Why the Mind is in the Brain(1)
And what you can do with that knowledge.
Exercise boosts mood in depressed patients
Even a single bout of exercise—30 minutes of walking on a treadmill—can lift the mood of patients suffering major depressive disorder. Researchers say the findings show immediate benefits… All patients had recently been diagnosed with major depressive disorder; none were exercising regularly or taking antidepressants.
“The question,” said lead researcher Dr. John Bartholomew, an associate professor in the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin, “was whether an individual bout of exercise would provide benefit. Bartholomew emphasized that a single session on the treadmill can offer only symptomatic relief, providing transitory improvement in mood rather than a change in diagnosis.
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Exercise is a mood-altering activity. Psychologists (and people) have known that for years. This study is of medical interest because it suggests that exercise might make useful contributions to the treatment of clinical depression. I am commenting on it here for two reasons:
First, it serves as an additional reminder that the mind and the brain are one. The same thing viewed from different perspectives. We keep needing reminders of this because our verbal systems operate from the perspective that the “mind” is independent of the brain. That doesn’t matter if the just want to talk about the “mind.” It is a misleading perspective if we want to do something about the workings of the brain.
My other reason for commenting on this study is that it points to a good example of DIY (Do-It-Yourself) cognitive engineering. I could give you a review of the literature about how exercise alters moods, alertness, and other “mental” functions. But that would just tell you about what exercise does for other people. What does exercise do for you and your brain?
That is a quest question. You will not find the answer in any book. As with any quest, you find the answer in yourself. But here is the beginning of a map.
This quest only works if you exercise frequently. Fortunately, exercise has general benefits, so you might already be doing it frequently. Or you might be on the verge of doing it frequently. If you want some suggestions on crossing that verge, try these:
Resolutions.
Habits.
Once you are exercising frequently, this quest calls for nothing more than another habit. Start paying attention to what you are thinking about and how you feel. Pay attention before, during, and after exercise.
You will probably find some of these characteristics:
More upbeat.
More alert.
More new ideas.
Sharper thinking.
You may want to print the Strengths page in the Thinkerer and circle the strengths that seem to be a little better.
Exercise boosts mood in depressed patients
Even a single bout of exercise—30 minutes of walking on a treadmill—can lift the mood of patients suffering major depressive disorder. Researchers say the findings show immediate benefits… All patients had recently been diagnosed with major depressive disorder; none were exercising regularly or taking antidepressants.
“The question,” said lead researcher Dr. John Bartholomew, an associate professor in the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin, “was whether an individual bout of exercise would provide benefit. Bartholomew emphasized that a single session on the treadmill can offer only symptomatic relief, providing transitory improvement in mood rather than a change in diagnosis.
-----
Exercise is a mood-altering activity. Psychologists (and people) have known that for years. This study is of medical interest because it suggests that exercise might make useful contributions to the treatment of clinical depression. I am commenting on it here for two reasons:
First, it serves as an additional reminder that the mind and the brain are one. The same thing viewed from different perspectives. We keep needing reminders of this because our verbal systems operate from the perspective that the “mind” is independent of the brain. That doesn’t matter if the just want to talk about the “mind.” It is a misleading perspective if we want to do something about the workings of the brain.
My other reason for commenting on this study is that it points to a good example of DIY (Do-It-Yourself) cognitive engineering. I could give you a review of the literature about how exercise alters moods, alertness, and other “mental” functions. But that would just tell you about what exercise does for other people. What does exercise do for you and your brain?
That is a quest question. You will not find the answer in any book. As with any quest, you find the answer in yourself. But here is the beginning of a map.
This quest only works if you exercise frequently. Fortunately, exercise has general benefits, so you might already be doing it frequently. Or you might be on the verge of doing it frequently. If you want some suggestions on crossing that verge, try these:
Resolutions.
Habits.
Once you are exercising frequently, this quest calls for nothing more than another habit. Start paying attention to what you are thinking about and how you feel. Pay attention before, during, and after exercise.
You will probably find some of these characteristics:
More upbeat.
More alert.
More new ideas.
Sharper thinking.
You may want to print the Strengths page in the Thinkerer and circle the strengths that seem to be a little better.
posted by Selby Evans at 1:09 PM
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