The Secret to Keeping Your Brain Sharper, Longer
Yes. There is a secret to keeping your brain sharper, longer. I’ll tell you what it is upfront. It’s stress relief. Stress damages the brain in every way that cognition can be measured. That’s a fact.
We’re celebrating Brain Awareness Week this week. It’s a good time to talk about stress relief, hot tubbing and the effects on the brain.
There’s no bigger brain expert in the Northwest than Dr. John Medina who holds dual professorships at the University of Washington and Seattle Pacific. We’ve been long time fans of his and have gone to his one day seminar on the brain. Turns out, he is an Olympic Hot Tub customer! He and his wife own a hot tub from Olympic.
His book, “Brain Rules” is a must read for the health and preservation of your most precious asset-your brain. In “Brain Rules” , he outlines 12 rules for taking care of your brain.
#3 is STRESS as in stress reduction! Dr. Medina has documented the effects on the brain while under stress. Learning is far diminished and the brain can’t function at it’s normal rate.
Did you know that stress damages cognition in every way that cognition can be measured? The human brain is designed to function when we’re walking 20 km a day and eating small bites along the way. That’s the opposite of what we do to ourselves in a sedentary world punctuated with big meals at long intervals. To survive, the brain needs increased blood flow. Aerobic exercise is a key! And, soaking, yes, soaking in your hot tub will help, too.
BIG NEWS: Hot tub soaking increases circulation!
I’m not suggesting that you give up aerobic activity in favor of sitting and soaking. But think about the physiology of hot tub soaking.
When you’re immersed in hot water water, the volume of blood in your chest cavity and in your heart increases dramatically. This is due to the hydrostatic pressure on your body and the effects of being in a buoyant state. Your heart’s ability to pump blood goes up, while at the same time, your heart rate goes down. Your cardiovascular system becomes far more efficient, and that affects just about every function of the human body including the brain.
BRAIN AWARENESS WEEK March 12-18, 2012 is a once a year reminder to take care of your marvelous, miraculous, incredible brain! Don’t neglect it the rest of the year. Aerobic exercise and stress relief by hot tubbing will keep your brain sharp, longer.
SANUM PER AQUA. Latin for Health Through Water.
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Check out Dr. John Medina’s lecture at Google for a comprehensive look at his research.
