We all know about runner's high and the general feeling of well-being after a good swim or walk. Check out Gretchen Rubin's blog for hints on how to stick to a regular exercise schedule.
I think most of us also generally accept the idea that our brains are healthier if we exercise them, the "use it or lose it" school, and we also feel that great sense of well-being after a few minutes of concentration on a task, whether it's a knotty work problem or a challenging puzzle. We can feel good about being on the right track. Yet another research study has just been published in the August issue of the American Journal of Pathology. This one by Ambrée et al, reported on in Science Blog, examined the brains of mice that had lived in enriched enrivonments. The scientists found substantially fewer plaques and tangles associated with cognitive disease than in the brains of those not exposed to such environments. By chemically analyzing these results, the scientists discovered that mental and physical exercise (the enriched environment) offer protection from the build-up and aid in the clearance of certain enzymes associated with cognitive decline. And further, the effects appear to extend to multiple neural pathways.
I'm reminded of Prof. Marion Diamond's studies of enriched environments. Although most of her research has focused on the developing brains of children and the critical need for highly enriched environments, Prof. Diamond has now turned her attention to the other end of the developmental spectrum, which she sees as a continuum. She argues that we need "enriched" environments that offer mental and physical challenge all our lives if we are to have fit bodies and minds.
technorati: brain
technorati: science
technorati:health and wellness
Monday, July 24, 2006
Friday, July 21, 2006
PIN Hell
Is anyone else having trouble remembering PINS or those pesky Logins and PWs? I have little pieces of paper all over my desk, stickies on my computer, and a drawer full of PINs. And when I need them the most, I can't find them, remember them, or come up with any remotely close facsimile. The secret handshake is driving me wild.
OK, so we know we shouldn't use the same ones for everything because that's how identity thieves get into our bank acccounts, credit cards, and who knows what else. So what in the hell do we do? This is a very aggravating problem. Memory tricks? Acronyms? Maybe. And what about the latest request--must include at least six figures of letters or numbers but at least one must be a number--is this a trick question?
Just think. Soon all the databases of the world will know my mother's maiden name, the city of my first elementary school, my favorite dog's name, and god knows what else. Make that "ours." What's a person to do?
technorati: memory
technorati: mind
OK, so we know we shouldn't use the same ones for everything because that's how identity thieves get into our bank acccounts, credit cards, and who knows what else. So what in the hell do we do? This is a very aggravating problem. Memory tricks? Acronyms? Maybe. And what about the latest request--must include at least six figures of letters or numbers but at least one must be a number--is this a trick question?
Just think. Soon all the databases of the world will know my mother's maiden name, the city of my first elementary school, my favorite dog's name, and god knows what else. Make that "ours." What's a person to do?
technorati: memory
technorati: mind
Lonely?
Researchers tell us that we Americans have fewer close confidants than ever before. A few years ago, the average was three and this year it's down to two people that qualify for important discussions. And the percentage of people who put one non-relative in this group went down fairly precipitously, from 80% to 57%, implying that we don't have time to make friends or we don't go outside our own families or our definition of friendship may have shifted.
On the other hand, we've just found out from the Pew Research folks that there are now 12 million people blogging, with males and females taking to this new communication form almost equally. Even more interesting, 57 million people are reading blogs regularly. And the majority of the blogs have to do with the experience of just living life, in spite of the high profile ones on politics and tech. Sounds like people are discussing important things.
And blogs, people talking about what's important to them, are definitely a huge way to get the word out--about almost anything, according to Steve Rubel, among others.
Does anyone have any idea how many emails a day there are or in a month or a year? Don't some percentage of those count as important discussions? Ironic that high tech has pushed us into what had become an outmoded way of expressing ourselves just a few years ago--writing. As some fabulous letter-writers of centuries past knew, far more depth and intimacy can often be expressed in writing than in face-to-face conversations. And, bonus for our minds, thoughtful writing usually takes good thinking.
technorati: blog mind
On the other hand, we've just found out from the Pew Research folks that there are now 12 million people blogging, with males and females taking to this new communication form almost equally. Even more interesting, 57 million people are reading blogs regularly. And the majority of the blogs have to do with the experience of just living life, in spite of the high profile ones on politics and tech. Sounds like people are discussing important things.
And blogs, people talking about what's important to them, are definitely a huge way to get the word out--about almost anything, according to Steve Rubel, among others.
Does anyone have any idea how many emails a day there are or in a month or a year? Don't some percentage of those count as important discussions? Ironic that high tech has pushed us into what had become an outmoded way of expressing ourselves just a few years ago--writing. As some fabulous letter-writers of centuries past knew, far more depth and intimacy can often be expressed in writing than in face-to-face conversations. And, bonus for our minds, thoughtful writing usually takes good thinking.
technorati: blog mind
Sunday, July 16, 2006
WordPlay: the Movie
I found WordPlay just plain fun, very much like the NY Times crossword puzzles that are the center of attraction here. The movie was short, crisp, amusing, and interesting. The clips of President Clinton, the Indigo Girls, and Jon Stewart, among others, added texture.
I also know the thinking by researchers on crossword puzzles. There's been a huge surge in interest in them in part because people think they help keep the brain fit. But many scientists have looked at crossword puzzles over time and come to the conclusion that the cognitive skills needed are so one-dimensional that the brain is really not worked very much at all. But there have been some studies in which crossword puzzles did increase the probabilities of keeping sharp throughout life by 41% compared to reading at 35%, and dancing and interactive games from 69-76%, if participation was at least four times/week. In other words, the more we spend time on mentally stimulating tasks, the greater the probability that our brains will continue to be quick and agile. Scientists have dismissed crossword puzzles in the past because they are typically just memory coding exercises that don't translate to much else. Once the player knows the author's style, it's an even smaller memory finding subset.
But the NY Times puzzles have got to be different, especially Saturday's and Sunday's. I note that the study cited above was in the NYC area. Maybe those study participants---oh, well, you know where I'm going with this. But, really, these puzzles require deductive thinking, grasping an overall theme, and , OK, yes, calling up puzzle memory but also large doses of general cultural knowledge memory not to mention good visual scanning skills. Typically, exercises that use multiple cognitive skills at once are the ones that make a difference in brain fitness. I think the NY Times puzzles qualify.
But mostly, they're fun. And we all know less stress is good for every part of us, including our brains.
mind
health and wellness
I also know the thinking by researchers on crossword puzzles. There's been a huge surge in interest in them in part because people think they help keep the brain fit. But many scientists have looked at crossword puzzles over time and come to the conclusion that the cognitive skills needed are so one-dimensional that the brain is really not worked very much at all. But there have been some studies in which crossword puzzles did increase the probabilities of keeping sharp throughout life by 41% compared to reading at 35%, and dancing and interactive games from 69-76%, if participation was at least four times/week. In other words, the more we spend time on mentally stimulating tasks, the greater the probability that our brains will continue to be quick and agile. Scientists have dismissed crossword puzzles in the past because they are typically just memory coding exercises that don't translate to much else. Once the player knows the author's style, it's an even smaller memory finding subset.
But the NY Times puzzles have got to be different, especially Saturday's and Sunday's. I note that the study cited above was in the NYC area. Maybe those study participants---oh, well, you know where I'm going with this. But, really, these puzzles require deductive thinking, grasping an overall theme, and , OK, yes, calling up puzzle memory but also large doses of general cultural knowledge memory not to mention good visual scanning skills. Typically, exercises that use multiple cognitive skills at once are the ones that make a difference in brain fitness. I think the NY Times puzzles qualify.
But mostly, they're fun. And we all know less stress is good for every part of us, including our brains.
mind
health and wellness
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Why Speak?
Back in the 70s when I was in graduate school studying linguistics, I thought Chomsky had it all wrong. He emphasized the uniqueness of human language and the deep structure of grammar and syntax programmed into our brains. He calculated that this structure wafts up to our mind's surface to become language, innate only to us humans. He hypothesized this predisposition to innate structure as the driving force behind expression.
I studied linguistics, the science of language, in graduate school not long after I returned from a stint in the Peace Corps in Africa where I had to learn new languages--French and Arabic-- to communicate enough to live on a daily basis, buying food, finding transportation and housing, and dealing with the other critical basics of life. I was forced into situations that were so different from where I grew up in rural Georgia that everyday made me wonder about and examine the links between culture and language, religion, food, among many other topics. Which comes first--the cultural meaning or the language. how do they shape each other, how can the syntax of languages be so different and so conceptually the same, why do the people of the world speak so many different languages, what really makes us want to communicate? Is it really possible, as Chomsky said, that syntax and grammar programmed into our brains make us want to speak? I didn't think so then and I don't now. I was motivated to learn to speak in a strange, new situation and language because I wanted to fit into the social fabric of my town. I wanted people to think I had a brain--communicating does that for us--and that I could live independently and responsibly.
It occured to me that we are all driven by intent--don't we just need to get things done? I know that was a big motivation for me. I just needed to buy food or get my hair cut or pay the water bill. And knowing the language made it all much easier and more efficient. And I got the respect of others in the process. Few others spoke English then so being mute or considered stupid was not an option I liked.
So when I heard a recent NPR piece on the research advances made in working with apes, it rang a bell in my memory. Researchers at the Great Ape Trust near Des Moines, Iowa, have observed that apes can learn to understand oral language and express themselves, if given tools that are suitable to them. Furthermore, they make the effort because they need to be understood. In other words, they want something and the easiest and most efficient way to get it is to use language. They also want to be part of the human social network, since there aren't many apes in Iowa. From this work, it's beginning to look like meaning and intent drive language acquisition and use. Grammar and syntax may just be part of our capacity for fluid intelligence, logic we need to make the rules of language so that everyone uses those rules and the social network wheels are greased. It seems logical. If this latest research is correct, then meaning may be the driver of the whole communication thing. We communicate because we need to. I like it. Makes sense to me.
language
mind
I studied linguistics, the science of language, in graduate school not long after I returned from a stint in the Peace Corps in Africa where I had to learn new languages--French and Arabic-- to communicate enough to live on a daily basis, buying food, finding transportation and housing, and dealing with the other critical basics of life. I was forced into situations that were so different from where I grew up in rural Georgia that everyday made me wonder about and examine the links between culture and language, religion, food, among many other topics. Which comes first--the cultural meaning or the language. how do they shape each other, how can the syntax of languages be so different and so conceptually the same, why do the people of the world speak so many different languages, what really makes us want to communicate? Is it really possible, as Chomsky said, that syntax and grammar programmed into our brains make us want to speak? I didn't think so then and I don't now. I was motivated to learn to speak in a strange, new situation and language because I wanted to fit into the social fabric of my town. I wanted people to think I had a brain--communicating does that for us--and that I could live independently and responsibly.
It occured to me that we are all driven by intent--don't we just need to get things done? I know that was a big motivation for me. I just needed to buy food or get my hair cut or pay the water bill. And knowing the language made it all much easier and more efficient. And I got the respect of others in the process. Few others spoke English then so being mute or considered stupid was not an option I liked.
So when I heard a recent NPR piece on the research advances made in working with apes, it rang a bell in my memory. Researchers at the Great Ape Trust near Des Moines, Iowa, have observed that apes can learn to understand oral language and express themselves, if given tools that are suitable to them. Furthermore, they make the effort because they need to be understood. In other words, they want something and the easiest and most efficient way to get it is to use language. They also want to be part of the human social network, since there aren't many apes in Iowa. From this work, it's beginning to look like meaning and intent drive language acquisition and use. Grammar and syntax may just be part of our capacity for fluid intelligence, logic we need to make the rules of language so that everyone uses those rules and the social network wheels are greased. It seems logical. If this latest research is correct, then meaning may be the driver of the whole communication thing. We communicate because we need to. I like it. Makes sense to me.
language
mind
Friday, July 14, 2006
The Tree Sometimes Sways
When I was younger, I didn't get why there was so much fuss about Yoga. It seemed to offer some spiritual something or other but with little aerobic umph. I was in good shape and the poses I tried were almost effortless for me. My mind wondered. I was bored. I have always enjoyed practically all things athletic but, in my 20s, 30s, and 40s, I was deeply into sweating, using energy, moving fast and furiously, climbing mountains, seeing how far I could go or how fast I could get there or how much physical risk I could manage in the process.
Now, I am a little surprised at how much I enjoy Yoga. For one thing, my Yoga sessions are challenging. I don't usually sweat, except inside my brain, but I am very aware that the whole process is extremely challenging. I am not bored and if my mind wanders, I fall over with a clunk, awkwardly. Clearly, I have not been flexing, stretching, or using many parts of my body. They've just been sitting there, still, rusting, getting creakier by the year. Even some of the most traditional poses like the Warrior II or Half Moon, I find take energy, attention, balance, and, yes, a little grit, at times. There I am, standing on one leg, with the other one pulled up above my knee, my foot pressed against the thigh of the standing leg, with my hands lifted straight up to the ceiling, my eyes glued to one spot on a point across the room so I don't tip over. Just to stay balanced in this position takes will. The Tree Pose. Trees sway and sometimes fall. I'm too busy with my own body to care what anyone else is doing with theirs. There is no competition here, except with myself. And it starts inside my brain as much as in my body.
I've tired several kinds of Yoga--Ashtanga, which has faster, more aerobic movements, and of course, Hatha, which seems to be the foundation of everything. But my favorite lately is Shadow Yoga, which combines traditional Hatha Yoga with martial arts. The combination yields movements that are linear--back and forth, up and down like traditional Yoga--with circular movements, which are good for joints and flexibility, from the martial arts.
The other thing that never ceases to amaze me about Yoga is that if I take a hiatus from classes or fail to practice on my purple mat at home, I can barely touch my toes and creak into the poses when I start again. But it only takes three or four sessions to be able once again to stretch and twist into all kinds of shapes. And, best of all, I feel so great afterwards. Refreshed, calm, focused. Mind and body working together seamlessly.
Yoga is a meditation for the body and the mind follows along, unable to think about anything else except the Pose at hand. I've come to believe that concentration, and Yoga is a great way to train the brain to focus, is the most important skill of all. Everything else follows.
health and fitness
yoga
Now, I am a little surprised at how much I enjoy Yoga. For one thing, my Yoga sessions are challenging. I don't usually sweat, except inside my brain, but I am very aware that the whole process is extremely challenging. I am not bored and if my mind wanders, I fall over with a clunk, awkwardly. Clearly, I have not been flexing, stretching, or using many parts of my body. They've just been sitting there, still, rusting, getting creakier by the year. Even some of the most traditional poses like the Warrior II or Half Moon, I find take energy, attention, balance, and, yes, a little grit, at times. There I am, standing on one leg, with the other one pulled up above my knee, my foot pressed against the thigh of the standing leg, with my hands lifted straight up to the ceiling, my eyes glued to one spot on a point across the room so I don't tip over. Just to stay balanced in this position takes will. The Tree Pose. Trees sway and sometimes fall. I'm too busy with my own body to care what anyone else is doing with theirs. There is no competition here, except with myself. And it starts inside my brain as much as in my body.
I've tired several kinds of Yoga--Ashtanga, which has faster, more aerobic movements, and of course, Hatha, which seems to be the foundation of everything. But my favorite lately is Shadow Yoga, which combines traditional Hatha Yoga with martial arts. The combination yields movements that are linear--back and forth, up and down like traditional Yoga--with circular movements, which are good for joints and flexibility, from the martial arts.
The other thing that never ceases to amaze me about Yoga is that if I take a hiatus from classes or fail to practice on my purple mat at home, I can barely touch my toes and creak into the poses when I start again. But it only takes three or four sessions to be able once again to stretch and twist into all kinds of shapes. And, best of all, I feel so great afterwards. Refreshed, calm, focused. Mind and body working together seamlessly.
Yoga is a meditation for the body and the mind follows along, unable to think about anything else except the Pose at hand. I've come to believe that concentration, and Yoga is a great way to train the brain to focus, is the most important skill of all. Everything else follows.
health and fitness
yoga
Monday, July 10, 2006
Slogging through Blogging
Over the last couple of days, I thought I'd throw in the towel. The writing part of the blog is the easiest part. Figuring out the code to put in the template and then devining where in the template to insert this meaningless gibberish has made me grind my teeth. But then I found Feedburner--so easy to use, such a delight to read, so transparent. Alas, there may be hope. Of course, as you see on this site, I clicked to my heart's delight, constantly choosing all kinds of things I didn't really know a thing about. But I just loved copying and pasting. Because it worked! At last. Something worked. The proverbial candy store. What fun! I may add some more chiclets tomorrow. Why is this reminding me of a toothpaste commercial? We'll see if anything at all happens. I mean, really--will anyone visit this site?
BTW, I now subscribe to about a thousand Google help forums. They're clogging my email and doing me no good so far. I am really determined to figure this out. Now on to reading other blogs and commenting and working full-time to find the right links (or at least some links). I'm trying it frustrating and invigorating, sort of like hiking straight up a steep mountain with the top in sight but realizing that the distance is illusory--much farther than I figured. But I'm determined to get there.
BTW, I now subscribe to about a thousand Google help forums. They're clogging my email and doing me no good so far. I am really determined to figure this out. Now on to reading other blogs and commenting and working full-time to find the right links (or at least some links). I'm trying it frustrating and invigorating, sort of like hiking straight up a steep mountain with the top in sight but realizing that the distance is illusory--much farther than I figured. But I'm determined to get there.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Soixante
The fourth of July is my birthday and I have been, as my husband has inscribed on my birthday cake, soixante all day. We Americans always think things are fancier in French and I have felt very fancy and special today and for the last several days leading up to this big event. I am living with two men, my husband and my 18-year-old son. My other son wanted to be here today but he's busy working a catering job so he can pay his way to Europe in August. I want him to work but I liked that he called me no less than five times today to say happy birthday, he loves me, he hopes I have a great hike, he wishes he could be here, too. These men I live with indulged me today and went on an 8-mile hike with me, along the breath-taking Dipsea Trail that goes in a loop from Stinson Beach through Douglas Fir and Bay tree forests to open grasslands and incredible views of the Pacific Ocean, San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Marin Headlands. We saw wild orchids still in bloom and hawks circling in majesty above us. We tramped over two-feet deep roots from Redwoods and Firs. Beautiful. And we only saw a few other hikers along the way. The Steep Ravine part of the trail was, well, steep and the Matt Davis part of the trail was rough climbing but there were so many payoffs, so many majestic views and small lovely moments--the hawks circling above, munching on sandwiches on Flat Rock high above Stinson Beach and the Pacific, the "ladder," the steep climb down a ladder to make it past a waterfall, dark, mysterious moss and ferns with overatching tree trunks and earthy smells. We ended feeling jubilant. And tired. We stopped in a Stinson Beach restaurant for steamed muscles and clams and a glass of red wine, afterwards. Perfect.
Hikes like this give plenty of time for reflection. At first, I felt like Burt Lancaster in The Swimmer, one of my favorite movies. The main character, played by Burt, of course, swims from pool to pool and in the process, moves through the history of his life. He starts off charming and perfect and as he moves through the pools, various other things come to the surface. His life was complicated. He wasn't perfect.
That's the way I felt today. I thought of all the idyllic hiking times I've had: Appalachian Trail hikes in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia with my father and brother in my childhood and teens, hikes in the Nantahala and Pisgah Forests of North Carolina, hikes on little hills called mountains in New Hampshire, hiking the Grand Canyon and the Sierras, my honeymoon hike, the Milford Track in New Zealand, hiking in the Catskills, the Rockies, and the Alps. Then my mind began to free-associate to create all those links to other hikes. I realized that I have had some friends, ok, some of them were more than friends--and our main interest in common was hiking. I've had other situations where hiking made the situation abundantly clear--this relationship was going nowhere. But hiking, especially through mountains, has been a constant in my life, a sign that I'm getting in touch with myself and feeling at peace. How perfect that I hiked today, the day that I turned 60. And that I hiked with men that I like. And who indulge me.
As we walked down the last few steps of the path to the highway near where our car was parked, my son, David, said quietly, "Happy Birthday, Mom."
Getting Ready for My Birthday
I was born on the fourth of July and it's been a really great birthday to have--always a holiday with fireworks, swimming, and family picnics and barbeques. I've had my share of delicous, gray cakes--the ones where the red, white, and blue all run together--too. This year I realized I had some tidying up to do before my birthday--a big one. I still had leftover presents from previous years. My two sons gave me a gift certificate for a mud bath and massage at Calistoga last year. Somehow, the whole year has flown by without my making time to enjoy this luscious gift. So I went yesterday. The massage was terrific. The mud bath was, well, interesting. I can see why couples might like to do this. It would have been nice to have a friend or my husband there to yuk it up while sinking into the sulfuric-smelling, hot, buoyant, dark gray, well yes--mud.
"How do you sterilize this mud?" I asked. The question had obviously been asked a thousand times because the answer was quick and efficient.
"We run water in there that's a zillion degrees and then drain it and half the mud drains out so we have to replace it." OK, I thought and slid in. I guess the new dirt is clean.
"What does this mud do for you?" I asked the next time the attendant came in to put a cold cloth on my brow.
"Opens the pores," he said, as though that were a very good thing. Remember, I was submerged by this time in the mud, totally covered by the slimy goo.
After slinging my leg over the tub edge and extricating myself from the gray sludge, I took a shower and soaked in a jacuzzi. The attendant then led me to a dark room to rest under blankets, to "cool down, "and contemplate my coming big birthday. My pores were wide open and I was relaxed. So I pulled out the The Namesake. Two years ago, I received the book from a friend for my birthday. It has high time I'd read it. What a wonderful, lyrical, prodical son (or daughter) story. Hey, I'd moved from rural Georgia to New York City and then to California with no family around. It wasn't half-way around the world away (Calcutta to Boston in the book) but sometimes it's felt like an entire world away. And I too have realized that understanding and appreciating my roots can make what was previously an embarrassment transform into a treasure. Great book--why did it take me so long to read it? Great massage and mud bath? Why did it take me so long to use that gift certificate?
"How do you sterilize this mud?" I asked. The question had obviously been asked a thousand times because the answer was quick and efficient.
"We run water in there that's a zillion degrees and then drain it and half the mud drains out so we have to replace it." OK, I thought and slid in. I guess the new dirt is clean.
"What does this mud do for you?" I asked the next time the attendant came in to put a cold cloth on my brow.
"Opens the pores," he said, as though that were a very good thing. Remember, I was submerged by this time in the mud, totally covered by the slimy goo.
After slinging my leg over the tub edge and extricating myself from the gray sludge, I took a shower and soaked in a jacuzzi. The attendant then led me to a dark room to rest under blankets, to "cool down, "and contemplate my coming big birthday. My pores were wide open and I was relaxed. So I pulled out the The Namesake. Two years ago, I received the book from a friend for my birthday. It has high time I'd read it. What a wonderful, lyrical, prodical son (or daughter) story. Hey, I'd moved from rural Georgia to New York City and then to California with no family around. It wasn't half-way around the world away (Calcutta to Boston in the book) but sometimes it's felt like an entire world away. And I too have realized that understanding and appreciating my roots can make what was previously an embarrassment transform into a treasure. Great book--why did it take me so long to read it? Great massage and mud bath? Why did it take me so long to use that gift certificate?
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Dancing: Great for Your Body, Mind, and Soul
I've always been a dancing fool. From the time my mother taught me to do the box step around the living room when I was 10 or 11 until now, I've loved moving my body to music. The physical and spiritual meld together in a wonderful way in me when I dance. And now, I know that scientific studies show that dancing is good for my brain, too.
Recently, I've taken up Nia. I look forward to my Nia classes and go every chance I get, usually for an hour three times a week or more. Nia is a combination of several other physical disciplines: healing arts like yoga and Pilates, martial arts, and dance with the goal of using expressive movement that brings mind, body, and soul into play. This approach stands in sharp contrast to pounding, repetitive movements like jogging or riding stationary bikes. I feel highly motivated to continue Nia for several reasons. I really enjoy the variety of music (there are many different programs with different types of music and routines) and the sense of artistic expression I feel when I stretch my arms high above my head or glide gracefully across the room, all to the beat of a song I enjoy hearing. I work almost every part of my body with stretches, kicks, bends, and steps so that it really feels like I'm getting a good, overall workout. I sweat, meaning it's aerobic and good for my heart. Of course I know that my brain uses more oxygen than my heart so I now know that aerobic activity is good for all of me. That probably explains why I feel so energized and positive after Nia. I've also enjoyed getting to know the other women and men who come to the classes. We really have formed our own little community. We're supportive of each other and gradually, we're beginning to find out more about each other's lives, just little tidbits that we share in the few minutes before class or while we're racing for bottles of water in between routines or as we walk back to our cars. The warmth and good feeling are palpable. There's a connection with other people and there's more of a connection within me--the mind, body, soul thing again. I like it. It feels good.
But why is dancing so good for your brain? As I balance on one leg with my knee up to my chest and then move my knee out to a kick in time with the music, I think about all the mental skills I'm using: hand-eye coordination, balance, timing, rhythm, working and short-term memory, focused attention, language as I listen to the directions. I'm sure I've left out a few. Then we move on to particular steps we've learned as part of a routine: long-term memory, attention and focus, hand-eye coordination, visual-spatial skills (so I stay in the right space and don't knock the person next to me down), balance, rhythm, language and coding skills. Our Nia teachers often add a new step, different arm movements or an extra kick to a routine we already know--I can almost feel the new neural pathways twitching across my brain. They also lead a variety of different routines that match the whole spectrum of music, from jazz to rock 'n roll to contemporary. As researchers have pointed out, dancing to new tunes is what's good for your brain. Dancing the same old steps to the same old tune doesn't create anything, except boredom. I know I have to really concentrate when there's a new routine and different tunes to be able to pull it off, look coordinated, and enjoy myself. Even a dancing fool can build brain reserves.
Recently, I've taken up Nia. I look forward to my Nia classes and go every chance I get, usually for an hour three times a week or more. Nia is a combination of several other physical disciplines: healing arts like yoga and Pilates, martial arts, and dance with the goal of using expressive movement that brings mind, body, and soul into play. This approach stands in sharp contrast to pounding, repetitive movements like jogging or riding stationary bikes. I feel highly motivated to continue Nia for several reasons. I really enjoy the variety of music (there are many different programs with different types of music and routines) and the sense of artistic expression I feel when I stretch my arms high above my head or glide gracefully across the room, all to the beat of a song I enjoy hearing. I work almost every part of my body with stretches, kicks, bends, and steps so that it really feels like I'm getting a good, overall workout. I sweat, meaning it's aerobic and good for my heart. Of course I know that my brain uses more oxygen than my heart so I now know that aerobic activity is good for all of me. That probably explains why I feel so energized and positive after Nia. I've also enjoyed getting to know the other women and men who come to the classes. We really have formed our own little community. We're supportive of each other and gradually, we're beginning to find out more about each other's lives, just little tidbits that we share in the few minutes before class or while we're racing for bottles of water in between routines or as we walk back to our cars. The warmth and good feeling are palpable. There's a connection with other people and there's more of a connection within me--the mind, body, soul thing again. I like it. It feels good.
But why is dancing so good for your brain? As I balance on one leg with my knee up to my chest and then move my knee out to a kick in time with the music, I think about all the mental skills I'm using: hand-eye coordination, balance, timing, rhythm, working and short-term memory, focused attention, language as I listen to the directions. I'm sure I've left out a few. Then we move on to particular steps we've learned as part of a routine: long-term memory, attention and focus, hand-eye coordination, visual-spatial skills (so I stay in the right space and don't knock the person next to me down), balance, rhythm, language and coding skills. Our Nia teachers often add a new step, different arm movements or an extra kick to a routine we already know--I can almost feel the new neural pathways twitching across my brain. They also lead a variety of different routines that match the whole spectrum of music, from jazz to rock 'n roll to contemporary. As researchers have pointed out, dancing to new tunes is what's good for your brain. Dancing the same old steps to the same old tune doesn't create anything, except boredom. I know I have to really concentrate when there's a new routine and different tunes to be able to pull it off, look coordinated, and enjoy myself. Even a dancing fool can build brain reserves.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Boomers Love Cars--As a Statement!
I live in Northern California where folks think they're very aware of environmental issues. We like green and we particularly like not using up nature either for ourselves or for our kids, or so we say. Therefore, it should not come as surprise that the Toyota Prius hybrid, with the lowest emissions of any car out there and fabulous gas mileage, is proliferating here. Everywhere I look, there's a different colored one: metallic green, dark blue, white, black, taupe, fire-engine red, tan. And they're just all over the place: in every parking lot, every carpooling lane (of course, in California, you can drive in the carpooling lane without a carpool if you drive a Prius), and lined up one after another in street parking spaces. And they're continuing to sell like hotcakes, at a premium.
I was thinking today about this phenomenon. It reminds me of VW bugs in the 60s and 70s. Everyone seemed to have one. It was a cool thing to do and, somehow in spite of the fact that everyone had one, it was a very individualistic purchase to make. It said something about the owner that was with-it and positive. A VW van, of course, made an even bigger statement and brought into play lots of additional traits and possibilities--adventure, mystery, or at the very least, trips, of all kinds. I think the Prius bandwagon is similar. A Prius is not particularly cheap although the tax credit, free bridge tolls, and carpool lane driving are very attractive incentives on the federal and state levels. But it's much more that that. It's a statement, much as VW bugs and vans were earlier and for the same generation--Boomers.
Boomers are now affluent enough to pay a premium for leading the environmental charge, even though all the hybrid cars sold until now are still a drop, if that, in the environmental bucket. Still, driving a hybrid and better, driving a recognizable hybrid like the distinctively shaped Prius is a way to yell to the world: I'm voting green, guys, and you should, too. We Boomers are doing it again, as we always have: self-righteously, full of ourselves, sure we know the best and right way. Little has changed.
By the way, I just loved my yellow VW bug that I drove in the early 70s. But my metallic green Prius is probably my favorite car yet! I think it's really me.
I was thinking today about this phenomenon. It reminds me of VW bugs in the 60s and 70s. Everyone seemed to have one. It was a cool thing to do and, somehow in spite of the fact that everyone had one, it was a very individualistic purchase to make. It said something about the owner that was with-it and positive. A VW van, of course, made an even bigger statement and brought into play lots of additional traits and possibilities--adventure, mystery, or at the very least, trips, of all kinds. I think the Prius bandwagon is similar. A Prius is not particularly cheap although the tax credit, free bridge tolls, and carpool lane driving are very attractive incentives on the federal and state levels. But it's much more that that. It's a statement, much as VW bugs and vans were earlier and for the same generation--Boomers.
Boomers are now affluent enough to pay a premium for leading the environmental charge, even though all the hybrid cars sold until now are still a drop, if that, in the environmental bucket. Still, driving a hybrid and better, driving a recognizable hybrid like the distinctively shaped Prius is a way to yell to the world: I'm voting green, guys, and you should, too. We Boomers are doing it again, as we always have: self-righteously, full of ourselves, sure we know the best and right way. Little has changed.
By the way, I just loved my yellow VW bug that I drove in the early 70s. But my metallic green Prius is probably my favorite car yet! I think it's really me.
More Evidence for Building Brain Reserves
My eye caught an Associated Press article today that supports previous research on Alzheimer's. In this study in part funded by the National Institute on Aging and led by Dr. David Bennett, an Alzheimer's researcher at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, over 2000 people have been followed clinically for years. Over that period of time, 134 people died. Part of the agreement to be in the study involved the agreement to have the brain autopsied after death. The results of the autopsies are reported in a peer-reviewed article and published in the June 2006 issue of Neurology, the American Academy of Neurology's journal. And they are very encouraging.
On the one hand, "senior moments," or occasional forgetfulness, may in fact be an early sign of Alzheimer's or dementia and not an inevitable consequence of aging. We so often think of forgetting the keys or someone's name as normal but in fact, it really may not be. On the other hand, and here's the good news: most of the participants who died were in their 80s and NONE of them had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's or mild cognitive impairments (which can lead to AD). They had all done well on memory evaluations. But 36% of them or 48 of the 134, had the classic plaques and tangles in the brain consistent with Alzheimer's. Why is this so positive?
It's positive news because once again, it reinforces the idea that "use or lose it" really does work for our brains as well as for our bodies. In fact, a new insight is emerging: if we don't exercise our brains, we may have brain cells that die or are more susceptible to disease. Dr. Carol Lippa, director of memory disorders at Drexel University College of Medicine, points this out in the article.
Regular mental challenge in the form of stimulating mind exercises plus feelings of social connectedness can build up a reserve, or a mental savings account, that we can use, as needed. The other positive addition to our knowledge in this study is that Dr. Bennett and his team also found that by engaging in brain exercises, which includes activities like interactive games, reading, and taking classes on new subjects, we are not only building reserves but may also be building compensation strategies to help us live normal and high-quality lives even though we may have some impairment. So support is building for the idea that certain games, for example, that target specific cognitive skills may help us stretch our brains but may also help us learn particular strategies for remembering or using visual-spatial skills as a compensatory tactic.
Remember, there were no clinical signs of a problem here, except mild episodic memory loss (remembering a story that had been recently read to them). These were high-functioning people who were able to carry on conversations, complete normal tasks like reading and playing games and socializing with friends, even though the researchers later found out that they had already experienced Alzheimer's.
In the article, Dallas Anderson, an Alzheimer's scientist at the National Institute on Aging, called the studies results "very plausible and helpful." I would add, extremely hopeful and positive, too. We have so many reasons to keep on keeping on, especially when it comes to using our brains.
On the one hand, "senior moments," or occasional forgetfulness, may in fact be an early sign of Alzheimer's or dementia and not an inevitable consequence of aging. We so often think of forgetting the keys or someone's name as normal but in fact, it really may not be. On the other hand, and here's the good news: most of the participants who died were in their 80s and NONE of them had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's or mild cognitive impairments (which can lead to AD). They had all done well on memory evaluations. But 36% of them or 48 of the 134, had the classic plaques and tangles in the brain consistent with Alzheimer's. Why is this so positive?
It's positive news because once again, it reinforces the idea that "use or lose it" really does work for our brains as well as for our bodies. In fact, a new insight is emerging: if we don't exercise our brains, we may have brain cells that die or are more susceptible to disease. Dr. Carol Lippa, director of memory disorders at Drexel University College of Medicine, points this out in the article.
Regular mental challenge in the form of stimulating mind exercises plus feelings of social connectedness can build up a reserve, or a mental savings account, that we can use, as needed. The other positive addition to our knowledge in this study is that Dr. Bennett and his team also found that by engaging in brain exercises, which includes activities like interactive games, reading, and taking classes on new subjects, we are not only building reserves but may also be building compensation strategies to help us live normal and high-quality lives even though we may have some impairment. So support is building for the idea that certain games, for example, that target specific cognitive skills may help us stretch our brains but may also help us learn particular strategies for remembering or using visual-spatial skills as a compensatory tactic.
Remember, there were no clinical signs of a problem here, except mild episodic memory loss (remembering a story that had been recently read to them). These were high-functioning people who were able to carry on conversations, complete normal tasks like reading and playing games and socializing with friends, even though the researchers later found out that they had already experienced Alzheimer's.
In the article, Dallas Anderson, an Alzheimer's scientist at the National Institute on Aging, called the studies results "very plausible and helpful." I would add, extremely hopeful and positive, too. We have so many reasons to keep on keeping on, especially when it comes to using our brains.
Friday, June 23, 2006
Playing: Important Workout for Our Brains
Last night as I was surfing channels, I came upon a PBS special, "The Power of Play." The documentary gave examples of how important play is in the cognitive and social development of animals and made several critical points, based on extensive research by experts and scientists, who have studied each of the animal groups discussed. Animals who play the most are the most intelligent animals. The frolicking dolphins, playful dogs, scampering chimpanzees, and cuddly sea otters were shown as specific examples. One of the most interesting was the highly brainy crow. In this example, the crow needed to break open nuts to be able to eat them. He was close to a street with heavy traffic. He tried dropping them so that cars ran over them but found it too dicey to scoot among cars to get the goodies. He therefore figured out that dropping the nut just before the cars stopped at the traffic light would give him enough time to swoop down without interference and pick up his snack. Amazing! And crows love to play, too, as anyone knows who's had the ill fortunate to have them descend on a garden.
I am reminded of the many studies that show how important play is for children, whose brains develop mightily as they interact with other children while playing with each other. In these play times, they have the freedom to try new behaviors and figure out which ones work and which ones don't, without a judgmental adult instructing them every minute. Their brains develop, their social skills and friendships grow, and critical lifelong skills are forged, a foundation for life.
I am also reminded of the research on adults at the other end of the age spectrum. The Bronx Aging Study, a longitudinal study of almost 500 adults over more than 20 years, showed that those who engaged in stimulating leisure-time activities, like dancing and challenging, interactive games, had a 65-75% probability of remaining mentally sharp as compared to those who did not "play" on a regular basis. People naturally gravitate to what's fun and entertaining and challenging. Our brains need the exercise and we like the feeling of being totally absorbed in an activity where we won't be judged, we won't get a grade, and we aren't looking for a raise. We're just having fun. As we move through our very serious and ambitious lives, I hope we remember to give our children, and ourselves, the power of play.
I am reminded of the many studies that show how important play is for children, whose brains develop mightily as they interact with other children while playing with each other. In these play times, they have the freedom to try new behaviors and figure out which ones work and which ones don't, without a judgmental adult instructing them every minute. Their brains develop, their social skills and friendships grow, and critical lifelong skills are forged, a foundation for life.
I am also reminded of the research on adults at the other end of the age spectrum. The Bronx Aging Study, a longitudinal study of almost 500 adults over more than 20 years, showed that those who engaged in stimulating leisure-time activities, like dancing and challenging, interactive games, had a 65-75% probability of remaining mentally sharp as compared to those who did not "play" on a regular basis. People naturally gravitate to what's fun and entertaining and challenging. Our brains need the exercise and we like the feeling of being totally absorbed in an activity where we won't be judged, we won't get a grade, and we aren't looking for a raise. We're just having fun. As we move through our very serious and ambitious lives, I hope we remember to give our children, and ourselves, the power of play.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Hardheaded
"Stop, stop!" I heard my mother scream up at me, her hands cupped around her mouth, her head tilted toward the sunny stream of light through the pine trees. But I kept going.
I was 11 and determined to climb to the top of a waterfall in a secluded part of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia, where my family had a cabin and we often hiked, fished, and swam. The roar of the falling water almost cancelled out the warning sounds of my yelling family. Hanging on to moss and tree limbs, I climbed to one ridge and then to another and another until I spied the top where the stream water spilled clear over mossy rocks and began its sharp descent over the edge into the steep ravine and the beckoning pool below. It looked beautiful, idyllic. I took a quick survey of the situation. It looked doable. I jumped onto the first rock for a body slide all the way down. It was a glorious ride. I picked a perfect path but I didn't count on the mounting velocity and the giant rock that we had all used for resting and sunbathing right smack in the middle of the waiting pool. Yes, I hit it. And I hit it hard. I took on a few scrapes and bruises. But what a glorious ride!
Not too much has changed. I have more tools to work with now, lots of years of experience in life and in business. I have an MBA so of course I believe in calculated risks and careful analysis of probabilities. But I'm still willing to go for a wild ride if I think it is doable, challenging, fun, and adds value.
That's why I'm an entrepreneur. I love creating new businesses and helping ideas grow into valuable additions to lives. I feel passionate about learning new things, taking small and large risks, and continuing to grow as a person, even if I have to suffer a few knicks and scrapes along the way.
I also know that these same values are the ones that can help keep my mind sharp and my life interesting. I've immersed myself in scientific research on keeping the brain fit and the connections among mind, body, and emotions and overall fitness. Physical exercise, good nutrition, stress management, lots of sleep, and mental challenge and stimulation have all undergone rigorous scientific study and we know that there are actions we can take now to substantially raise the probabilities of living longer and living well. I'll be discussing these in this blog. I'll also comment on other related topics.
I was 11 and determined to climb to the top of a waterfall in a secluded part of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia, where my family had a cabin and we often hiked, fished, and swam. The roar of the falling water almost cancelled out the warning sounds of my yelling family. Hanging on to moss and tree limbs, I climbed to one ridge and then to another and another until I spied the top where the stream water spilled clear over mossy rocks and began its sharp descent over the edge into the steep ravine and the beckoning pool below. It looked beautiful, idyllic. I took a quick survey of the situation. It looked doable. I jumped onto the first rock for a body slide all the way down. It was a glorious ride. I picked a perfect path but I didn't count on the mounting velocity and the giant rock that we had all used for resting and sunbathing right smack in the middle of the waiting pool. Yes, I hit it. And I hit it hard. I took on a few scrapes and bruises. But what a glorious ride!
Not too much has changed. I have more tools to work with now, lots of years of experience in life and in business. I have an MBA so of course I believe in calculated risks and careful analysis of probabilities. But I'm still willing to go for a wild ride if I think it is doable, challenging, fun, and adds value.
That's why I'm an entrepreneur. I love creating new businesses and helping ideas grow into valuable additions to lives. I feel passionate about learning new things, taking small and large risks, and continuing to grow as a person, even if I have to suffer a few knicks and scrapes along the way.
I also know that these same values are the ones that can help keep my mind sharp and my life interesting. I've immersed myself in scientific research on keeping the brain fit and the connections among mind, body, and emotions and overall fitness. Physical exercise, good nutrition, stress management, lots of sleep, and mental challenge and stimulation have all undergone rigorous scientific study and we know that there are actions we can take now to substantially raise the probabilities of living longer and living well. I'll be discussing these in this blog. I'll also comment on other related topics.
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