
How Exercise May Help the Memory Grow Stronger - montrose
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/21/well/move/how-exercise-may-help-the-memory-grow-stronger.html
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andy_ppp
For anyone here interested I can’t recommend
[https://stronglifts.com](https://stronglifts.com) enough. I sleep much better
since starting it (and wake up feeling great rather than groggy) and there is
loads of information on how to get started lifting weights. It’s all free
apart from some extra features on the app which is a £9.99 one off fee. My
mind is much clearer and it’s very quick to do... it’s _much_ more enjoyable
than dragging myself around the park.

~~~
yodsanklai
I've noticed that "lifting weight" seems to be the most popular physical
activity on HN. I wonder if this is an American bias.

I can see the appeal and the convenience but I personally dislike gyms. Loud
music, A/C, TVs everywhere, little social interaction etc... and lifting
weight is very artificial.

I much prefer practicing sport outside and/or with other people. There are a
lot of fun sports, such as boxing, climbing, hiking, swimming, running,
martial arts, dancing, skiing... I see a lot of people who want to start
exercising going straight to a gym because they are unaware of other options.

~~~
mandeepj
> lifting weight is very artificial.

Please explain

Have you tried group classes?

A lot of the activity that you mentioned can be done in a gym but at the same
time I would like to say there is no match to being outdoor. Short on time
then hit a gym otherwise outdoors are worth it.

Weight lifting also makes you stronger and less prone to injuries.

~~~
grzm
One thing to make clear here (which I think you intend but don’t make
explicit) is the difference between free weights and machines. Lifting free
weights engages large groups of muscles and their coordination in balance and
stabilization through the movements, which contributes greatly to injury
prevention. Machines tend to isolate muscles and provide stabilization and
restriction, so you don’t get these benefits.

~~~
mandeepj
Agree. Working out with machines is similar to sitting on a chair :-). For
newbies, machines are great to improve their form

~~~
grzm
> _" For newbies, machines are great to improve their form"_

Well, there we _do_ disagree ;) The activation patterns which are crucial to
balance and stabilization don't get developed when using machines, and you can
build up muscles much more quickly than connective tissue (tendons and
ligaments). It's all too easy to into a situation where you're strong enough
to lift weight that you can't stabilize under stress, and that's when injury
is likely to occur. Weak tendons and ligaments coupled with poor stabilization
activation patterns is a recipe for injuries. Better to start off with lighter
free weight and good form for long term health and strength.

I don't have it at hand, but I recall a trainer encouraging a progression that
went along the lines of "Form, then Speed, then Weight". If this jogs anyone's
memory and has a reference (perhaps with a correction or expansion), I'd
appreciate it.

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daryllxd
If you're the type to not want to go to the gym (anxiety, or it's too far),
I've had immense benefits from cycling, both indoors and outdoors. I can think
more clearly about programming when I'm chilling on the bike, so many ideas
and bug fixes have come while just pedalling along.

~~~
Z-Widwil
Do you have any recommendations for indoor bikes/trainer that you've used?

I agree that it is extremely beneficial. Though my cycling is only done to and
from work. I've thought about getting a cycling machine with a reading/laptop
platform for indoor use, but it's hard to identify what I'm actually looking
for since they're a bit different from bikes and I've never used one.

~~~
rajjalan
Instead of spending lot of money on cycling machine, look for "Magnet Steel
Bike Bicycle Indoor Exercise Trainer" on amazon. Decent stand to use your bike
indoors for $50-$60

~~~
Z-Widwil
Thanks for the recommendation. I've looked at trainers like that and some look
solid. I might just have to go for one. It's just hard to gauge quality versus
something like a Kickr Snap.

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ultimape
Nytimes article title: >Memory Grow Stronger

Actual study: >mitigates the negative consequences of chronic stress

This is like saying that not pooping makes you gain weight, when the study is
on how much you eat affects the weight of your poop.

Noncongruent.

~~~
chc
Not really. The abstract of the study specifically lists improved memory as
one of the effects the mice experienced. There are obviously lots of caveats
you could list (e.g. it's only shown to help mice with chronic stress, not
people or even mice in general), but it doesn't seem incongruous the way
you're describing.

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joshvm
This article should probably be titled "Exercise may prevent memory
degradation under stressful conditions". The study, as reported, doesn't imply
that exercising improves memory, only that it cushions you against stress
which might make you forget things (or cause you difficulty to store things in
the first place).

~~~
mamon
There's also some evidence [1] that exercise promotes hippocampus neurogenesis
in adults, which could improve your memory in more permanent way, not just
remedying stress effects.

[1]
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5281566/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5281566/)

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osivertsson
In Sweden Anders Hansen, a well known psychiatrist and researcher, is pushing
for people to exercise to improve all parts of well-being.

One introduction to his work in english is the TEDxUmeå talk below.

Why the Brain is Built for Movement | Anders Hansen | TEDxUmeå
[https://youtu.be/a9p3Z7L0f0U](https://youtu.be/a9p3Z7L0f0U)

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hacker_9
Mind body connection is real, who knew.

------
wufufufu
(in healthy, male mice)

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Sharma
Not sure about others but I have noticed increase in the number of articles
published on nytimes.com on the front page on HN. And because I am not a paid
user for them, I hardly get to read these articles(it seems they have limit of
free articles/month).

Just curious, as these articles are on the front page(one nytimes article
almost every day), most of the HN community pay for their subscription? Or
there is something else going on e.g. voting ring with paid subscription to
promote and increase their sign up rates?

~~~
jenny_say_qua
I think they just tend to be well written and well researched, so people
upvote them. That being said, if you want to get around the paywall, just open
the link in a private browsing window.

~~~
criddell
Or, you know, subscribe.

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rorykoehler
Why would you pay for what is essentially sophisticated blog spam? The quality
of 95% their 'journalism' is abysmal.

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benbreen
I keep seeing comments like this about NYT and I truly don’t understand where
they’re coming from. And I don’t mean that in a dismissive way, I’m genuinely
curious. Yes, the Economist and the New Yorker often have better writing, but
their authors also have far laxer deadlines. What is the better alternative to
the journalism of the likes of NYT that I am apparently missing? (I’m
referring to English-language dailies here, but it doesn’t have to be US
based).

~~~
dominotw
There is only so much trump news one can read.

> What is the better alternative to the journalism of the likes of NYT

I think HN is a good alternative to any online news site.

