Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain

by John J. Ratey, Eric Hagerman (Contributor)

A groundbreaking and fascinating investigation into the transformative effects of exercise on the brain, from the bestselling author and renowned psychiatrist John J. Ratey, MD.

Did you know you can beat stress, lift your mood, fight memory loss, sharpen your intellect, and function better than ever simply by elevating your heart rate and breaking a sweat? The evidence is incontrovertible: Aerobic exercise physically remodels our brains for peak performance.

In Spark, John J. Ratey, M.D., embarks upon a fascinating and entertaining journey through the mind-body connection, presenting startling research to prove that exercise is truly our best defense against everything from depression to ADD to addiction to aggression to menopause to Alzheimer's.

Filled with amazing case studies (such as the revolutionary fitness program in Naperville, Illinois, which has put this school district of 19,000 kids first in the world of science test scores), Spark is the first book to explore comprehensively the connection between exercise and the brain. It will change forever the way you think about your morning run -- -or, for that matter, simply the way you think.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Science, Psychology, Self Help, Fitness, Audiobook

305 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Dr. Ratey and Dr. Hallowell began studying ADHD in the 1980s and co-authored Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood through Adulthood (1994), the first in a series of books that demystify the disorder. Dr. Ratey also co-authored Shadow Syndromes (1997) with Catherine Johnson, PhD, in which he describes the phenomenon of milder forms of clinical disorders.

Dr. John J. Ratey, M.D., is an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and has a private practice in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

from johnratey.com

Reviews

[Clif Hostetler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exercise is the single most powerful tool available to optimize brain function. That is the message from this book. Everybody knows that exercise creates a fit body, but what many forget is that the brain is part of the body too. Modern science has been able to learn much about how the brain works, and has even tracked neurogenesis (i.e. new cell growth) in the brain in response to exercise. The old saying, "Once your brain cells die, they can’t grow back," is a myth.

This book has chapters about the effect of exercise on learning, stress, anxiety, depression, ADHD, addiction, hormonal changes and aging. The author explains how exercise helps in each condition. Exercise is truly a miracle drug, and you can bet the drug companies are working hard to capture some of its benefits in a pill. But the body's (and brain's) reaction to exercise is so complex, multifaceted and exquisitely balanced as to make it certain to never be fully captured within a pill.

It should be no surprise that humans respond positively to exercise. We're descendants of hunter-gatherers who were optimized over thousands of years by evolution to walk and run around the equivalent of many miles per day (i.e. the couch potato of the caveman era died young).

I've decided to include in this review more than the usual amount of excerpts from the book for my future reference. I may need this info to motivate myself in the future.

This book's focus is exercise, but the author slips a few comments in about nutrition that caught my eye:

Low-carb diets may help you lose weight, but they're not good for your brain. Whole grains have complex carbohydrates that supply a steady flow of energy rather than the spike and crash of simple sugars, and they're necessary to transport amino acids such as tryptophan into the brain.

The brain is made up of more than 50 percent fat, so fats are important too, as long as they're the right kind. Trans fat, animal fat, and hydrogenated oils gum up the works, but the omega-3s found in fish are enormously beneficial. Population studies have shown that countries in which people eat a lot of fish have lower incidence of bipolar disorder. And some people use omega-3s as a stand-alone treatment for mood disorders and ADHD. One study showed that people who eat fish once a week slow the yearly rate of cognitive decline by 10 percent. The Framingham Heart Study followed nine hundred people for nine years and found that those who ate three meals with fish oil per week were half as likely to develop dementia. Omega-3s lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and neuronal inflammation, and they elevate the immune response and BDNF levels.

Because of my age I have particular interest in quotations from the book regarding issues related to aging. The following is an extended excerpt from the book (pages 233-237) where the author summarizes the ways in which exercise mitigates the human aging process.

THE LIFE LIST

Much of the public discourse on aging focuses on baby boomers becoming senior citizens and the belief that their vast numbers will take an unprecedented toll on the health care system, in the form of dementia and other costly health problems. But I don’t believe we’re stuck with this picture of doom and gloom. Despite my generation’s familiarity with fast food and pay per view, we also came of age with Kenneth Cooper’s revolutionary concept of aerobics. Unlike previous generations, we recognized how a healthy heart and healthy lungs stave off disease, and we know our way around the gym. My mother just happened to have the good habit of walking, and even Harold, the eighty-year-old skier from Michigan, isn’t terribly well versed in matters of health and fitness. He once asked the trainer June Smedley what was causing a muscle twitch, and when she suggested it might be dehydration, he scoffed, saying, “I drink lots of fluid--coffee, milk and wine!”

I have faith that when people come to recognize how their lifestyle can improve their health span--living better, not simply longer--they will, at the very least, be more inclined to stay active. And when they come to accept that exercise is as important for the brain as it is for the heart, they’ll commit to it. Here’s how exercise keeps you going:

1. It strengthens the cardiovascular system. A strong heart and lungs reduce resting blood pressure. The result is less strain on the vessels in the body and the brain. There are a number of mechanisms at work here. First, contracting muscles during exercise releases growth factors such as VEGF and fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2). Aside from their role in helping neurons bind and promoting neurogenesis, they trigger a molecular chain reaction that produces endothelial cells, which make up the inner lining of blood vessels and thus are important for building new ones. These inroads expand the vascular network, bringing each area of the brain that much closer to a lifeline and creating redundant circulation routes that protect against future blockages. Second, exercise introduces more nitric oxide, a gas that widens the vessels’ passageways to boost blood volume. Third, the increased blood flow during moderate to intense activity reduces hardening of the brain arteries. Finally, exercise can to some extent counteract vascular damage. Stroke victims and even Alzheimer’s patients who participate in aerobic exercise improve their scores on cognitive tests. Starting when you’re young is best, but it’s never too late.


2. It regulates fuel. Researchers at the Karolinska Institute conducted a nine-year study of 1,173 people over age seventy-five. None of them had diabetes, but those with high glucose levels were 77 percent more likely to develop Alzheimer’s

.

As we age, insulin levels drop; and glucose has a harder time getting into the cells to fuel them. Then glucose can skyrocket, which creates waste products in the cells--such as free radicals--and damages blood vessels, putting us at risk for stroke and Alzheimer’s. When everything is balanced, insulin works against the buildup of amyloid plaque, but too much encourages the buildup, as well as inflammation, damaging surrounding neurons.



Exercise increases levels of insullin-like growth factor (IGF-1), which regulates insulin in the body and improves synaptic plasticity in the brain. By drawing down surplus fuel, exercise also bolsters our supply of BDNF, which is reduced by high glucose.


3. It reduces obesity. Aside from wreaking havoc on the cardiovascular and metabolic systems, body fat has its own nasty effects on the brain. The CDC estimates that 73 percent of Americans over sixty-five are overweight, and given the potential problems obesity can lead to--from cardiovascular disease to diabetes--the agency is right in declaring it a pandemic. Simply being overweight doubles the chances of developing dementia, and if we factor in high blood pressure and high cholesterol--symptoms that often come along with obesity--the risk increases sixfold. When people retire, they figure they deserve a break after working their whole lives, and they start piling on the food. but what they don’t realize is that having dessert with every meal is no treat. Exercise, naturally, counteracts obesity on two fronts: it burns calories, and it reduces appetite.


4. It elevates your stress threshold. Exercise combats the corrosive effects of too much cortisol, a product of chronic stress that can bring on depression and dementia. It also bolsters neurons against excess glucose, free radicals, and the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate, all necessary, but they can damage cells if left unchecked. Waste accumulates and junks up the cellular machinery, and it starts turning out dangerous products--damaged proteins and broken fragments of DNA that trigger that latent and ultimately inevitable process of cell death that defines aging. Exercise makes proteins that fix the damage and delay the process. 


5. It lifts your mood. More neurotransmitters, neurotrophins, and connectivity shore up the hippocampus against the atrophy associated with depression and anxiety. And a number of studies have shown that keeping our mood up reduces our chances of developing dementia. The evidence applies not only to clinical depression but also to general attitude. Staying mobile also allows us to stay involved, keep up with people, and make new friends; social connections are important in elevating and sustaining mood.


6. It boosts in immune system. Stress and age depress the immune response, and exercise strengthens it directly in two important ways. First, even moderate activity levels rally the immune system’s antibodies and lymphocytes, which you probably know as T cells. Antibodies attack bacterial and viral infections, and having more T cells make the body more alert to the development of conditions such a s cancer. Population studies bear this out: The most consistent risk factor for cancer is lack of activity. Those who are physically active, for instance, have a 50 percent lower chance of developing colon cancer.



Second, part of the immune system’s job is to activate cells that fix damaged tissue. When it’s out of whack, these damaged spots fester, and you’re left with chronic inflammation. This is why, if you’re over fifty, your blood will be tested for C-reactive proteins as part of your standard physical. These proteins are a sign of chronic Alzheimer’s. Exercise brings the immune system back into equilibrium so it can sop inflammation and combat disease.


7. It fortifies your bones. Osteoporosis doesn’t have much to do with the brain, but it’s important to mention because you need a strong carriage to continue exercising as you age, and it is a largely preventable disease.



Osteoporosis afflicts twenty million women and two million men in this country. More women every year die from hip fractures--a vulnerability of osteoporosis--than from breast cancer. Women reach peak bone mass at around thirty, and after that they lose about 1 percent a year until menopause, when the pace doubles. The result is that by age sixty, about 30 percent of a woman’s bone mass has disappeared. Unless, that is, she takes calcium and vitamin D (which comes free with ten minutes of morning sun a day) and does some form of exercise or strength training to stress the bones. Walking doesn’t quite do the job--save that for later in life. But as a young adult, weight training or any sport that involves running or jumping will counteract the natural loss. the degree to which you can prevent the loss is impressive: one study found that women can double their leg strength in just a few months of weight training. Even women in their nineties can improve their strength and prevent this heartbreaking disease.


8. It boosts motivation. The road to successful aging really begins with desire, because without the desire to stay engaged and active ad alive, people quickly fall into the death trap of being sedentary and solitary. One of the problems of getting older is the lack of challenges, but with exercise we can continually improve and push ourselves.

Exercise counteracts the natural decline of dopamine, the key neurotransmitter in the motivation and motor systems. When you move, you’re inherently boosting motivation by strengthening the connections between dopamine neurons, while at the same time guarding against Parkinson’s. This really underscores the idea that if you’re not busy living, your body will be busy dying. It’s important to have plans and goals and appointments, and this is why sports such as golf and tennis are great. They require constant self-monitoring and the motivation to improve.


9. It fosters neuroplasticity. The best way to guard against neurodegenerative diseases is to build a strong brain. Aerobic exercise accomplishes this by strengthening connections between your brain cells, creating more synapses to expand the web of connections, and spurring newly born stem cells to divide and become functional neurons in the hippocampus. Moving the body keeps the brain growing by elevating the supply of neurotrophic factors necessary for neuroplasticity and neurogenesis, which should otherwise naturally diminish with age. Contracting your muscles releases factors such as VEGF, FGF-2, and IGF-1 that make their way from the body into the brain and aid in the process. All these structural changes improve your brain’s ability to learn and remember, execute higher thought processes, and manage your emotions. The more robust the connections, the better prepared your brain will be to handle and damage it might experience. 



I don't think it's necessary to understand what all those terms mean, but if they bother you it's possible to Google them in most cases.

The following quote is about the relationship between exercise and dementia.

Population studies support the evidence that exercise holds off dementia. In one about 1500 people from Finland originally surveyed in the 1970s and again 21 years later when they were between 65 and 79 years old. Those who had exercised at least twice a week were 50% less likely to have dementia. What's particularly interesting is that the relationship between regular activity and the onset of dementia was even more pronounced among those carrying the ApoE4 gene. The researchers suggest that one explanation might be that their brains neuro-protective systems are naturally compromised by the gene variant making life style particularly important. The bottom line ... is that all we can do at the present time is modify the environmental factors to get the best out of the whatever genes we have.

My only disappointment with the book is that it doesn't say that writing long book reviews is good for the brain.

[Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill) · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a person who wants to exercise daily but unfortunately procrastinates it every time, this is the best book you can read. It will motivate you to exercise regularly by telling you all advantages of doing exercise in the best possible manner with the help of adequate scientific data from multiple research studies. In some areas, we can even see the author using philosophical musings to convince us regarding it.

"What makes aerobic exercise so powerful is that it's our evolutionary method of generating that spark. It lights a fire on every level of your brain, from stoking up the neurons' metabolic furnaces to forging the very structures that transmit information from one synapse to the next."

"Exercise is as effective as certain medications for treating anxiety and depression."

"Exercise is another tool at your disposal, and it's handy because it's something you can prescribe for yourself."

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[Ensiform · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author attempts to explain for the layman, but ends up using masses of neurological jargon and acronyms, about the role exercise plays in sharpening our mental processes. Boiling it down to the basics: moving our muscles produces proteins that play roles in neurogenesis and the repair of synapses. It also helps the production of hormones such as serotonin and norepinephrine that regulate mood. Therefore, Ratey argues, daily sustained aerobic exercise is a sure cure-all for depression, ADHD, the ravages of aging, raging hormones in menopausal women, addiction, phobias, etc.

He makes his point with study after study, but this certainly could have been a more readable book. First, as noted, Ratey can’t help using baffling medical jargon like LTP (long-term potentiation, or the ability to attach synapses), BDNF (a protein that strengthens brain cells), cortisol, dendrite, VEGF (growth factor), all of which is overwhelming for the average reader. Some of it could easily have been skipped to no detriment to the argument. Second, he then becomes repetitive. In each chapter, he explains how studies show that movement elevates these receptors, factors, and proteins; but really, once is enough. I think the book would have been improved had it had an introductory chapter that showed the hard science, then focused on case studies, for example, only making passing references to the science chapter as needed. Instead, Ratey seems to think he must explain the biological processes each time. Third, he comes off as a zealot, and he has the unfortunate blinders of a zealot: he recommends, without fail, 45 minutes of sustained aerobic activity four days a week, two days of intensive aerobic activity, with focus on strength training, balance, new skill sets (so karate or yoga rather than just running), and social interaction. Yes, I’m sure that would be fantastic, but it’s preposterously unrealistic for the average American, let alone one recovering from addiction or depression. Certainly, Ratey notes often enough that people should start out slow, consult their doctor, and so on, but it’s clear he has no patience for anything but the highest level of activity, and devotes almost no space to developing a slow, reasonable build-up to fitness. The information is good and the science interesting, and Ratey may be perfectly reliable, but the tone of his book is something like that of a cult member or a car salesman.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gets a bit repetitive after awhile (I quit after reading about 3/4 of it), and the conclusions he drew from some of the research studies seemed to really be stretching what you could reasonably conclude from the actual results.

But it did convince me that I had to start exercising after being pretty sedentary for the last 4 or 5 years. And six months later, I'm still convinced and still exercising...so I guess it had a bigger positive impact on my life than most things I read.

[Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're the kind of person who needs to be intellectually convinced by mountains of research to confirm something you already know - as I am - and you're trying desperately to start a regular exercise habit - as I am - you need to run and get this book, like, yesterday. I'm actually very serious: I have a very athletic husband, who is the epitome of healthy living, as an example in front of me every day; I've read tons of articles about the benefits of exercise, and have known for practically my whole life the importance of getting my body moving. But my mind resisted, and has just never really gotten with the program, so to speak...

Between another book I've read recently, about outwitting your resistant mind ("Mini-Habits"), and this book, which goes into fascinating detail about the importance of exercise for absolutely everyone, I think I'm finally starting to be willing to "drink the Koolaid." I think the way Ratey has organized the book, with an opening about the life-changing results of exercise for high school kids, to chapters discussing the advantages of exercise for many different conditions - including anxiety, ADHD, depression, addiction, menopause and aging - there is really something in here for everyone. I could think of at least five family members, myself included, who could benefit from reading this book, and since every family has medical conditions that exercise could most certainly help, the information given here is worth reading by anyone who wants to be happier and, most importantly, healthier. I'm sold. Very highly recommended.

[CoachJim · Rating 4 out of 5]

We all know that exercise makes us feel better, but most of us have no idea why. We assume it’s because we’re burning off stress or reducing muscle tension or boosting endorphins, and we leave it at that. But the real reason we feel so good when we get our blood pumping is that it makes the brain function at its best, and in my view, this benefit of physical activity is far more important—and fascinating—than what it does for the body.
Spark: The Revolutionary New science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey (Page 3)

This book is an example of “Preaching to the Choir.” Most readers who pick up this book already know the benefits of exercise. However, this book is going to explain the science about those benefits and how they affect the brain.

The book opens with a visit to Naperville Central High School in Illinois where a young physical education teacher is introducing Zero Hour PE class as an educational experiment. The object of this experiment is to see if physical activity “sparks biological changes that encourage brain cells” creating an environment in which the brain is able to learn. Here there is a unique approach to physical education. The goal is to teach fitness instead of sports. They use a heart monitor to measure effort instead of performance. Students are graded on their effort not their achievement. They use “small-sided sports” like three-on-three basketball or four-on-four soccer to eliminate a lot of the inactivity found in most sports.

In 2002 the No Child Left Behind Act was enacted because the United States educational system was no longer competitive with other countries. It put a special focus on math, science, and English. The result was that schools cut back on daily physical education classes (in addition to music and art). (A major criticism is that schools began teaching with the standardize test as a target, further impairing the learning ability of students—that is a personal opinion.)

The author reports on the results of an international standards test called TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) to measure the achievement resulting from this innovative Physical Education class. Students from China, Japan, and Singapore have outperformed American students in this test in recent years. In 1999 Naperville’s eighth graders took the test and finished sixth in math and first in science. As a whole, U.S. students ranked eighteenth in science and nineteenth in math. (Page 14) In addition, the school district consistently ranks among the top ten schools in Illinois. The author explains that this is not a result of per-pupil spending, or the income level of the community. The same results have been shown in Titusville, Pennsylvania which is not a wealthy community.

The next chapter in this book examines the affect of exercise on the brain to enhance learning. Here the science is explained. There is a lot of scientific jargon used to explain how this improves the brain’s potential for processing new information. The science used here seems to be repeated in each of the subsequent chapters dealing with Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Attention Deficit, Addiction and Aging. In a nutshell it seems that exercise increases the blood flow to the brain allowing the brain to build and strengthen the connections it needs to deal with these conditions. The author uses the term “Miracle-Gro” to describe this effect.

One takeaway from the book is that does not mention longevity. This book is about enhancing the quality of life not prolonging it. Its purpose is to keep the brain healthy so that you can enjoy doing the things you like for as long as you have.

Long before the benefit of scientific proof, the stern women of my upbringing fixated on the three pillars of a healthy lifestyle: diet, exercise, and staying mentally active. In that sense, the prescription for living a long and rich life hasn’t changed much. But now we know so much about the why and how that it’s hard to ignore the advice. (Page 238)

[Olive Fellows (abookolive) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exercise is medicine. I know if you're not used to getting in regular workouts, you may balk at that, even if you've been told a million times just how good exercise is for you. But let this book give you the science of why it'll fix you (no, really) and let me tell you from my own personal experience, over 130 lbs down from my heaviest known weight - it'll transform your life. Just give it a chance to.

[Hans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible read. Everyone knows the benefits of exercise on the muscles and heart but now studies have discovered what it does to the brain, which is even more impressive.

The last couple of years has had an explosion of Neuroscience books. What is even more unbelievable is that the researchers have actually decided to share what they are discovering in a way anyone can understand instead of the typical closed circle of academia.

To some extent the discoveries aren't surprising, but then it is always nice to actually have hard-evidence for something many people just intuited. With this book as well as a few others I have now adopted the paradigm of the baseline human body template being that of a stone-age hunter/gatherer. In the stages of evolution of the human body and mind we spent most of our time in that time period, with our bodies being finely tuned to that lifestyle. Now anytime we deviate too far from that active lifestyle and diet we start to experience the detrimental effects. Our sedentary easy-access-to-processed-food lifestyles are in direct contradiction to what our bodies were optimized for hence all the multitude of obvious ailments plaguing the industrialized world.

The latest studies have revealed

1) Exercise helps produce the chemicals in the brain that grow new neurons in the brain, increasing our learning aptitude.

2) Exercise regulates and balances the multitude of chemicals and hormones in our brain that directly affect our mood, specifically depression. Cognitive therapy works on depression from the pre-frontal cortex down, and anti-depressant medication works from the brain stem up, exercise attacks depression from both the top and the bottom, as well as re-wiring and re-structuring the brain, causing long-term changes.

3) It helps people with ADHD improve their ability to focus.

4) It helps anyone struggling with addiction to gain the strength, motivation to over come it.

4) Women get more for less with exercise, it helps balance all the fluctuations brought on from the different cycles of hormone levels from menstruation, pregnancy, post-postpartum, and menopause.

5) It helps old people prevent Alzheimer's, dementia, osteoporosis. As well as keeping their energy levels higher, improving their mood, and helping with their mental acuity.

All in all, if there was one silver bullet that magically possessed all humans needed to thrive and be healthy both mentally and physically exercise would be it. Our bodies and minds work best when they are moving.

[Apoorva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now, it is a universal fact that exercise is good for you. It’s been said and done so what’s so different about this book? Well, 'Spark' dives deeper and attempts to find out the effect of exercise on the brain. The book provides a detailed explanation of how different parts of the brain work on a biological level to carry out the everyday functions and what part of the brain is responsible for different tasks. We get to learn how the brain is able to function at a cellular level like how the neurons communicate with each other to carry the signal that governs our actions. It was interesting to know how the role of different neurotransmitters and how exercise helps to balance them out.

If you’re a sucker for facts and scientific explanation, the book’s got you covered. The author cites numerous studies, experiments, and research done along with the examples from the life of his patients to present the various findings with a detailed explanation. He has specifically mentioned places where there isn’t much research done and hence, no concrete conclusion can be drawn from it.

This book is simple and straightforward. I went into it with a view to get to know more about the effects of exercise on the brain but learned a lot of important things about the working of the brain. The important thing I learned is that brain can be analogous to a muscle: it can change and improve, it grows with use but withers due to inactivity like it follows the principle ‘use it or lose it’. For people out there, the points stated in the book about how exercise affects your learning and how it can improve your physical and mental health will certainly be a powerful motivator to get them to adopt the habit of exercising in their daily life.

One of the most important things I learned from this book is how intimately our mind and body are connected and in order to function properly, we need to create an environment where everything is in balance. Getting to know more about the working of your brain will help you realize that there’s a biological basis for certain issues and you will feel a sense of control when you know how you can influence that biology.

Exercise is a readily available tool which we can utilize to enhance our life. You just need to take the first step and ignite that spark. As someone who works out 5-6 days a week and eats clean, I can vouch for all the benefits of exercise as I’ve already seen them first hand. If you’re someone who wants to start your own fitness journey and need a little push, this book will be really helpful and inspiring.

Check out the detailed review:

[David Rubenstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a review of much of the research that has been published in the past decade or so, on the subject of exercise's effects on the brain. It is an absolutely first-rate book. I have read a lot about how exercise improves one's mood. But I had not realized the many other benefits to one's brain, intelligence, memory, problem solving, that are induced by exercise. The very first chapter describes how a strong school exercise program has benefited an entire school district. Exercise can actually induce physical enhancements to the brain, for example, increase the volume of the hypothalamus by up to 30%. This book is quite amazing--highly recommended!

[Niki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was well written and extremely persuasive. It got me back into fitness again & I'm thankful.

[Mario Tomic · Rating 4 out of 5]

The big idea of the book is very simple: Physical activity is a necessary part of our evolution to develop ourselves both physically and mentally. John Ratey, the author, starts the book with a hypothesis that we have developed superior brains because we're creatures that need to move to find food. Adding on to that exercise keeps us sharp through several neuro-pathways that helps us learn the best ways to manage our food, predict how our environments work and remember all of this for the future use. In essence the connection between physical activity and learning is hardwired into the brain's circuitry.
The book then dives into the damaging effects of the modern sedentary lifestyle and goes into dozens of studies presenting positive effects of exercise on learning, stress management, anxiety, depression, ADHD, addiction, hormonal changes, and aging related conditions such as Alzheimer's Disease. Every single one of these conditions can be massively improved through exercise.
One thing about this book that might put off a lot of people is that it's quite technical and goes into A LOT of studies and case studies. That makes the book a big harder to digest, and adding to that the whole message of the book which is basically "Exercise is good for you." could probably be presented in a more attractive way.
At the same time I really enjoyed the details, I think it does help the reader to "buy-in" more into exercise as a lifestyle as the benefits are enormous no matter what age, gender or lifestyle you have right now.
I would definitely recommend this book if you're not sure what exercise does because you'll learn all the ways how it shapes your brain, and the benefits it has to living a happier and more fulfilled life.

[Roy Lotz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I opened this book thinking that, because I exercise consistently, and because I like being praised for my intellect, I was in for a festival of self-congratulation. After all, according to Ratey (Hagerman helped with the writing but the book is Ratey’s brainchild), I am doing everything right—or close enough—and I should be reaping massive cognitive and emotional benefits from my exercise routine. Even so, I found myself curiously disappointed as I read.

One irksome quality is just the style. I got the impressions that the authors couldn’t decide whether they were writing a book of popular science or self-help, and so it veers wildly from dry explanations of neuroscience to the sorts of simplistic self-help miracle stories about how this or that person turned their whole life around with this one simple trick.

Now, I normally enjoy reading about science. But the explanations in this book are stuffed with jargon, while at the same time being rather sketchy—a combination that made it, for me, all but impenetrable. Here is an example:

ANP is secreted by heart muscles when we exercise, and it makes its way through the blood-brain barrier. Once inside, it attaches to receptors in the hypothalamus to modulate HPA axis activity. (ANP is also produced directly in the brain, by neurons in the locus coeruleus and in the amygdala—both key players in stress and anxiety.)

And so on. Perhaps this will make me sound very ignorant, but most of the science boiled down to: exercise makes the body produce chemical X, which is beneficial to the brain.

In any case, I concur with another reviewer that the explanations were also quite repetitive. I suppose that the authors wanted each chapter to potentially be read as a stand-alone statement; but as a result, the same principles were explained again and again, somehow not becoming any clearer. What is more, so many of the studies cited were performed on rats, the results of which do not always translate neatly to humans.

But perhaps I did not like the book as much as I expected because it did not resonant with my own experience. Three years ago, I went from hardly ever exercising to running four or five times a week. However, I really cannot say that I feel mentally sharper, or significantly calmer, or even less anxious than I did before. (Ratey promises quite a lot!) If anything, I feel slightly dumber.

I also was irked by the overly optimistic tone. One would think that half the world’s problems would be solved in the course of a short jog. Yet there are many people, I am sure, for whom exercise is a form of self-punishment, or spurred by unhealthy body images, or a way to puff up the ego, or merely a form of escapism—channeling unresolved emotional issues into physical pain. I do not point this out to discourage exercise, you understand, only to make the obvious point that it is no cure-all.

In any case, my own experience cannot disprove statistical conclusions. And I do think that Ratey ultimately makes a strong case that exercise is beneficial to our brains as well as our bodies. Even if exercise did make me slightly dumber, the benefits to my bodily well-being (and I do feel physically better!) alone make it worthwhile.

[Sambasivam Mani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must-Read book. At this modern age bad habits and laziness are killing people. To save lives and have a healthy life exercise is must. This book reveals the secret that exercise will strengthen our brain and body together.

People who are addicted to bad habits get addicted to it because they need the pleasure to overcome depression, anger, stress and pain. This book tells us how to avoid bad habits and start exercising. People who thinks that exercise is an additional work or burden should read this book and understand the importance of exercise and how it can change their life. Physical activities change biological reaction in the body. People who do regular exercise stay on top on a country level - which includes technology, sports, etc.

Exercise is a preventive medicine as well as an antidote. Exercise particularly affects our executive function - planning, organization, initiate or delay a response, consequence evaluation, learning from mistake, maintain the focus, working memory and it helps us to access the front part of the brain
(prefrontal cortex - both right and left) and increases the learning ability. Author of book (John J. Ratey) talks about a particular kind of Squat which helps to increase the learning ability by concentrating on prefrontal cortex.

Pain is related to depression and exercise is an antidepressant. Depression is defined by an absence of moving toward anything, and exercise is the way to divert those negative signals and trick the brain into coming out of hibernation.

Inactivity kills muscles and brain. however exercise helps our body to grow muscles, grow brain tissues and avoids aging.

Learned the importance of mind-body connection and the idiom "Prevention is better than cure".

Author talks about different factors which plays a major role in our body.

BDNF - Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
IGF-1 - Insulin-like Growth Factor
FGF-2 - Fibroblast Growth Factor
VEGF - Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor
DBS - Deep Brain Stimulation
ECT - ElectroConvulsive Therapy
TMS - Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
PET - Positron-Emission tomography
ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
VTA - Ventral Tegmental Area.
DDAT - Dyslexia, Dyspraxia & Attention Treatment
DDR - Dance Dance Revolution
LTP - Long Time Potentiation
LLPDD - Late Luteal Phase Dysphoric Disorder
CBT - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
PMDD - Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
GAGA - Glutamate and Gamma-aminobutyric Acid
EPDS - Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale
HRT - Hormone Replacement Therapy
CDC - Centers for Disease Control

This books explains why it is good to maintain health as it helps us to stay away from disease and helps us to recover fast when affected with disease.

On the whole, Better Fitness = Better Results = Better Performance.

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be fair, I skimmed this book for bits that were relevant to me. I read chapter 3: Stress, very carefully. It was a revelation to discover that the body actually creates glucose as part of the stress reaction, and shuts down cells from processing it so that it remains available for immediate energy, leftover from back when stress was always physical danger.

All sorts of connections to my own health - made.

"One of the ways exercise optimizes energy usage is by triggering the production of more receptors for insulin. In the body, having more receptors means better use of blood glucose and stronger cells. Best of all, the receptors stay there, which means the newfound efficiency gets built in. If you exercise regularly, and the population of insulin receptors increases if there is a drop in blood sugar or blood flow, the cell will still be able to squeeze enough glucose out of the bloodstream to keep working. Also, exercise increases IGF-1, which helps insulin manage glucose levels."

[Beth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Let me save you time and money: if you exercise, your brain will benefit. That's it. That's all you need to know and you don't need to listen to the horrible narrator drone on with the poorly written book. I want my money and time back, and I rarely feel that way.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a gym teacher, I am all about movement. I want my kids to be active and engaged for as much of class as possible. But even though I was already on the exercise bandwagon, I had no idea how extensive the benefits of exercise really are. In Spark, John Ratey explains why the benefits of exercise to the heart, lungs, and muscles, are secondary to the benefits of exercise to the brain. The first chapter is the most engaging, where he shows how a few rogue school systems boosted test scores and lowered behavioral issues by introducing morning exercise programs. One school scored in the top 5 in the world in math and science.

The book gets progressively more boring. Each chapter following deals with a specific issue: depression, anxiety, ADHD, women's health, aging, etc. And in these chapters Ratey provides tons of research that explains, in maddeningly boring detail, what exactly exercise does to alleviate issue X.

The main takeaway from Spark is that humans are creatures that are meant to move, and exercising balances us out in untold ways. It literally makes your brain a higher functioning organ, which makes your self a better self. So exercise. There, I just saved you 271 pages of reading.

The other, less important takeaway was that humans do terrible, awful things to rats in the name of research. Poor rats.

Ultimately, Spark is an important book, but one that is a slog unless this issue is one that fascinates you.

[Bianca A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

First published in 2008 by PhD and M.D. John J. Ratey, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of many other awesome books.
I enjoyed reading in detail about what goes on in the brain during various kinds of exercises performed regularly, as well as the overall body benefits. The preventive effects of neural degeneration have been outstanding. Exercise helps with alleviating the effects of stress, it helps with focus and with curbing withdrawal effects of addiction.
Age, indeed, should never be considered a barrier to exercise.
If you want to be healthy but struggle with your "why" when it comes to exercise, read this book. It definitely deserve the praise that it gets.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm torn on the number of stars I want to give this book. I love the message of the book and it has truly changed the way I think about exercise! = 4/5 stars. But, as a non-scientist, I felt bogged down by the (loooong) sections that tried to explain how certain processes work in the brain. = 2/3 stars. He "proves" his theories with all the scientific stuff, but I'd honestly rather just take his word for it than have him try to explain it. Even though I listened to every word, I pretty much still had to take his word for it, because I didn't understand what he was explaining. What I did like was the case studies, especially of the school in the first chapter. At this school, P.E. grades are based on effort, not skill, as determined by heart rate monitors. As a slow and uncoordinated athlete (he he) I embrace that concept!!

I am already in the habit of exercising nearly every day, as is my husband. I already encourage my kids to be active: I strictly limit the amount of time they spend on screens; they're all in sports on a weekly or more basis (except for my youngest); I take them swimming, to the park, on bike rides etc. I already knew exercise is good for the body and mind but this book takes it to the next level. Basically the author says exercising literally grows brain cells. As you move your body, you move your brain connections. Exercise today puts a deposit in your brain's bank account for your golden years. I believe it and am even more motivated to stay active and to keep my kids active. I feel validated as a mom battling against screens for my kids. (Sorry, kids!) Oh, except I have to say, now I'm thinking about getting Just Dance for our Wii.

I'm on the primal bandwagon and this book fits right in with that lifestyle and backs it up with science (that I don't understand!)

What stuck out to me the very most is the author's recommendation for certain sports for kids with ADHD. I have two kids diagnosed with ADHD. Two of the sports he recommends are gymnastics and karate. It just so happens that my daughter (ADHD with a capital H) is in gymnastics (and she's amazing!!) and my son is in karate. They picked their sports . . . I wonder if their brains knew something I didn't? I've heard before that exercise has the same effect on the brain as ADHD pills, but without the side effects. The author of this book agrees. Our son does fine without medication, but our daughter needs it to get through the school year. This summer I decided to not give her her pills, let her more active summer days be her drug and get rid of some of the side effects. I've been surprised by how well she's done. I'm a believer. If only the school days weren't so stressful on her. I think our school does a great job with keeping the kids active, especially the last couple of years with a grant they won . . . but it's still school and she still struggles.

Anyway . . . I think I just wrote a long journal entry trying to pass as a book review.

[Niv · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that delivers exactly what its title promises. If you're looking for a book that's light on the science, this isn't it. However, if you're curious to know exactly what's going on in the brain when we engage in exercise, as well as the myriad benefits that come along with these neurological changes, then this book is chock full of illuminating information.

Ratey does a great job of illustrating from the outset that the brain and the body work in tandem, and that what's good for one is good for the other. Exercise is as good for the brain as it is for the body. Using this knowledge as a foundation, Ratey presents us with scientific evidence showing how the neurological changes that occur with exercise have benefits for learning, memory, attention, the ability to handle stress, anxiety, depression, the ability to fight addiction, women's hormones, and the way we age. If you're skeptical about the usefulness of exercise beyond its ability to affect physique, Ratey presents plenty of proof that it is exponentially more beneficial than many realize.

I loved that the first chapter didn't immediately hit the reader with the neuroscience. Instead, the book begins with a heartwarming and inspiring case study of a school program that improved students' grades, test scores, social skills and emotional wellness through exercise. While the rest of the book provides a lot of fascinating studies and sympathetic anecdotes, I felt that the beginning chapter was the most powerful. It draws you into the book with the subtle reminder of the power of exercise in shaping the bodies and minds of the future.

If you're into neuroscience, health, medicine, or exercise science, I believe that this book is absolutely worth the read. However, I do wish that more of the presented information was more accessible. I can see how some readers may find the book to be too jargon-y, which is a shame because just about everyone can benefit from its contents. This information is powerful and holds the potential to be empowering for anyone actively seeking to improve their life.

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey takes a fascinating look at the relationship between exercise and brain function. Citing numerous scientific studies as well as various anecdotal stories, Ratey looks at the benefits of exercise relative to learning, stress, anxiety, depression, attention deficit, hormonal changes, and aging. Anyone looking for some motivation to exercise or to improve their consistency is certain to find something in the text. Most of the focus relates to aerobic exercise, but other forms of exercise are also mentioned although they generally do not have as many scientific studies relating to them. The following are some general take always from the book:

1. Exercise improves both the body and the mind.
2. Consistent exercise balances the chemistry of the brain.
3. Exercise can actually build neural pathways reversing previous damage.
4. There are far more good reasons to get off my butt and exercise than excuses not to do so.

While the book can be a little tedious with all of the biochemistry, it is definitely worth taking time to read and I would recommend it for everyone. 5 stars.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my god. According to this book I am a walking recipe for Alzheimer's disease. This is a book by a Harvard psychiatrist about the link between mental health and exercise. As life-long depression sufferer with not one, but two parents who suffer/ed from Alzheimer's, I'm pretty much in the exponentially high risk category for dementia. But there is hope, if I get off my ass and start exercising.

The author covers, not only the brain physiology of exercise in relation to aging, depression, anxiety, ADHD and addictions, he also takes on the PE establishment--you know, those dodgeball-playing, drill-sargeant, sadistic bastards we used to have as gym teachers? The ones who coached the good athletes in their classes and pretty much ignored and/or humiliated everyone else? Apparently, there's a movement afoot to change the way gym is taught (high time, I'd say) that actually encourages physical fitness. What a concept.

Anyway. This is worth a read. Where's the nearest gym?

[Angie · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first few chapters in this book begun as a delightful and insightful exploration into a high school that revolutionised the way they did exercise/gym class and the significant positive effects that had. I was delighted by the book in the first few chapters and excited to read the rest. but from then on i was very disappointed.

The author changed from laymens terms and delightful stories to prove his points to writing as if the book were an academic paper to be published in a neurological journal, and it got very tedious very fast. Being well schooled in neurology I forced myself to continue reading to the end but I am certain most readers would not understand half of what is said in the last half of the book.

I had high hopes for this book as the effects of exercise on the brain are an interisting topic, but as a whole this book is poorly executed and for most people reading more than just the first few chapters would be a complete waste of time!

[Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this. Amazing information on fitness and American education. Listening to the miracle of feel good hormones and neurotransmitters that fire during exercise gave me the intellectual understanding of exercise I needed to help motivate me to be consistent in my fitness schedule. Learn faster, learn better, reverse aging, decrease anxiety, get happy, read Spark.

[Anna Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

4* to this book for making me run in the morning. Yes, (nearly) every day.

I used to find it extremely boring and exhausting in the past and, to tell the truth, I still do. But now I do it with a sense of mission to rewire the brain. The thing is that I am already quite sporty and I understand the importance of getting to the gym at least 3 times a week (yes, that often). But after this book, I also understood that exercise could be a kind of replacement therapy for a great many things that happen to the body and the brain.

I get up and do a couple of laps around the lake near my house. I listen to noisy birds and croaky frogs. Finally, I don't go on Facebook first thing in the morning.
There. Good things are happening already.

[James Scholz · Rating 3 out of 5]

a lot of good information but most of the technical stuff went over my head. well written though.

[Cav · Rating 5 out of 5]

"WE ALL KNOW that exercise makes us feel better, but most of us have no idea why..."

Spark was an excellent look into the modern science around exercise. I would highly recommend this book to anyone reading this review.
I have been evangelizing the widespread benefits of regular vigorous exercise for years. Sadly, most people are still reluctant to begin a therapy that could provide them with profound life-changing results unobtainable via any other means...

Author John J. Ratey, MD, is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and an internationally recognized expert in Neuropsychiatry. He has published over 60 peer-reviewed articles, and 11 books published in 17 languages.

John J. Ratey:



Ratey gets the writing here off on a good foot, with a very well-written intro. He's got a great writing style; that's both interesting and engaging. Unfortunately, science books with good flow like this are fairly hit-or-miss, in my experience...

I also found the formatting to be very well done here, too. The book is divided into well-defined chapters. The chapters; into short chunks of segmented writing with relevant headers at the top. I really like books formatted in this manner, and I find that I can retain information better when it is presented in this way.

The author continues the quote at the start of this review:

"....We assume it’s because we’re burning off stress or reducing muscle tension or boosting endorphins, and we leave it at that. But the real reason we feel so good when we get our blood pumping is that it makes the brain function at its best, and in my view, this benefit of physical activity is far more important — and fascinating — than what it does for the body. Building muscles and conditioning the heart and lungs are essentially side effects. I often tell my patients that the point of exercise is to build and condition the brain."

And lays out the aim of the book here:

"To keep our brains at peak performance, our bodies need to work hard. In Spark, I’ll demonstrate how and why physical activity is crucial to the way we think and feel. I’ll explain the science of how exercise cues the building blocks of learning in the brain; how it affects mood, anxiety, and attention; how it guards against stress and reverses some of the effects of aging in the brain; and how in women it can help stave off the sometimes tumultuous effects of hormonal changes. I’m not talking about the fuzzy notion of runner’s high. I’m not talking about a notion at all. These are tangible changes, measured in lab rats and identified in people..."
"...What I aim to do here is to deliver in plain English the inspiring science connecting exercise and the brain and to demonstrate how it plays out in the lives of real people. I want to cement the idea that exercise has a profound impact on cognitive abilities and mental health. It is simply one of the best treatments we have for most psychiatric problems..."

Central to the thesis of the book are the myriad benefits exercise has on the health and well-being of your entire body, as well as your mind. Ratey writes:

"Neuroscientists have just begun studying exercise’s impact within brain cells — at the genes themselves. Even there, in the roots of our biology, they’ve found signs of the body’s influence on the mind. It turns out that moving our muscles produces proteins that travel through the bloodstream and into the brain, where they play pivotal roles in the mechanisms of our highest thought processes. They bear names such as insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and they provide an unprecedented view of the mind-body connection. It’s only in the past few years that neuroscientists have begun to describe these factors and how they work, and each new discovery adds awe-inspiring depth to the picture. There’s still much we don’t understand about what happens in the microenvironment of the brain, but I think what we do know can change people’s lives. And maybe society itself..."

The author begins the writing in the book proper by examining Naperville Central High School in Chicago, which adds a heavy emphasis on physical exercise, to great effect.
Some more of what he covers in the book includes:
• Neurology and neuroanatomy; neurons, neurotrophic factors
• The role of stress on learning
• Cortisol
• Exercise and anxiety; generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder: “Exercise training has been shown to lead to reductions of more than 50 percent in the prevalence of the symptoms of anxiety. This supports exercise training as an additional method to reduce chronic anxiety.”
• Depression
• Anti-depressant medications and their serious side effects; SSRIs
• Attention Deficit (ADHD); some extensive writing here
• Addiction
• Hormonal Changes; pregnancy
• Aging; dementia
• The Regimen

He also drops a succinct summary, describing the longevity benefits of regular exercise. I've included it here mainly for my own future reference. I've covered it with a spoiler for those not interested:
Here’s how exercise keeps you going:
1. It strengthens the cardiovascular system. A strong heart and lungs reduce resting blood pressure. The result is less strain on the vessels in the body and the brain. There are a number of mechanisms at work here. First, contracting muscles during exercise releases growth factors such as VEGF and fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2). Aside from their role in helping neurons bind and promoting neurogenesis, they trigger a molecular chain reaction that produces endothelial cells, which make up the inner lining of blood vessels and thus are important for building new ones. These inroads expand the vascular network, bringing each area of the brain that much closer to a lifeline and creating redundant circulation routes that protect against future blockages. Second, exercise introduces more nitric oxide, a gas that widens the vessels’ passageways to boost blood volume. Third, the increased blood flow during moderate to intense activity reduces hardening of the brain arteries. Finally, exercise can to some extent counteract vascular damage. Stroke victims and even Alzheimer’s patients who participate in aerobic exercise improve their scores on cognitive tests. Starting when you’re young is best, but it’s never too late.
2. It regulates fuel. Researchers at the Karolinska Institute conducted a nineyear study of 1,173 people over age seventy-five. None of them had diabetes, butthose with high glucose levels were 77 percent more likely to develop Alzheimer’s.
As we age, insulin levels drop and glucose has a harder time getting into the cells to fuel them. Then glucose can skyrocket, which creates waste products in the cells — such as free radicals — and damages blood vessels, putting us at risk for stroke and Alzheimer’s. When everything is balanced, insulin works against the buildup of amyloid plaque, but too much encourages the buildup, as well as inflammation, damaging surrounding neurons.
Exercise increases levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), which regulates insulin in the body and improves synaptic plasticity in the brain. By drawing down surplus fuel, exercise also bolsters our supply of BDNF, which is reduced by high glucose.
3. It reduces obesity. Aside from wreaking havoc on the cardiovascular and metabolic systems, body fat has its own nasty effects on the brain. The CDC estimates that 73 percent of Americans over sixty-five are overweight, and, given the potential problems obesity can lead to — from cardiovascular disease to diabetes — the agency is right in declaring it a pandemic. Simply being overweight doubles the chances of developing dementia, and if we factor in high blood pressure and high cholesterol — symptoms that often come along with obesity — the risk increases sixfold. When people retire, they figure they deserve a break after working their whole lives, and they start piling on the food. But what they don’t realize is that having dessert with every meal is no treat.
Exercise, naturally, counteracts obesity on two fronts: it burns calories, and it reduces appetite.
4. It elevates your stress threshold. Exercise combats the corrosive effects of too much cortisol, a product of chronic stress that can bring on depression and dementia. It also bolsters neurons against excess glucose, free radicals, and the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate, all necessary, but they can damage cells if left unchecked. Waste accumulates and junks up the cellular machinery, and it starts turning out dangerous products — damaged proteins and broken fragments of DNA that trigger the latent and ultimately inevitable process of cell death that defines aging. Exercise makes proteins that fix the damage and delay the process.
5. It lifts your mood. More neurotransmitters, neurotrophins, and connectivity shore up the hippocampus against the atrophy associated with depression and anxiety. And a number of studies have shown that keeping our mood up reduces our chances of developing dementia. The evidence applies not only to clinical depression but also to general attitude. Staying mobile also allows us to stay involved, keep up with people, and make new friends; social connections are important in elevating and sustaining mood.
6. It boosts the immune system. Stress and age depress the immune response, and exercise strengthens it directly in two important ways. First, even moderate activity levels rally the immune system’s antibodies and lymphocytes, which you probably know as T cells. Antibodies attack bacterial and viral infections, and having more T cells makes the body more alert to the development of conditions such as cancer. Population studies bear this out: The most consistent risk factor for cancer is lack of activity. Those who are physically active, for instance, have a 50 percent lower chance of developing colon cancer.
Second, part of the immune system’s job is to activate cells that fix damaged tissue. When it’s out of whack, these damaged spots fester, and you’re left with chronic inflammation. This is why, if you’re over fifty, your blood will be tested for C-reactive proteins as part of your standard physical. These proteins are a sign of chronic inflammation, a primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s. Exercise brings the immune system back into equilibrium so it can stop inflammation and combat disease.
7. It fortifies your bones. Osteoporosis doesn’t have much to do with the brain, but it’s important to mention because you need a strong carriage to continue exercising as you age, and it is a largely preventable disease. Osteoporosis afflicts twenty million women and two million men in this country. More women every year die from hip fractures — a vulnerability of osteoporosis — than from breast cancer. Women reach peak bone mass at around thirty, and after that they lose about 1 percent a year until menopause, when the pace doubles. The result is that by age sixty, about 30 percent of a woman’s bone mass has disappeared. Unless, that is, she takes calcium and vitamin D (which comes free with ten minutes of morning sun a day) and does some form of exercise or strength training to stress the bones. Walking doesn’t quite do the job — save that for later in life. But as a young adult, weight training or any sport that involves running or jumping will counteract the natural loss. The degree to which you can prevent the loss is impressive: one study found that women can double their leg strength in just a few months of weight training. Even women in their nineties can improve their strength and prevent this heartbreaking disease.
8. It boosts motivation. The road to successful aging really begins with desire, because without the desire to stay engaged and active and alive, people quickly fall into the death trap of being sedentary and solitary. One of the problems of getting older is the lack of challenges, but with exercise we can
continually improve and push ourselves.
Exercise counteracts the natural decline of dopamine, the key neurotransmitter in the motivation and motor systems. When you move, you’re inherently boosting motivation by strengthening the connections between dopamine neurons, while at the same time guarding against Parkinson’s. This really underscores the idea that if you’re not busy living, your body will be busy dying.
It’s important to have plans and goals and appointments, and this is why sports such as golf and tennis are great. They require constant self-monitoring and the motivation to improve.
9. It fosters neuroplasticity. The best way to guard against neurodegenerative diseases is to build a strong brain. Aerobic exercise accomplishes this by strengthening connections between your brain cells, creating more synapses to expand the web of connections, and spurring newly born stem cells to divide and become functional neurons in the hippocampus.
Moving the body keeps the brain growing by elevating the supply of neurotrophic factors necessary for neuroplasticity and neurogenesis, which would otherwise naturally diminish with age. Contracting your muscles releases factors such as VEGF, FGF-2, and IGF-1 that make their way from the body into the brain and aid in the process. All these structural changes improve your brain’s ability to learn and remember, execute higher thought processes, and manage your emotions. The more robust the connections, the better prepared your brain will be to handle any damage it might experience.

***********************

Spark was a great book; full of interesting, valuable, and actionable advice.
I would easily recommend it to anyone reading this review.
5 stars.

[SHYAM · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely impactful book !
In my opinion three types of people can grab this book without getting further delay, first- those who do exercise and second - those who doesn't do exercise and third one who love to do but doesn't do exercise.

Caution - don't read this book if you don't like to move. Because this book will motivate you get moving and hit gym consistently. Book is written in most convincing form that we will never think about impact of exercise on our body and brain in same way again.

I think everyone knows that our Body and Brain is connected. Well if you wonder how then this book is packed with all the answers for that question.
Ratey goes in depth with research and science and explains the most complex parts and functions of brain, different neurotransmitters and different issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, attention deficit, addiction aging, hormonal changes and many more unfamiliar details about effects of exercise, everything written in well organized and in easy- read way that makes the reader not to put this book down.
I love the research based evidence presented throughout the book which not only convince us that exercise is beneficial but also explains how it's beneficial.

“If exercise came in pill form, it would be the blockbuster drug of the century" - John Ratey

Ps: this book is not about different types of exercises but about how exercise, especially aerobic helps us getting a smarter, healthier and happier life.

[Aloe Belascuain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Booktube Review: https://youtu.be/-ToyQPeT7Fk?si=4mCZo...

This is the book I will be forever grateful for. 100% a life-changer for me. It helped me changed my extremely unhealthy smoking habit to my healthiest actively moving lifestyle. 🙌🏼

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally fascinating so far. Exercise helps you learn by making your brain grow. Holy crap!

...

What I love about this book is the way he explains everything in scientific detail--no oversimplification or handwaving. The explanation of the stress response really brought together and cleared up a few other things I had read about how stress affects your body. Now I feel like I really understand it. He gives the full story, yet the style is engaging and never obfuscated. This is the best thing I've read in months.

Notes:
p. 46 -- lab rats taken home to play with kids smarter. Rats with toys, obstacles, hidden food, running wheels, and socialization had different brain structure, faster learning, and more brain mass than rats in boring cages. Boring environments/lack of stimulation can shrink the brain.

p. 48 Brain cells grow back. Neurogenesis: "Neurons are born as blank-slate stem cells, and they go through a development process in which they need to find something to do in order to survive. Most of them don't. It takes about twenty-eight days for a fledgling cel to plug into a network, and, as with existing neurons, Hebb's concept of activity-dependent learning would apply: if we don't use the newborn neurons, we lose them... Ironically, with running, The same percentage of cells die as in the control group--it's just that you have a bigger starting pool. But in order for a cell to survive and integrate, it has to fire its axon. Exercise spawns neurons, and the stimulation of environmental enrichment helps those cells survive."

p. 65 "Two neurotransmitters put the brain on alert: norepinephrine arouses attention, then dopamine sharpens and focuses it." Imbalance => ADD people can focus only under stress--need norepinephrine to get dopamine. Thus the project firefighters who are really arsonists.

p. 74 Unrelenting stress--stress hormones just keep flowing. Amygdala keeps firing, cortisol overflow. Too much physically damages the hippocampus--free radicals kill cells there and retract dendrites. Neurogenesis is interrupted. Weight gain around belly, insulin resistance, etc. Vicious cycle--the more the amygdala fires, the stronger it gets and the weaker the hippocampus &c (braking, context, rational thought) become. Exercise kick-starts the recovery process and restores balance among neurotransmitters.

p. 92 exercise helps with anxiety disorder, also helps average people feel less anxious.

p. 99 exercise as effective as antianxiety drugs in study of people with panic disorder

p. 103 overcoming fear: "While we can't erase the original fear memory, can't remove old memory, we can essentially drown it out by creating a new memory and reinforcing it. By building up parallel circuitry to the fear memory, the brain creates a neutral alternative to the expected anxiety, learning that everything is OK. by wiring in the correct interpretation, the trigger is disconnected from the typical response, weakening the associating, between, say, seeing a spider and experiencing terror and a racing heart. Scientists call it reattribution."

p. 123 exercise better than Zoloft at fighting depression

Other amazing results: reverse the mental effects of aging, lessen PMS, help with ADD and addiction.

Best results from running, things requiring agility/concentration, like dancing and rock climbing. Intervals super powerful--even one 30-second sprint makes a big difference.