Spark The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain

This book helped me establishing a consistent running schedule. As "just" helping the body was nit enough motivation for me, Spark helped me seeing the potential effects of exercise in the mind.

** spoiler alert ** Pretty nice and introduction to why exercise is vital with some baseline facts why you should move and why it's important due your again brain, which without exercise will worsen your memory recall. So good advice take 150 moderate minutes every week and I set my goal to 200 😜 >Inactivity negatively affects the human brain, making it less capable of intellectual work. >Physical activity encourages us to stay more focused when we need to learn something, which means we will more likely remember what we’ve studied because we pay more attention to the information. >The brain is a muscle that we can train over time. Neuroscientists call it brain plasticity since we can see how our neural paths change when we practice new habits. >Most of the time, the brain uses two neurotransmitters — glutamate and gamma–aminobutyric acid (GABA) — to memorize or forget anything read or heard. Glutamate transmits the signal between different neurons, making them connect and build a new “unit” with information in your head. >Regular jogging or exercising increases the secretion of these neurotransmitters, and that’s why we feel better (usually morally) after a workout. >One of the prominent features of exercise, which is sometimes not appreciated in studies, is an improvement in the rate of learning. It suggests that if you’re in good shape, you may be able to learn and function more efficiently. >Scientists discovered that we could not receive and process new data without BDNF because it is the main brick in building new cells. The brain stores BDNF close to synapses and releases it when blood is pumping. >However, you should combine different types of exercises since monotony, even in training, won’t be that effective for your brain. >As long as the stress experienced is not too severe and there is a sufficient rest period, brain growth will be sparked. So, stress can be beneficialwhen controlled. >A workout is a time machine that allows you to impede the aging process of your brain. >Aging shows up in the little things first. As the connections in the brain break down, you have a harder time calling to mind people and places you’ve known. >Exercise does not just maintain the brain; it reverses the adverse effects of aging, like cell death, and improves the brain’s ability to compensate.

This is great for people finding their first book on brain health