Perfuse It or Lose It

We all know the physical benefits of regular exercise.  But what about what it does for our brains?

A few years ago when I was working for the New York City Department of Education, I attended a workshop on the topic of yoga for special needs students.  I recall a simple study that tested children's motor skills pre- and post-exercise.  The children had to draw as many marks as they could within a minute, keeping each mark within two lines spaced an inch apart.  Then they stood up and performed a simple form of exercise (I believe it was jumping jacks) for 60 seconds before sitting down and repeating the task.  The results showed that post-exercise, the children consistently performed better by drawing more lines with greater accuracy.

Last week I read an article entitled "Sitting is the New Smoking".  I found that statement to be a bit hyperobolic, but one thing that I completely agreed with was the author's newfound habit of conducting as many "walking" business meetings as possible.  I think that's a fantastic idea.  Who says that every meeting has to be around a conference table, with stale bagels and Danish off in he corner?  Why not go for a 30 minute walk around the neighborhood to discuss business matters?  One common reason why folks say they don't exercise on a regular basis is because they don't have time.  What better way to get it in than to work it into your regular day?  If I were the CEO of some company, I would strongly encourage my employees to take a two hour lunch to get some exercise (and food) in the middle of the day.  I KNOW they would be more productive in the afternoon.  After all, I'd rather have a clear-headed employee log three useful hours in the afternoon than a post-lunch groggy employee spend five sluggish hours warming their seat.  What good does that do anyone?  Employee moods, morale, and efficiency would all surely improve.  I'm even willing to bet that absenteeism would drop because people would be healthier overall.

Typically one of the first programs to get cut in schools on tight budgets are gym classes.  This is stupid and short sighted.  If we truly want our kids to be more alert, think more clearly, be more productive, and perform better in every other facet of their lives, we should be INCREASING opportunities to move, NOT DECREASING them!

Perfusing the brain with more blood, oxygen and nutrients helps us think better.  It's why we exercise to "clear our heads".  And it's what happened to me this morning on my run as this topic came to mind.  So, next time you go to break a sweat, think about the good you'll be doing for your head as well as your body.  Who knows, perhaps it will be the catalyst for your next million dollar idea.