I was reading the Magazine Success from Success.com this weekend and one interesting article caught my attention. The article on Dr. Ratey about his new book called, "Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and The Brain".
Dr Ratey discusses a High School in Naperville, Illinois where a different approach physical education is taken. The students don’t simply play dodge ball and soccer. They wear heart monitors and are graded on the amount of time they are able to keep their heart rate within an optimal aerobic range for their body type. After PE, the kids attend classes. As a result of their targeted physical education, the standardized test scores of the entire student body has jumped.
In math, the school places sixth in the world. In sciences, Naperville shocked everyone when they outscored every other school-in the world!
Dr Ratey’s explanation of how exercises impact your brain is amazing. Dr. Ratey has proven that when you exercise, you change the physical structure of your brain! It increases processing speed and memory of your brain! In a nutshell, science has proven that exercise primes your brain for success and makes your smarter.
So if you want to think clearer, beat stress, put the damper on your depression and boost your confidence, start increasing your exercise activities - so when you're stuck and can’t figure something out, go for a run.
Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain