Would You Exercise To Develop Your Mind?

Most of us believe that diet, exercise and supplementation will develop our bodies. Or, if we have trouble with the word "develop," that these will at least do good things for our health. But how many really believe that being into fitness will develop us mentally?

There may be more nowadays who do. There have been a few studies showing that test scores were higher from those who worked out and ate right. And, most of us have had the experience of a brisk walk "to clear our heads." Whence, it is becoming conceivable that things related to fitness could have a good effect on our thinking. In other words, more people, little by little, are coming around to this way of thinking about fitness.

However, those who disagree are still quite prevalent. A considerable number still believe that anything athletic detracts from the use of our minds. That may be the reason a fitness lifestyle is often thought to be "kid stuff"-- to be outgrown by the time we get to college. This of course makes it unthinkable during graduate school, or the first years of professional life, to say nothing of forty and up.

A big part of this belief may have to do with the sheer time involved. An hour workout takes an hour just to do it, along with dressing and showering. This does not even address travel time to and from the place where it is done. The total time, then, could be closer to two hours. With only sixteen waking hours during the day, this is a significant amount-- most often too much for a responsible adult.

Nevertheless, there is a slowly growing number today who believe that the break away from a desk to escalate all of the bodily processes is a good thing. They believe that it causes an ability to think more quickly--the result of solitude, wherein the experiences of the day are assimilated and reflected upon.This gives rise to an openness to new experiences. That is generally termed optimism or enthusiasm.

Are those positive mental traits? Most people would say yes. These in turn also give rise to increased good will and positive regard for others. Those are the fruits of what most of us call intelligence.

For some reason, many people still believe that these mental attitudes are only the result of education. If one has graduated from college, so it assumed, one is better able to deal with the problems which come his or her way. That may be true initially, but what about on an ongoing basis?

Professional lives demand constant thinking and cordial relating. Both of these require intelligence--the use of brain power. They are best maintained by more comprehensive thought processes-- the evaluation of new experiences in relation to the past, forethought, and empathy. How can any of these happen when a person is sedentary, not on vitamins, and suffering from improper diet? That is what a person into fitness might ask.

This question is problematic for those who believe that anything physical (in excess of an occasional stroll around the block) does in fact make one insensitive, unthinking and perhaps brutish. This belief is somewhat archaic, but still persists. Apparently people still think there are no sports other than football, hockey, or basketball. Athletes in these sports are rightly believed to be highly competitive, always thinking of little other than crossing a goal line or beating an opponent. That is true of practice as well as competition. The same can be said of wrestling and boxing.

But these are not the only sports to participate in. There are others such as distance running,swimming, and even weight training. These require hours of individual conditioning forcing one to go inside oneself-- to think and reflect while doing the workout, and while going the distance in an event. They are also more centered on beating oneself rather than an opponent--outstripping yesterday's times or resistances.

Mental discipline is important in sports such as these. Things must be going on in our heads to keep us from getting bored (and soon quitting because of that.) These can be anything from memorizing the words of a new language to mentally preparing for an afternoon meeting. It is relatively unimportant what is imagined as long as something is pictured and thought upon . That makes the workout more intense, after which the which the rest of the day goes better.

Another aspect of fitness is the brain as a muscle. Too often, we still think of the brain as being like a spirit or ghost, made less effective by the demands of the body ( an ancient Greek idea.) But modern science has demonstrated time and time again that important parts of the brain are more like a flesh and blood muscle in its ability to respond to exercise and nutrition. That is why some studies are now linking poor mental functioning with gluten in the diet and sedentary living. Elimination of both has been shown to cause dramatic differences.

Perhaps the best approach for the skeptic is to simply try a fitness lifestyle for six months. That should be enough time to see if it makes everything go better--to see if does causes clearer, more optimistic thinking, and to see if relationships are improved upon with the injection of a new found enthusiasm. If not, one can always go back to the same old habits. But, it is unlikely that this experiment will prove disappointing.

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