[LeaT]

Found something. Exercise actually decreases executive function (as measured by tests of working memory) in all but the lowest performing group.

;)

Starting fitness threads in this subforum, ftw.

That's interesting.

I also started to wonder what we define as exercise here. While I don't use my cross-country machine as much as I should, I am active in the sense that I often walk a lot while shopping, to the tram and so forth. While I am aware that I might not walk enough to fulfill the daily requirement of 30 minutes of activity every day, I just feel meh.



I'm trying to lose a couple of pounds that I've gained after my metabolism slowed down a bit (I was just very skinny before, now I'm actually at normal BMI) but it's not going too well -.-

[nadjasix]

That's interesting.

I also started to wonder what we define as exercise here. While I don't use my cross-country machine as much as I should, I am active in the sense that I often walk a lot while shopping, to the tram and so forth. While I am aware that I might not walk enough to fulfill the daily requirement of 30 minutes of activity every day, I just feel meh.

I'm trying to lose a couple of pounds that I've gained after my metabolism slowed down a bit (I was just very skinny before, now I'm actually at normal BMI) but it's not going too well -.-

I exercise for about an hour per day (just walking/jogging or biking), but I have to do it deliberately since where I live now everyone drives. When I lived in the city and walked everywhere I weighed less and ate more. I would guess I was getting 2-3 hours of moderate exercise per day then.

I enjoy exercise a lot, but the whole Cosmo Magazine "exercise will make you Superwoman" thing is kind of ridiculous.

[LeaT]

I exercise for about an hour per day (just walking/jogging or biking), but I have to do it deliberately since where I live now everyone drives. When I lived in the city and walked everywhere I weighed less and ate more. I would guess I was getting 2-3 hours of moderate exercise per day then.

I enjoy exercise a lot, but the whole Cosmo Magazine "exercise will make you Superwoman" thing is kind of ridiculous.

Yeah, I suppose cars are the worst. One of the reasons why I don't really want to get one.

[FigureSkater]

I love to work out! It just takes getting into the habit. I haven't really worked-out in over a year, so I'm really out of shape, but I'm trying to get back into shape. Once I'm all fit & stuff again, I'll be addicted!

[Alto]

I don't work out or anything of the sort because it just wouldn't really do me any good. I tried it during high school and had absolutely no results.

I've got a BMR of ~2100, so I just can't gain weight. I eat junk food all the time, which probably isn't good for me, but it's easier and (I think) less costly than eating well, so I continue to do it.

[nadjasix]

I don't work out or anything of the sort because it just wouldn't really do me any good. I tried it during high school and had absolutely no results.

I've got a BMR of ~2100, so I just can't gain weight. I eat junk food all the time, which probably isn't good for me, but it's easier and (I think) less costly than eating well, so I continue to do it.

College kids are often poor, and poor people have a hard time eating organic.

When you have a high BMR, eating salads and whatever most people do (at work people would eat a salad for lunch everyday, if I did I was hungry again in less than an hour) just doesn't cut it, either. People with more normal metabolisms (BMR 1300) don't always get this.

[Aslynn]

Found something. Exercise actually decreases executive function (as measured by tests of working memory) in all but the lowest performing group.

;)

Starting fitness threads in this subforum, ftw.

That's interesting - it's the first study with that result that I've seen. I just did a quick google search and found these articles:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/ma...pagewanted=all
Exercise Improves Thinking, Reduces Diabetes Risk In Overweight Children
A Little Exercise, Big Mental Health Boost - CBS News

This pretty much summarizes them (from the NYT article) -

"For more than a decade, neuroscientists and physiologists have been gathering evidence of the beneficial relationship between exercise and brainpower. But the newest findings make it clear that this isn’t just a relationship; it is the relationship. Using sophisticated technologies to examine the workings of individual neurons — and the makeup of brain matter itself — scientists in just the past few months have discovered that exercise appears to build a brain that resists physical shrinkage and enhance cognitive flexibility. Exercise, the latest neuroscience suggests, does more to bolster thinking than thinking."

I'm not saying that exercise = intelligence, but it's there's a fairly well-known relationship between them, and I've heard it in many places.

[nadjasix]

That's interesting - it's the first study with that result that I've seen. I just did a quick google search and found these articles:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/ma...pagewanted=all
Exercise Improves Thinking, Reduces Diabetes Risk In Overweight Children
A Little Exercise, Big Mental Health Boost - CBS News

This pretty much summarizes them (from the NYT article) -

"For more than a decade, neuroscientists and physiologists have been gathering evidence of the beneficial relationship between exercise and brainpower. But the newest findings make it clear that this isn’t just a relationship; it is the relationship. Using sophisticated technologies to examine the workings of individual neurons — and the makeup of brain matter itself — scientists in just the past few months have discovered that exercise appears to build a brain that resists physical shrinkage and enhance cognitive flexibility. Exercise, the latest neuroscience suggests, does more to bolster thinking than thinking."

I'm not saying that exercise = intelligence, but it's there's a fairly well-known relationship between them, and I've heard it in many places.

Here's a quote from the Science Daily article:

“There have been several studies that have shown that exercise produces kind of a selective effect, particularly with older adults, in cognitive tasks that require regulation of behaviors,” says Dr. Phillip D. Tomporowski, experimental psychologist at the University of Georgia and a key collaborator.

For this study, researchers gave the children tests that look at their decision-making processes. In the first such studies in children, the researchers found small to moderate improvements in children who exercised as well as a hint of increased math achievement.

“We have a number of studies conducted with animals that examined what influence physical activity has on blood flow, metabolic activity, brain function, glucose regulation, and they all demonstrate the same theme: that physical activity done on a regular basis has a protective effect,” says Dr. Tomporowski. “It doesn’t take too much to make the leap that it might influence developing children as well.”

Those facets of physiology that exercise improves (as listed by Dr. T) are all important to general health, but I'm not sure there's a link to work or school performance, unless, like LeaT implied, feeling better in general makes you more likely to do well at daily tasks (sounds plausible).

The CBS news study was a survey that indicated that people who were more distressed exercised less (correlation). The causal relationship wasn't investigated.

The Times article is interesting, but there's no data in it, just claims about findings. The mainstream press tends to exaggerate claims about this kind of thing.

[LeaT]

College kids are often poor, and poor people have a hard time eating organic.

When you have a high BMR, eating salads and whatever most people do (at work people would eat a salad for lunch everyday, if I did I was hungry again in less than an hour) just doesn't cut it, either. People with more normal metabolisms (BMR 1300) don't always get this.

I also got a really high BMR. It happens that I can manage on a salad but I normally eat about 1.5 times more than a regular person per meal.

Currently I've cut down a lot with my eating though so I barely eat two times a day and I don't eat properly at all. I think it's the heat that's causing it.

[Alto]

College kids are often poor, and poor people have a hard time eating organic.

When you have a high BMR, eating salads and whatever most people do (at work people would eat a salad for lunch everyday, if I did I was hungry again in less than an hour) just doesn't cut it, either. People with more normal metabolisms (BMR 1300) don't always get this.

I've also found that eating starts my metabolism, so sometimes it's actually counter-beneficial if I eat at certain times. For example, if I skip breakfast and go to classes, I'll be a bit hungry, but not too terribly so. If I eat something beforehand, however, within a very short time I'll be very, very hungry again - sometimes to the point where I start to feel a bit sick. I'd much rather have a more normal metabolism.