Exercise isn’t just for weight loss. We all know that there are many benefits to regular exercise such as stress reduction, weight loss, increased energy, and many other health benefits.
Exercise can also immediately and positively effect your thinking and writing. Ben Opipari of Persuasive Matters wrote an article for Perspectives: Teaching Legal Research and Writing about the history and research of exercise benefits on writing. Opipari describes a rich history of famous writers who used exercise to either compose and draft or revise and edit. He also reviews the neuroscience behind the connection between exercise and good writing.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), called “Miracle-Gro for the Brain” by researchers, is a protein that acts on neurons in the brain to facilitate the growth of new neurons and survival of existing neurons. Scientists have discovered that this protein has a direct effect on learning and thinking. BDNF is released when you exercise. When the oxygen level increases in your brain during and after you exercise, you become sharper mentally. As a result, the more you exercise, the more you will think and write clearly.
What kind of exercise creates this increase in BDNF and mental clarity? Research shows that aerobic exercise is more effective than weight lifting or other anaerobic exercises. The higher the heart rate, the greater the increase in blood flow and “Miracle-Gro for the Brain.” And, you don’t have to be an Ironman to get the benefits! Couch potatoes and screen junkies, you have no excuse. If you avoid running (unless someone is chasing you with a weapon) and loathe the gym, take a walk. Even a moderate walk will help to increase your heart rate, blood flow, and brain boost.
According to the research, the brain boost from exercise can last for as long as two hours after a moderate-intensity workout. Stuck on that brief? Been writing the same paragraph for hours? Go for a walk. Then get back to it.
To learn more about the research on BDNF and “Miracle-Gro for the Brain,” check out Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey and Eric Hagerman.
