Exercise and the Brain

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Gitane
Gitane Member Posts: 1,885
edited June 2014 in Working on Your Fitness

This book has the most current medical evidence that explains how exercise improves our brains as well as our bodies.  It interests me because it shows how it can help lift depression, lower the effects of the hormonal changes, improve mood, reduce anxiety, and improve brain function.  What with chemo, endocrine therapy, worry, stress, anxiety, fatique, ...... well, it's a good book and easy to read.

 Spark by John J. Ratey, MD, 2008,  ISBN  978-0-316-11350-2 

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  • leona5
    leona5 Member Posts: 4
    edited August 2008

    Hi Gitane,

    Thanks for the information.

    Is there any special exercise specified for dizziness,  twitching of legs at night(+pain) and to improve or bring back active brain..Diagonised with breast cancer 2 years back, had 6 chemos and 30 radiations.Advised Tamoxifen 20mg for 5 years.I find I am slowly losing memory and unable to be quick enough in my thoughts or activites.I am 44 now. I worked as ateacher and was very active physically and mentally before treatment.

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  • Gitane
    Gitane Member Posts: 1,885
    edited August 2008

    The book above is primarily concerned with exercise and the brain.  I'd say it's the best I've read for that.  I've had brain issues, too, related to the chemo and endocrine treatments and it's helping me.  There is another book, Breast Cancer Survivor's Fitness Plan by Carolyn M. Kaelin that might be better for the other.  It's a bit over the top in promoting Dana Farber and Harvard, but if you can get past that the information in the book is good.

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  • judig
    judig Member Posts: 48
    edited January 2009
    I love puzzles and Sudoku but found that after my mastectomy, (22Sep2008) I couldn't concentrate for more than short periods at a time. Even reading a page of a magazine was hard. I was worried about losing brain function and not ever getting out of the ‘fog'.
    So even though my time periods for concentration increased, I knew the clarity and sharpness hadn't returned.
    After checking out some options, I got a Nintendo DS with Brain Age ‘games' and with a few minutes most days using this have noticed definite improvement of my brain function.
    These kind of puzzles may not be your preference but it's working for me.
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  • Jorf
    Jorf Member Posts: 498
    edited January 2009

    OMG all I did during chemo was sudoku!!!!

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