Perhaps it is why movement is so frequently a sign of nervousness? As an individual is concerned and contemplating something they end up tapping or pacing, playing, twirling, etc with their hands. Movement seems to be somewhat natural as a response to brain function, whether an individual deems themselves an kinesthetic learner or not.
ReplyDeleteI have learned before though that by creating a rhythm in which you utilize both sides of your body, say tapping in alternating pattern with your left and right hands or feet, can motivate your brain to end up engaging both hemispheres more equally. Even though bodily movement is a different part of the brain than the parts of working memory and contemplating, it helps balance by activing both hemispheres to make using the whole brain a more complete practice.
i dont believe in exercise increasing your iQ but the eventual outcome of it can. Elevated energy levels,better mood, better sleep are a few of many factors that can lead to a clearer mind.
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