Monday, February 2, 2009

Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain

"Supercharge Your Mental Circuits to Beat Stress, Sharpen Your Thinking, Lift Your Mood, Boost Your Memory, and Much More"

by John J. Ratey, M.D., with Eric Hagerman


Interesting book. Certainly motivating for someone who is trying to exercise more.

The recommended regime at the end of the book:

walk or jog every day (low to moderate intensity; 55 to 65 percent of your maximum heart rate for low intensity, 65 to 75 percent for moderate intensity)

run (or some other comparable activity) a couple of times a week (high intensity; 75 to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate)

sprint (or comparable) every now and then (the high end of high intensity)

or, in other words,

some form of aerobic activity six days a week for forty-five minutes to an hour

four of those days toward the longer amount of time at moderate intensity

two of those days on the shorter side at high intensity

include some form of strength or resistence training on the shorter, high intensity days (not back-to-back days)

if you are new to activity, begin with walking



The book opens with a very interesting report on what schools in Napierville, Illinois, are doing for P.E. and the effect on grades.

Published in 2008.