fitness paddling: exercise, train, race by kayak & canoe

And while you may paddle, run, lift weights, or do yoga to keep your body in good condition, chances are you do not remember about fitness workout for your the brain.

I've just read a great article 22 Ways to Overclock Your Brain in RirianProject, a blog from Bucharest, Romania, devoted to personal development, productivity, health, nutrition, and leadership.

Obviously, I am thinking a lot about paddling, especially right now, when I wonder whether My Paddling Days are Over. So, I was trying to find which ways to boost your brain power may be related to paddling and racing. It wasn't so difficult since at the very first position, which I quote below, they list physical exercise.

Train for marathon! Or for Texas Water Safari! Or just go for a relaxing hour of paddling at sunset.

1. Run Up Your Brain Cells

   Research suggests that people who get plenty of physical exercise can wind up with better brains. Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif., found that adult mice who ran on an exercise wheel whenever they felt like it gained twice as many new cells in the hippocampus, an area of the brain involved in learning and memory, than mice who sat around all day discussing Lord of the Rings in Internet chat rooms. The researchers weren’t sure why the more active rodents’ brains reacted the way they did, but it’s possible that the voluntary nature of the exercise made it less stressful and therefore more beneficial. Which could mean that finding ways to enjoy exercise, rather than just forcing yourself to do it, may make you smarter - and happier, too.

   So, play a sport, train for an event such as a marathon, triathlon or “fun run,” or work out with a buddy to help keep things interesting.

You can find more brain exercises in your paddling related activities. Any play involved? Trying to figure out how to survive ultra marathon race may provide not so bad stimulation for your brain. I like, especially, #20, Write To Be Read. It just covers perfectly blogging about paddling.

2. Exercise Your Mind
3. Ask Why
4. Laugh
5. Be A Fish Head
6. Remember
7. Cut The Fat
8. Do A Puzzle
9. The Mozart Effect
10. Improve Your Skill At Things You Already Do
11. Be A Thinker, Not A Drinker
12. Play
13. Sleep On It
14. Concentration
15. Make Love For Your Brain
16. Play With Passion!
17. Cycles Of Consciousness
18. Learn Something New
19. Write To Be Read
20. Try Aroma Therapy To Activate Your Brain
21. Drugs To Increase Brainpower
22. Build A Brain Trust

And, consider reading the full RirianProject article as the 23rd way ... It is really stimulating.

Technorati tags: fitness workout paddling racing brain stimulation brain power exercise mind