liz_on_ice
11-09-2009, 08:12 PM
I'm reading "Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain", by John J. Ratey, MD. The author was interviewed on Science Friday the other week, and it sounded intriguing. I've had a tendency to anxiety and depression all my life, and since I started skating regularly, nearly four years ago, I haven't had any trouble. I perform better at work and keep up with the kids and the household chores and life in general much more easily. This book explains why that works. I'm still reading, but here's the quote for us:
"While aerobic exercise elevates neurotransmitters, creates new blood vessels that pipe in growth factors, and spawns new cells, complex activities put all that material to use by strengthening and expanding networks. The more complex the movements, the more complex the synaptic connections. And even though these circuits are created through movement, they can be recruited by other areas and used for thinking. ...
"Learning the asansas of yoga, the positions of ballet, the skills of gymnastics, the elements of figure skating, the contortions of Pilates, the forms of karate - all these practices engage nerve cells throughout the brain."
I've been having some trouble justifying the risks of figure skating while I've got small kids, a mortgage, a job, etc. It helps to understand just why it does me so much good, and really believe that this kind of exercise is a necessity to me and not entirely a luxury. Although, if push came to shove, that is a pretty good list of slightly less dangerous alternate activities to have around.
"While aerobic exercise elevates neurotransmitters, creates new blood vessels that pipe in growth factors, and spawns new cells, complex activities put all that material to use by strengthening and expanding networks. The more complex the movements, the more complex the synaptic connections. And even though these circuits are created through movement, they can be recruited by other areas and used for thinking. ...
"Learning the asansas of yoga, the positions of ballet, the skills of gymnastics, the elements of figure skating, the contortions of Pilates, the forms of karate - all these practices engage nerve cells throughout the brain."
I've been having some trouble justifying the risks of figure skating while I've got small kids, a mortgage, a job, etc. It helps to understand just why it does me so much good, and really believe that this kind of exercise is a necessity to me and not entirely a luxury. Although, if push came to shove, that is a pretty good list of slightly less dangerous alternate activities to have around.