Reddit Reddit reviews Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain

We found 20 Reddit comments about Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

Health, Fitness & Dieting
Books
Exercise & Fitness
Aerobics
Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain
Little Brown and Company
Check price on Amazon

20 Reddit comments about Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain:

u/ShaolinGoldenPalm · 7 pointsr/aspergers

Sorry- that day got quite out of hand. (Not) incidentally, I have moderate-severe ADHD, with all the attendant issues with focus and follow-up. Though I don't have A.S., my husband does, so I've got a multi-faceted perspective on this issue.

I am learning to overcome the ADHD with a system I've designed for myself, from a few different things:

  1. The Pomodoro technique. Basically, you set a timer for 25 minutes, and begin executing a task / objective. When the time goes off, you stop- even if you're not done- and re-set the timer for 5 minutes. You take a 5-minute break. When the timer goes off again, you resume your task, or take stock to make sure that's what you should really be doing. Here's the website, or download a cheat sheet.


  2. Getting Things Done technique; I use the inbox / task flow / ToDo List methods. Combined with the Pomodoro Technique, it's a fail-proof system for ensuring I execute tasks in the order of highest priority, whether I want to do them or not. This system ensures I'm never wasting valuable time on inessential tasks, while elegantly preventing procrastination.

  3. I keep a journal of what I'm doing whenever the Pomodoro timer goes off, below by daily ToDo list. It helps me see when I'm getting off track. The most valuable skill I've learned over the few months I've been doing this is the habit of thinking, "what am I doing right now, and how does it help me achieve my objectives?"

  4. Also, an "Energy management journal:" I track my intake of food, sleep, water, and exercise. Though I don't do anything like graph the data, the act of writing it down holds me accountable, and increases the likelihood that I'll make wise choices. If I'm having an unproductive day/week, I can usually trace it to a preceding disturbance in one of the above habits, so I've learned to take care of myself, if I want to perform well.


    I recommend looking into whether any of the above could help with the challenges you're facing. My husband now swears by the Pomodoro technique; it helps him get started on larger projects, and also stops him every 25 minutes, so he's never hyperfocusing so long that he forgets to eat/sleep, etc.


    Speaking of body maintenance, the most important thing you can do for your overall well-being is exercise. Strength training is preferable, supplemented by cardio, but no matter what you're thinking right now, check out this book. Sticking to a regular weightlifting routine has improved my productivity far more than anything else ever did (even my Adderall prescription). When you feel physically better, far more things are possible. For further reference, check out these books, too.


    Tl,dr; Learn to manage your time & energy; you'll be better equipped to improve your own focus and follow-up. Meanwhile, your former therapist has no excuse.
u/WebDevigner · 7 pointsr/pics

I agree, I should have cited my sources. I myself have severe inattentive ADHD and my information comes from the following sources...

u/dr-perkele · 5 pointsr/askscience

According to this book, yes:

Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain

Program website

Authors homepage

They tried it out in a school and it went from being below average to above average.

u/peterb518 · 4 pointsr/education

Except for a correlation IS a relationship. Though I understand your need for research. I would recommend Spark by Dr. John Ratey and Brain Rules by John Medina. Here's a little web-based snippet of the Exercise chapter from Brain Rules.

u/XOmniverse · 3 pointsr/Fitness

Spark is a really good book on the health benefits of exercise for those who want to know more than the video offers.

u/seasmucker · 3 pointsr/AskReddit

The same guy who wrote Driven to Distraction just wrote another book called Spark which is all about using exercise to control all sorts of mental issues, including ADD.


I like exercise for ADD myself. I think it helps a lot. I hated stimulant medications, and no longer take them. I also changed my life so that I no longer had to do too many things I didn't find interesting. I know that's hard to do, but I can use my hyperfocus to my benefit now.

u/sports__fan · 3 pointsr/AskReddit

> I think pretty much everyone underestimates what basic cardio does for your mind.

At least everyone who hasn't read this book

u/passwordisMAPS · 3 pointsr/AskReddit

It's not exactly fright-or-flight when you're sad.

I've learned that when we become sad it's really just our bodies trying to save as many resources as possible and waste little energy. You can imagine how sadness during hard times became an evolutionary advantage to our ancestors. Depression is a prolonged state of sadness. When people say to do various interesting activities and exercise to deal with sadness and depression, you can see them as good ways to jumpstart our brain out of the "resource saving" mode.

I'm not very good at explaining things so forgive me, I just read books. "Spark" would be a good read for things like this

u/DebentureThyme · 2 pointsr/science

I'm treated for anxiety, depression and ADHD. I've long noticed that the best periods of my life are directly correlated to being far more active.

I recently read a great book on the subject called Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. I'd highly recommend it.

u/HoboViking · 2 pointsr/ADD

Consistent, scheduled exercise helps a lot.

Check out a book called "Spark":

http://www.amazon.com/Spark-Revolutionary-Science-Exercise-Brain/dp/0316113506

u/leoboiko · 2 pointsr/GetMotivated

Not just a matter of beauty. Physical well-being results in improved mental functions as well!

You don’t have to buy into sports or competitive gym culture to feed your brain some good hormones; there are plenty of enjoyable physical things for intellectual types to do, from hiking and backpacking to dance to traditional martial arts. Or just plain running like Murakami.

u/iraems · 2 pointsr/BrainTraining

Not exactly on brain training but "Spark" by John Ratey is interesting study on effects of exercise on the brain.

u/anomoly · 1 pointr/GetMotivated

I recently made the same decision. For ongoing motivation is highly recommend cecking out this book. Just listening to the audio version makes me want to lace up my shoes and head out

u/johnptg · 1 pointr/INTP

No one can balance you out except you. All the answers you are looking for you have to find in yourself before you will be able to find them in someone else.

If you aren't already exercising, start there. I usually make this recommendation because it works for me. Read Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain if you need motivation.

I like to lift weights, swim, and run. I have done Martial Arts in the past but that is typically expensive and not a particularly good workout (unless it includes sparing). If you do these things regularly you will feel good. You will gain confidence. You will meet people.

If you really want to meet people join a team sport. Most of my closest friends I met through sports.

I think exercise and sports are some of the best ways to get myself out of my head and outside in the sunshine.

u/phatPanda · 1 pointr/AskReddit

If you have a little down time, I seriously recommend that you (and everyone) reads a book called Spark by John Ratey. It's an excellent read about the neurobiology of exercise from a psychiatrist who largely looks at exercise and ADHD but extrapolates some of his theories with support from other researchers. Some very cool experiments, and definite food for thought.

u/afelgent · 1 pointr/science

For the science behind this, refer to Ratey's book, Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain

http://www.amazon.com/Spark-Revolutionary-Science-Exercise-Brain/dp/0316113506/ref=sr_1_7/102-8445145-6505732?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190180072&sr=1-7

u/gasbrake · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Read this book (or download the audiobook off Audible), it explains in really interesting terms how exercise strengthens the reward center of the brain. In a nutshell, exercise, at first you might hate it (like your first beer) but eventually you "get it" and you realise how happy building your fitness level can make you.

http://www.amazon.com/Spark-Revolutionary-Science-Exercise-Brain/dp/0316113506

u/[deleted] · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Seriously! Have hope! Have all the hope! When you have depression, it tries to strip you of that hope, but you can't let it win.

What worked for me, if you want to know:

1.) A year of on and off talk therapy once a week (Humanistic). Keep an open mind, sometimes healing will be hard, but it's worth it.


2.) Buying this book. If you have ever taken a psychology course, you'll see pretty quickly that the book was written on the principles of cognitive and behavioral therapies. I had to completely change how I viewed the world, and how I interacted with it, because my depression had clouded my judgement (of myself) for so long.


I did all the journals dutifully, and read the entire book, back to front, sometimes going back and highlighting all the really meaningful parts. I tried out all the organizational tips (They work! I still use them!), and basically applied everything I learned into my life. I was kind of rabid--I wanted to have answers so badly, that I lapped everything up. My life improved pretty dramatically, and so did my self esteem.


3.) I read lots of books (written by psychologists) about things that were specific to my healing. Reach out to other people, especially on the internet. I got most of my book recommendations from people who had gone through similar experiences.


4.) Research depression, especially if you have access to scientific journals. I had already decided that medication wasn't for me--I wanted to see if a lifestyle change was enough. I was really happy to discover that exersize can do more for depression then even modern medication can.


30 mins of cardio, 3 times a week, these studies said, were enough for some people's depression to go into remission. I've never run a day in my life, and I was a little afraid because I had never even passed the mile run in school, but my boyfriend is a runner so I wanted to give it a chance. Please do give it a chance.


I downloaded Couch25k on my iphone, and practically died on the first day. I didn't give up though, and 9 weeks later I ran my first 5k. I saw improvements in my mood in just a couple of weeks though. Running was the straw on the camels back that completely punched my depression in the face.


I still run 3 times a week for 30 minutes, because I know that keeping myself active is what has been keeping me motivated, happy and on the right track. You just have to believe in yourself. How can you be proud of yourself if you've never done anything? So you do something, even though your depression doesn't want you to, and you keep doing it until you've done all you can.

A book I recommend that explains more: Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain

TL;DR: Have hope. Do your own research and talk to a therapist. There are a couple book recommendations that I have for people with depression: Here and Here. Download couch25k on your phone and work your ass off 3 times a week. Profit.

u/bigleslie · 1 pointr/pics