Effective Thinking

In the October 29, 2017 edition of the New York Times, the article “Thinking on Your Feet” got my attention. A professor of exercise and health promotion at Arizona State University in Phoenix recruited 9 sedentary males and females who were overweight. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the following. During one visit the subjects sat for eight hours while using a computer and/or talking on the phone. Twice during the day, they also completed computerized measures of many thinking drills, including working memory and decision-making. During three other visits, the volunteers broke up there sitting time by standing, walking, at a treadmill desk or pedaling on a modified stationary bicycle placed beneath their desks for at least 10 minutes once an hour. The exercise was a gentle- walking pace, a 1 mph or comparable effort while pedaling. These subjects typed and chatted during these breaks. They also repeated the tests of thinking, memory, and decision-making twice each day immediately after standing or exercising. Previous research suggests that prolonged sitting is related to a higher risk for obesity and heart disease. We also know that exercise is better than sitting. Would standing or exercising, impair the ability to concentrate and think? The findings with this limited group of subjects showed that exercise breaks statistically improved scores on the tests .Specifically, it helped with the kinds of thinking skills that help individuals perform their jobs well- Immediately after standing or moving for 10 minutes or more. The volunteers performed better on all tests of thinking compared to those that sat all day. The gains were greatest for those subjects that peddled their desk bikes. Critically, employing only nine overweight individuals and referring to those tasks as exercise is questionable, to say the least. Be careful about generalizing from this study. However, many years ago I eliminated sitting at my computer, and even thought about the idea of developing and marketing a special desk. Secondly, I actually exercise on my trail runs, that last one and a half hours to five hours at a time. I believe, on a subject of one, that my thinking, memory, and ability to organize without interruptions improves greatly. Often, the outline or writing one of my posts happens during my time on the trail. As I said in the past, keep moving.