Running as the Thinking Person’s Sport

Oh please. The comparison in the study was not between running and other sports; it was between men who are physically active and those who are sedentary. Naturally Gretchen Reynolds, with her obsession with endurance exercise, twists this into some sort of endorsement for the deep mental challenges of -- yes -- mindlessly placing one foot in front of another.

How refreshing it would be if the Well section of the Times would give equal time to all the many types of exercise that require something more than plodding ahead in a a straight line.

Men ALSO have hormonal cycles each month that are unique to each man and, as a whole, men have seasonal hormone cycles. BOTH impact mood and energy level. And, if anything, navigating a menstrual cycle is another variable or "puzzle piece" which requires the same skills and attention that running takes-- planning, multitasking, and intuition at the highest levels. I completed my first marathon with my period; it's part of being a human and a human that runs.

You are going at this the wrong way.. Find some great thinker and see how many of them are runners. I can't think of any off hand.

I am so tired of reading about studies that exclude women because of our menstrual cycle. Being female are not a statistical anomaly that automatically warrants exclusion from medical understanding. We are the norm for half the population.

I am 64 and have just had total replacements of both knees. When I was younger, but especially in my late twenties, I was a runner. I cannot be sure that this caused the arthritis that necessitated my operations but it is a serious possibility.

I liked running but I think other forms of exercise, perhaps hiking and swimming, might be wiser. That hard, fast pounding of running is a risk.

I am a runner and I usually zone out to my music but I always get ideas for manuscripts and grant proposals while running. I thought it was random but this study makes sense.

Thanks for pointing out that the study left out women, and that results might not hold for anyone who's not a college-aged male. Too often those details are left out in reports on these types of studies.

NYT,
Did you just run out of articles to publish, having to re-publish a 4 month old article. Am a runner and run because I like it. There are many poor children in many parts of the world who have to run miles/km (barefoot) to/fro school daily as a need not as recreation. These Universities seem to have so much time & money to perform research on such topics that adds no material value to anyone. They should instead focus their research on much more meaningful topics that can bring value to the truly needy population..

Cheers!

This may be anecdotal but I started running at 61 and am now 70. Running changed my life in countless ways. Among the things I do with my mind while running is to recite songs, poems and such (rather then listen to music or such). Before running I was lucky to remember my name (only a slight exaggeration). Now I recite a whole repertoire.

When an unrelated accident prevented me from running the effect was profound as if a part of me was taken away.

Why are you highlighting an article from last December? How about something on dancing, swimming, or some other type of aerobic exercise? Due to knee and ankle injuries from hiking (achilles tendonitis), skiing downhill (blown ankle), skiing cross country (torn ACL), and running, I now swim and bike. I lift weights for my bone density. I sure hope my cognition isn't affected.

"(They said they focused on men primarily because they were concerned about controlling for the effects of the menstrual cycle on the bodies and brains of young women.)"
Once I read this, I lost all interest in the article. You can't do a legitimate study when you leave out half the population. Their assumption is that menstruation would adversely affect the study is so stupid. They should have left men out of the study, because testosterone affects brain function.

I have always loved running. I started in my early 30's running 5 days a week, 3-6 miles a day, until my mid sixties, when I had to stop because of chronic pain in my hip. At 68, I use a Stairmaster 30 minutes a day as my main source of aerobic exercise. Is this low impact cardio exercise a good substitute for running? I want to get the most benefit for my brain.

I don't need a scientist to tell me that running makes you smarter. As a sophomore in high school, I ran 10 miles every school afternoon. No joke. I lived in N.O. and ran from my school, about midway on St. Charles Ave. to the river, to the Huey P. Long bridge in Jefferson Parish. And back. Immediately, I went from math idiot (I have a PhD in English, total right-brain) to doing Extra for Experts in geometry for fun! I was never stumped. I got the first A my math teacher ever gave out. I understood and enjoyed reading French stories on the streetcar ride home. The endorphins kicked in and I felt great! This was in '70/'71. And science is just now discovering theses benefits?

I left out one important thing: If you're interested in running and thinking, read the writings of the late Dr. George Sheehan, esp Going the Distance. Sheehan was a great man. He was in the Navy in WWII. His best known book is Running and Being. But in Distance he thought and wrote until the very moment of death was upon him. Extraordinary. When I read in Runner's World that he had cancer, I thought he'd disappear for a couple of years, then I'd see his obit. Man, was I wrong about that!

I suspect that outdoor cycling may produce similar effects

I wonder if the effects stayed on after the running had stopped? I used to run and enjoyed it, but due to a hip injury have had to give up both running and biking. I'm doing water aerobics and yoga instead, still a workout, but different. Interesting article.

My dear husband has 12 varsity letters from Yale for running- X-country, indoor and outdoor track.
He is very successful in his career. He is not a talker- can be in the car for over 5 hours and NO conversation. He always says he is "thinking".
Now I believe him.

I wonder if brisk walking would have the same effect? The argument for walking as an option for most Americans is compelling. As with any exercise routine more oxygen to the brain clears thought patterns. Part of the fun of being engaged is not just the physical but the mental planning, monitoring and review of sessions. Thanks for the thought provoking article!

How does the effect of running on the brain differ from that of walking, or is there any difference?

I'd like to chime that hiking in a "wild-ish" i.e.: the hills & canyons of LA also brings a different sort of mental acuity to the brain. When I'm headed up a canyon trail, especially with my dog, I'm always sussing out the landscape ahead of me for coyotes ( rattlesnakes in the summer)or people she might lovingly jump on & knock to the ground. It definitely stimulates areas of the brain in a rather thrillingly primitive way.
Also, keeping balance on rocky dirt trails etc etc. calls for a mindful athleticism I'm sure is well felt by runners & hikers who love doing what they do.