Why running helps us to think

Athletes are well aware that running helps to clear consciousness. Not enough inspiration to overcome writer's block? Go to run. You can not take the fateful decision? Go to run. The head is spinning, sad, or just do not have enough confidence? Go to run! But how wonderful effect running neuroscientists explain? Read in this article.

Once I wrote American author Joyce Carol Oates (Joyce Carol Oates) in his column in the New York Times, «while running the mind runs along with the body... in rhythm with their feet and hands." Author of popular videos on YouTube Neistat Casey (Casey Neistat) remarked that it was running gives him a clear mind: "To all the important decisions in the past eight years, I have come for a run." But perhaps the best quote of the race belongs to long-distance runners Monte Davis (Monte Davis). It can be found in the book "The Joy of Running»:

It is difficult to run and at the same time to feel sorry for yourself. In addition, each accompanied by a long jog for hours thinking clarity.

Running disperses thoughts, it helps to make important decisions and to get rid of self-pity. After a good run at times you feel absolutely new person. And to some extent, this expression can be understood literally. After nearly three decades of research, neuroscientists were able to confirm the link between aerobic exercise and thinking clearly, coming after.

More recently, it was thought that the number of neurons in the adult brain does not increase. But it fortunately turned out to be a delusion. Studies have shown that the new neurons The ability to form throughout life. And most contribute to this aerobic workout. Moreover, as noted by the president of the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology Postan Karen (Karen Postal), "Until that intense aerobic exercise - the only known trigger that initiates the formation of new neurons. "

More surprising is that the new cells are formed precisely in the hippocampus - a brain region responsible for learning and memory. At least it explains why many researchers have identified a link between aerobic exercise and memory improvement. Karen hocks, which itself has been run, added:

In those 30-40 minutes that you sweat on the track, in your brain, new cells, and the memory is getting better.

Other changes in the brain under the influence of the run were seen in the frontal lobe. Activity in this area is increased in those who regularly runs for a long time. But with the frontal lobe is related to many aspects of pure thinkingPlanning, concentration, goal setting and time management.

This area is also associated with the management of emotions, which may explain the results obtained earlier in the Harvard psychology professor Emily Bernstein (Emily E. Bernstein). As Karen hocks, Emily - runner, and it is not often noticed change in thinking after jogging. She became interested in research in recent years, in which it was found that physical activity helps with anxiety and mood swings. But Emily wanted to know exactly how this happens.

Together with the counterpart Richard Mc Nelly (Richard J. McNally) she spent a classic study of emotions with sentimental scenes from the movie "Champion" (1979).

Before you can view some of the 80 participants in the experiment made a half-hour joggingOthers do stretching exercises during the same time. After viewing all completed a questionnaire about how they touched an episode of the film.

After 15 minutes, the participants again were asked to assess their emotional state. Those who ran, showed significant improvements in mood. And worse than they themselves initially felt, the more noticeable was a positive result after a quarter of an hour. This effect mechanism research is ongoing. However, we can already say that, if you have a bad temper, it makes sense to run. Running helps to better control their emotions and cope with negative faster.

There is another beneficial effect on the thinking of running that has not yet been studied sufficiently. When you run, your the mind wanders. Mindfulness and concentration - it is certainly important. But it is useful sometimes to stay and the dispersed state of the brain work efficiently. Here is what they write about it in the journal Frontiers in Psychology:

Sometimes we have to re-read the same line three times, because the attention is easily dissipated from the small insights and thoughts about the past or future events. A brief pause does not spoil the story, if it allows you to refresh the memory of the emotions that make the story more convincing. Losing a few minutes because of a missed turn is not so essential if the end of the road you finally be able to understand because of what the boss was disappointed at the time of the last meeting. Returning home without buying, which was the main purpose of trip to the store, not a tragedy if the road you decide to change jobs.

Favor scattered emphasis is not easy to estimate, but it does not mean that it is of no value. And in addition to long run, there are not many ways to trigger this beneficial state.

Many runners, professional or amateur, close more than once asked: "What are you thinking, breaking dozens of kilometers away?" Like Haruki Murakami wrote in his book "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running", Meaning not just to think about something definite. It generally does not matter.

I am about anything specific I do not think the run itself and run. Basically, when I'm running around me formed a certain emptiness. You could say that I'm running something to prove in this very emptiness.

Haruki Murakami