Regular Aerobic Exercise Helps School Performance and Improves Mental Performance During Stress, Anxiety,...

books:

	• Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain John J. Ratey Little, Brown and Company, 2008 - 304 pages average customer review:based on 47 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Regular Aerobic Exercise Helps School Performance and Improves Mental Performance During Stress, Anxiety, Depression, and Aging

I've read a lot about the brain in the last decade, and I thought this book was the most helpful summary I've seen of what to do differently. The thinking person is the person who aerobically exercises regularly.

Spark is an excellent summary of the brain research during the last decade or so that has added to our knowledge of how regular aerobic exercise stimulates better and more effective mental activity. Dr. Ratey considers the impact of such exercise on school-age children . . . and adults with stress, anxiety, depression, attention deficits, hormonal changes, and aging bodies. He also recommends a general exercise regime that seems to optimize what we know today from these studies.

The essence of the book can be found in the observation that optimal brain functioning requires plenty of blood, the right nutrients, a balance of body chemicals designed to help the brain operate, and an ability to grow new cells and connections in the brain. Each of these elements is helped by regular aerobic exercise. The results are often measurable within a few weeks.

So if you thought that aerobic exercise was simply about looking and feeling good, you're wrong. It's also about thinking well and being able to learn. There are longevity and other quality of life benefits as well . . . including reduced incidence of disease and less chance of dementia.

The book also explores that you don't have to do a tremendous amount of exercise to get most of the benefits.

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WOW

A very impressive informative resource. Had the pleasure to finish the book today and be able to advise a client that exercise for my patient (her dog), will improve not only his body but his mind.

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A Concise Act of Appreciation

I like this book because it presents the research in a more objective manner than other popular press science books that I have read over the years. This book is concise and carefully refrains from sensationalism of the link between exercise and the brain. It describes groups of studies within a certain context and it presents the findings in a way that readers will be able to discern between "evidence" and "law".

This book was fun to read because much of the content of this book contradicts my outdated education on the brain, how it develops, and how it freezes from further significant development around hormonal changes as teens. Additionally, while Piaget may describe behavior well, the inferences made about physical brain development from his ideas are also rendered obselete.

As a matter of serendipity, I also read this book at a time when I was around 15 weeks of regular exercising after being dormant for 7 years. It really helped my confidence with the decision to make investments of time and money to exercise as many days out of the week as I could.

The underlying research that is in this book should be given credit and I have to take away points for not presenting the hypothesis of all the experiments presented in the book in greater detail, because a casual reader will likely infer that all the studies were conducted on behalf of the thesis of the book.

Still, 5 Stars.

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Executive Spark

While this review is as enthusiastically positive as the previous ones, it comes from a different perspective. My view is based on years of consulting with top leaders of major organizations about their own performance and that of their company. Too bad that SPARK wasn't available sooner. Now we realize that a physical fitness program, especially with the kinds of experiences that Dr. Ratey describes, is an essential part of the career development plan of any would be top manager. Further, Dr.Ratey's suggestions for dealing with high pressure situations are especially helpful for those who already are in positions of heavy responsibility. And the scientific and clinical content are fascinating to any one.

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Ratey Hits it Out-of-the-Park with SPARK!!!

Spark is a luminous and visionary book. John Ratey and Eric Hagerman have done a terrific job of bringing the neuroscience of exercise and the brain to the mainstream in an intelligent, inspiring and practical book.

Once I started reading Spark, I couldn't put it down. The writing is smart, effortless and heartfelt. John Ratey is on a crusade to spread the message that exercise can transform people's lives from the inside out--and he presents this case convincingly. His enthusiasm is contagious. Spark will definitely persuade and motivate readers from all walks of life to make exercise something that they seek most days of the week.

Spark is packed with tons of really valuable scientific information and case studies, but it is never a heavy read. Ratey mixes in personal anecdotes, other people's experiences and practical advice to bring the pages to life. He also manages to maintain a friendly and down-to-earth voice even when discussing potentially mind-numbingly dry neuro-science. His conversational, upbeat tone keeps the eyes from glazing over and the pages turning...The science in this book is thorough and cutting-edge without ever being stodgy or overly complicated.

Huge thanks to John Ratey and Eric Hagerman for this timely, accessible and inspiring contribution to the field of Exercise and the Brain. Reading Spark will improve your life. I highly recommend this book.

Christopher Bergland

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reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, page 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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