Does exercise strengthen the brain?

I am intrigued by the picture of mice running on little treadmills.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/28/how-exercise-can-strengthen-the-brain/?smid=fb-nytimes&WT.mc_id=TE-SM-E-FB-SM-LIN-LBA-092611-NYT-NA&WT.mc_ev=click

Natalie wrote:I am intrigued by the picture of mice running on little treadmills.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/28/how-exercise-can-strengthen-the-brain/?smid=fb-nytimes&WT.mc_id=TE-SM-E-FB-SM-LIN-LBA-092611-NYT-NA&WT.mc_ev=click

The topic, especially as it relates to fitness and kids' IQ, is addressed in chapter 16 of Your First Marathon (I warned you all I am a shill).

Of note:

Empirically it makes sense, as man was at the top of his game, both physically and mentally, when hunting - all senses were heightened.

Two studies provide some evidence:

The University of Illinois did a study last year on fitness and test scores:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/phys-ed-can-exercise-make-kids-smarter/

Previous studies found that fitter kids generally scored better on such
tests. And in this case, too, those children performed better on the
tests. But the M.R.I.’s provided a clearer picture of how it might
work. They showed that fit children had significantly larger basal
ganglia, a key part of the brain that aids in maintaining attention and
“executive control,” or the ability to coordinate actions and thoughts
crisply. Since both groups of children had similar socioeconomic
backgrounds, body mass index and other variables, the researchers
concluded that being fit had enlarged that portion of their brains.

At the same time, evidence accumulates about the positive impact of
even small amounts of aerobic activity. Past studies from the University
of Illinois found that “just 20 minutes of walking” before a test
raised children’s scores, even if the children were otherwise unfit or
overweight, says Charles Hillman, a professor of kinesiology at the
university and the senior author of many of the recent studies.

And a 2009 study in Sweden found that young men joining the service that were more fit tended to have higher IQs

http://psychcentral.com/news/2009/12/03/link-between-physical-fitness-and-iq/9914.html

As Sweden has a mandatory military commitment, investigators evaluated
information on 1.2 million Swedish men who were born between 1950 and
1976. The research group analyzed the results of both physical and IQ
tests when the men enrolled.
The study shows a clear link between good physical fitness and better
results for the IQ test. The strongest links are for logical thinking
and verbal comprehension. However, only cardiovascular fitness played a
role in the results for the IQ test — not strength.

While the popular notion is that doing brain-work like crossword puzzles, etc., helps the brain, all I've read says that exercise, which improves the flow of blood, is much better for the brain.

I'm going to start a new SAT/ACT business. We are going to use Girls on the Run as a model...

I went to the GOTR website and was intrigued. I have a 6th grader that will be perfect for this. She's already a runner but could certainly benefit from the other objectives.

More serious question, I have a 10th grader, 16 years old, that NEEDS something like GOTR. She's far too sedentary and is at that "self-esteem" age. Is anyone aware of a program specifically targeted for this high school age group along the lines of GOTR?

In my case, I'll have to say: No.

Mr MattM wrote:In my case, I'll have to say: No.

Me either.

Jerry wrote:

Mr MattM wrote:In my case, I'll have to say: No.

Me either.

From the previous comments, I would suggest it might not grow hair either.

mountandog wrote:I went to the GOTR website and was intrigued. I have a 6th grader that will be perfect for this. She's already a runner but could certainly benefit from the other objectives.

More serious question, I have a 10th grader, 16 years old, that NEEDS something like GOTR. She's far too sedentary and is at that "self-esteem" age. Is anyone aware of a program specifically targeted for this high school age group along the lines of GOTR?

yeah.... that's why Girls on the Run targets 3rd-8th graders. I have a 15 year old daughter and she could have used GOTR's lessons as well. As for your 6th grader, many elementary schools have a GOTR chapter that meets after school. If not, you might find one meeting in a nearby church, Y, or JCC. The program is curriculum-based and the national organization frowns upon any kind of improvisation from the curriculum, so whereever your daughter finds a chapter, the lessons will all be the same, be it church, community center, or school.