John J. Ratey, MD

School on the run

Project combines workouts with study

Darren Bernhardt

The StarPhoenix

Monday, March 24, 2008

CREDIT: SP Photo by Richard Marjan Teacher Allison Cameron encourages student Devon Nagy to integrate his studies with exercise at City Park Collegiate

CREDIT: SP Photo by Richard Marjan Thomas Grossland checks his flexibility

For kids struggling at school, learning can feel like running on a treadmill. For students in one City Park Collegiate classroom, it's a reality.

Teacher Allison Cameron has integrated treadmills and stationary bicycles into her Grade 8 class instruction. Instead of pencils, she supplies her students with antiperspirant sticks and a lot of encouragement.

During language arts, students do 20 minutes of cardiovascular exercise, getting their heart rates into an optimal zone while reading or watching a documentary. In math class, they head into the weight room for strength-training while thinking about an arithmetic problem posted by Cameron.

Following the workouts every other day, students cool down with quiet time, such as reading or journal-writing. That is, once they've gone for water, changed clothes and coated their armpits in antiperspirant -- which "is supposed to go on before you exercise, not to mask the smell afterwards," Cameron reminded them on a recent afternoon. For the remainder of the day, the curriculum is as regular as a high-fibre dieter.

"It's pretty out there, but it works," said Cameron, who launched the program near the end of January.

Less than two months later, her students' attention has sharpened and they spend far more time on assignments without interruption. That alone is a victory as Cameron's students wrestle with a myriad of issues that threaten to derail their education.

City Park Collegiate offers alternative programming for those whose lives don't fit into a regular school setting for various reasons -- learning disabilities, domestic or personal issues. Many in Cameron's class suffer from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which makes it hard for them to control their behavior and or pay attention. She has found 20 minutes of exercise have translated into two hours of sustained concentration from the students. That quality learning has compensated the loss of instruction time to the treadmills and bikes.

The benefits of exercise are well known but the traditional approaches "are designed to fail," Cameron said. "Kids who aren't athletically-inclined tend to shy away from it. On a track, the slower people get lapped and it can be damaging to their self-esteem. In this (program) no one knows who's slower or faster."

The concept is unique to Canada and modeled on the Learning Readiness Physical Education at Naperville Central high school west of Chicago. The LRPE is based on research indicating physically active students are more academically alert and experience enhanced brain development. In one semester last year, Naperville students involved in LRPE improved their reading and comprehension scores by 50 per cent more than students who took the literacy class alone. Those who took LRPE before math class increased their algebra readiness by an average of 20 per cent compared to a two per cent average improvement for other students.

Disciplinary problems decreased by 67 per cent and the use of Ritalin plummeted. The prescription drug, commonly used to treat ADHD, provides the same chemicals the body naturally produces through exercise.

"I used to always be tired in the morning but now I can concentrate better. I just feel like learning," said Kashton Rode, 14, whose chunky silver chains bounced against his chest as he paced himself on the treadmill in Cameron's classroom.

Alex Herbel, 14, was relentlessly bullied at his former school and found it difficult to concentrate, if he went at all. He has transformed in Cameron's class.

"It feels great. I feel better about myself. I didn't think anything like this would help but it does, it's crazy," he said, adding, "I'd rather stay at this school than go where there are people who don't care about other people."

Cameron's introduction to the concept came from Grant Roberts, a Saskatoon-raised trainer who owns fitness centres in Los Angeles, Vancouver, Calgary and Saskatoon. Roberts, who helped sculpt actress Hilary Swank's body for her Oscar-winning role in the film Million Dollar Baby, met Cameron a year ago while the two were working out at his Mecca Fitness club on Fairmont Drive.

Cameron was recuperating from a broken ankle and had been using a SitFit, an air-filled rubber disc, to stand on in class. It was comfortable on her ankle and provided rehabilitation benefits. When she was finished with it, some students asked to try sitting on it.

"Lo and behold, they could sit for a time and concentrate," Cameron said.

She was planning to buy several more when she mentioned it to Roberts. He asked what her budget was like.

"I'm a teacher," she replied. "I don't have one."

He told her about the LRPE program and that he could put her in touch with the people who designed it and run it. He also offered to donate eight treadmills and six exercise bikes.

"Youth fitness is becoming a major focus of my work. If I can impact young people and influence the rest of their lives in a positive way, then I'm all for it," said Robertson. "The greatest threat to North America right now is not 9/11, it's 7-Eleven. Food choices and the sedentary lifestyle are a major problem.

Cameron pitched the idea to her administrators at City Park and the public school division. She also spoke with as many parents of her students as possible, though reaching them is iffy. During one parent-teacher session, parents of just four of her 12 students showed.

When the program was approved, Cameron requested one more thing: A bigger classroom. She moved into the multi-purpose room to accommodate the equipment and school desks. It is also conveniently located beside the weight room.

The initial reaction of many students to the idea was one of expression more than words. They scowled and frowned and the majority of them couldn't ride the bikes for more than five minutes before they were winded.

Attendance has also improved. If students came at all, they'd often not return after lunch. Lured by the program, they now come every day, despite the fact many choose to live on the streets rather than return home when the school day ends.

"There are still some issues in their lives but if I can keep them coming to school, we're on the right track," Cameron said.

[email protected]

© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2008

'Never surrender' to Parkinson's Disease

WESTPORTMINUTEMAN.COM

03/27/2008
Westporter's vow: 'Never surrender' to Parkinson's Disease
By:Bonnie Adler , Staff Writer

When long-time Westport resident Paul Green, 84, learned that he had Parkinson's Disease, the first words he thought of were those of his life-long hero, Winston Churchill. "We will fight in the beaches, we will fight in the streets. We will never surrender. Never!" This vow inspired Green to combat the daily assault he would face to stave off the cumulative and debilitating effects of his disease. Twelve years later, despite the onset of tremors and other symptoms that have invaded his life, Green has fully embraced a physically and mentally active lifestyle that he believes is the key to fighting Parkinson's.
"Some people are waiting for a cure. I believe we can't afford to wait," he said in an interview this week.
Green has just started a not-for-profit corporation called "Never Surrender to Parkinson's Disease" in order to more effectively spread his message about how to fight the disease. Interested persons are invited to attend the organization's first fundraiser at the Saugatuck Rowing Club in Westport on Friday, April 4.
Calling his message, "One man's strategy to battle Parkinson's," Green readily admits that traditional physicians still rely heavily on pharmacology to help victims of the disease, but he says that individuals can fight in other very important ways to help themselves.

"There is going to be a cure, but what do you do in the meantime?" Green said. "You have to live your life to the fullest extent possible, and believe me, I am." "The key is exercising the body vigorously and keeping the mind active," he said. A charter member of the Saugatuck Rowing Club, Green is a committed rower, sharing a double with his buddy Andy Pettee or rowing in a single every day, weather permitting. With some assistance, he still carries his scull out to the water and back, fighting daily to ward off symptoms of poor balance, stiffness and weakness. Either by rowing on the Saugatuck, or by working out indoors, he gets his heart rate up daily.
After voracious reading and much personal contact with physicians and experts, he firmly believes that physical exercise and keeping the mind alert are critically important to increase the blood flow to the brain. "The brain is not set," said Green. "It has elasticity; whatever you do has a chance of rewiring the brain." In addition to the daily vigorous exercise, Green does ballroom dancing, takes Pilates, and has regular massages to fight muscle loss.

He also does voice exercises when alone in his car to combat weakening of his voice. The physical fight is only half the battle. Many with Parkinson's Disease are prone to depression. For that, Green encourages a program of socialization and mental challenge. "If you keep the mind active, at least you have a fighting shot," he said. Green is studying Japanese, plays chess, is a member of a book club and loves to socialize with people of all ages. He is passionate about the Saugatuck Rowing Club, where he is steeped in an active, healthy environment filled with people of all ages, and says, "When I'm here, I feel great. It's so important to be active and get out of the house." He also volunteers at Norwalk Hospital, where he works with in the emergency room and feels like a valuable member of a team. "My message is one of hope," said Green. "You are not a victim that cannot take action. With hope you fight to maintain your independence. Right now I am doing everything I've ever done except drive at night. I do have symptoms, but they don't stop me."
Green finds that his concept of "aerobics for the body and neurobics for the brain" is getting more and more support from the medical community, and he posts important updates on his new website www.nevahsurrendah.org. He quotes from "A User's Guide to the Brain," by Harvard medical school professor, Dr. John Ratey. "As with our muscles, we can strengthen our neural pathways with brain exercise," he said. "Or we can let them wither. The principle is the same. Use it or lose it!"
Another recent article in Harvard Magazine, entitled "The Power of Exercise," also confirms Green's belief that the greatest beneficiary of vigorous exercise is the brain. "This article confirmed that I could spread the word to people to exercise as much as they can." If you are depressed you believe you can't do anything. But we can all do something. That's the big message."

The reason Green started his non-profit company, "Never Surrender to Parkinson's, Inc." is to spread the word of hope as widely as possible. Funds raised at next week's fundraiser will be used to support the website, start a newsletter, create a board of directors and facilitate Green's intention to give talks on his method of fighting Parkinson's. He quotes Churchill again, "Give us the tools and we will do the job."
The launch for Never Surrender to Parkinson's Disease will be held at the Saugatuck Rowing Club in Westport Connecticut on Friday, April 4, from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Wine and hors d'oeuvres made by Danny Salomon, chef of the Saugatuck Rowing Club's Riverview Restaurant, will be served.The minimum contribution is $75. For more information call 203 227-6500 or email [email protected].

My response

What a terrific story and I am so glad that Paul was able to take what I said in the User's Guide to help slow the Parkinson's.  My new book:  Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, expands on this whole line of thinking and their is even more evidence about the benefit of exercise for aging in general and for Parkinson's in particular.  Paul's story is a picture perfect way to approach aging. Seeking challenges and making more for himself and by all means getting out of the house to be with others. Bravo, and keep on rowing and moving!

Train your brain: Can jogging make you smarter?

The Independent

Exercise won't just get you fit – it can also make you more intelligent. Simon Usborne discovers how to shape up your mind

Tuesday, 25 March 2008 Independent.co.uk

We don't need to be told that exercise is good for us. We know that it combats cholesterol, we know boosts our hearts and we know it stops the pounds from piling on. But, beyond the obvious physical benefits of a good cycle, run or swim, a growing body of evidence suggests that getting breathless can also build the brain.

Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, which is published later this year, shows how even regular brisk walks can boost memory, alleviate stress, enhance intelligence and allay aggression. John Ratey, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School in Boston and the book's author, says that exercise stimulates our grey matter to produce what he calls "Miracle-Gro" for the brain. "I can't understate how important regular exercise is in improving the function and performance of the brain," he says. "It's such a wonderful medicine."

Happiness

If the mere thought of trudging round ice-bound playing fields at school was enough to bring you out in a cold sweat, the idea that exercise makes us happy might sound perverse. But, beyond the (potential) mood-lifting effects of fresh air and scenery, evidence suggests that pounding the pavement can also change the way our brains work to make us happier, or even stave off depression. "Exercise is as good as any anti-depressant I know," Ratey claims.

Last December, scientists from Yale University wrote in the journal Nature Medicine that regular exertion affects the hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for mood. Tests on mice showed that exercise activated a gene there called VGF, which is linked to a "growth factor" chemical involved in the development of new nerve cells. Tests show that this brain activation lifts a person's mood. Participants in one recent German survey were asked to walk quickly on a treadmill for 30 minutes a day over a 10-day period. At the end of the experiment, researchers recorded a significant drop in depression scores. Scientists are now working on a drug that mimics the effects of the VGF gene to market it as an alternative to conventional antidepressants.

Stress

If, by around 4pm, it feels as if a stressful day at work has turned your brain to blancmange, it might not only be down to overwork or a shortage of double espressos. We respond to stress in the same way our ancestors did – by adopting a "fight or flight" response. Adrenalin and other hormones are released into our bloodstreams and our muscles are primed for response. The problem is that, these days, stress is more likely to be brought on by a tricky PowerPoint presentation or a job interview than an attack by marauding lions, so the toxins that build up for a physical response have no outlet. The results can be good; the cardiovascular system is accelerated and we can work harder (for a while, at least), but others are not so good; stress slows down the gastrointestinal system and reduces appetite, and can overexcite the brain, fuzzing our thought. By responding to or anticipating stress with fight (kickboxing or judo, say) or flight (30 minutes on the treadmill, say, or 50 lengths of the pool), blood flow to the brain is increased, allowing the body to purge the potentially toxic by-products of stress. According to Ratey, exercise also helps in the long term. "It builds up armies of antioxidants such as Vitamins E and C," he says. "These help brain cells protect us from future stress."

Intelligence

Observers of the game of football might refute the claim that exercise leads to greater intelligence – and they would be partly right, says Ratey. "Exercise doesn't make you smarter, but what it does do is optimise the brain for learning."

Physical activity boosts the flow of blood to the part of the brain that is responsible for memory and learning, promoting the production of new brain cells. Several schools in the US and the Netherlands have taken note. Pupils at Naperville Central High School near Chicago, for example, start the day with a fitness class they call "Zero Hour PE". Equipped with heart monitors, they run laps of the playground, and teachers say exam results have soared since the keep-fit initiative kicked off.

Meanwhile, in Amsterdam, a test involving 241 people, aged 15-71, compared physical activity with the results of cognitive tasks. The researchers documented improved results among people who were more active, especially those in younger age groups.

Yet more research suggests that exercise boosts intelligence in the very, very young. Experiments on rats at the Delbrück Centre for Molecular Medicine in Berlin showed that baby rats born to mothers who were more active during pregnancy had 40 per cent more cells in the hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for intelligence. If the same is true in humans, we can expect Paula Radcliffe's baby, Isla, to be a genius; Radcliffe was training for the New York marathon until the day before she went in to hospital to be induced – and won the race just nine months after giving birth.

Aggression

A few rounds with a punch bag or a game of squash are great ways to release pent-up aggression, but exercise does more than "get it out your system", says John Ratey. "People assume exercise reduces aggression by burning energy. In fact, exercise changes your brain so you don't feel aggressive in the first place."

The frontal cortex is the part of the brain that decides whether you throw a punch or take something on the chin. Reduced activity in the region, a trauma or abnormal development can result in an inability to control violent urges. "This area makes us evaluate the consequences of our actions," Ratey says. "It's the part of the brain that puts the brakes on when the ref makes a terrible decision and you want to beat him up." Exercise increases activity in that area, boosting rational thought, which makesus less likely to lash out.

Memory

Most of the competitors at the annual World Memory Championships could hardly be described as the epitome of physical fitness but, according to Ratey and other scientists in the field, a good workout does much to boost recall, especially as we clock up the years.

"When we're exercising, we're using nerve cells in the brain which help build up what I call brain fertiliser," he says. Ratey is talking about new research that suggests exercise increases blood flow to the part of the brain responsible for memory, and improves its function. In MRI scans on mice, conducted last year by neurologists at Columbia University Medical Centre in New York, the animals were shown to grow new brain cells in the dentate gyrus, which is affected in age-related memory decline.

Research on humans is ongoing but Ratey is convinced that physical activity has a similar effect. He says: "Exercise does more than anything we know of to boost memory."

Addiction

Smokers keen to quit cigarettes probably won't celebrate the news that exercise could be the key to a fag-free life. But research by British scientists suggests that as little as five minutes of brisk walking can reduce the intensity of nicotine withdrawal symptoms. In the tests, researchers asked participants to rate their need for a cigarette after various types of physical exertion. Those who had exercised reported a reduced desire to smoke. "If we found the same effects in a drug, it would immediately be sold as an aid to help people quit smoking," Adrian Taylor, the study's lead author at the University of Exeter, said last year.

The principle is that exercise can stimulate production of the mood-enhancing hormone dopamine, which can, in turn, reduce smokers' dependence on nicotine. "Dopamine works by replacing or satisfying the need for nicotine," Ratey explains.

Whether the findings will lead office-based smokers to dash out for a jog remains to be seen. After all, you wouldn't want to get addicted to exercise.

How much do you need?

You don't have to become a marathon runner to benefit your brain. The mainstay of exercise is simple, brisk walking, Professor Ratey says.

You'll feel the benefit even from a 30-minute walk. "That's what people need to be doing as a minimum, ideally four or five times a week. If you want to do more, then great."

Professor Ratey also recommends interval training – really pushing yourself hard for between 20 and 30 seconds while running, cycling or swimming, so that you are momentarily exhausted.

Do, say, two minutes of walking, 30 seconds' sprinting, then two minutes of walking again. It doesn't have to be a lot for a long time, but you will really notice the difference. "The side effects on the body aren't bad either - I lost 10 pounds in no time," Professor Ratey says.

Miracle-Gro for brains

Marie Snider

Emporiagazette.com

There are lots of good reasons to exercise, especially as we age.

Exercise improves circulation, lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis. It strengthens muscles, reduces obesity, improves mobility and lessens the risk of depression. And according to recent studies, exercise can even improve brain function.

But just as there are good reasons to exercise, there are plenty of excuses that keep us from exercising.

“I just don’t have the time.” “Exercise is so boring.” “I don’t have anyone to do it with.” “I just don’t enjoy it.” “The weather is too bad.” “I’m too old to start now.”

When you think about your excuses, are they really valid?

You have as much time as anyone else. Couldn’t you carve out 30 or 45 minutes to exercise five times a week?

If you find exercise boring, why not change your venue - try water aerobics for a change and kill two birds with one stone. You’ll meet new friends and have people to exercise with. Also, water exercise in a heated indoor pool is perfect during the wintry weather.

But the worst excuse of all is “I’M TOO OLD!”

It turns out that the older you are, the more important it is that you exercise.

Take for instance, recent studies about the effect of exercise on brain function, including memory.

In his book “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain,” Harvard psychiatrist John Ratey says that emerging research shows “physical activity sparks biological changes that encourage brain cells to bind to one another. For the brain to learn, these connections must be made... The more neuroscientists discover about this process, the clearer it becomes that exercise provides an unparalleled stimulus, creating an environment in which the brain is ready, willing, and able to learn.”

Unfortunately, says Ratey, the aging brain is more vulnerable to damage than younger brains.

He warns us that, “If your brain isn’t actively growing, then it’s dying.”

But the good news is that, contrary to what the experts thought a few years ago, research has shown that we can create new brain cells.

And it turns out that exercise is the best thing you can do to stimulate your brain at any age, especially aerobic exercise.

Aerobic exercise brings more oxygen to starving brain cells, thus making you smarter. There is even some hope that persons with mild cognitive impairment or beginning Alzheimer’s disease may benefit from more exercise and slow the pace of decline.

Researchers emphasize the importance of exercise for older people. But that doesn’t mean young people should wait until they retire to begin an exercise program. Exercise is preventive medicine as well as a remedy.

If you have good brain function in mid-life, you will of course be more resilient and resist brain dysfunction as you age.

Ratey declares that, “Exercise is the single most powerful tool you have to optimize your brain function.”

“Moving the body keeps the brain growing,” says Ratey. He calls exercise Miracle-Gro for the brain.

So if you want to live healthy, happy and smart, why not feed your brain regularly. A healthy dose of exercise may make you smarter, whatever your age.

Write Marie Snider at [email protected] or visit her website at www.visit-snider.com