Would the real slim Jamie please stand up? (Image courtesy of Krossbow on Flickr)
So, when he’s not helping Adam blow things up, it seems that Mythbusters’ Jamie Hyneman is something of a Renaissance man. He has one theory in particular that we here at SG Orbital HQ hope is borne out: exercising makes you smarter.
In Jamie’s own words: This came from my own personal experience; I work out on a treadmill when I do my design work. For me, it’s like hitting a switch. It’s almost like, when I’m not on my treadmill, I’m stupid…. The greatest mental activity during our evolution would had to have been through heavy physical activity. [The current state of the art in brain-observing technology] points to us being much smarter the more physically active you are.
It’s certainly not uncommon for folks who engage in regular exercise to report that it does good things for their mood or focus, or even provides a built-in part of their day where they can think about what they’re working on while the body is on auto-pilot. It’s not necessarily the same neuro-chemical scenario that leads to “runner’s high,” but increased blood flow, coupled with elevated oxygen levels, certainly looks like it would provide an environment conducive to some mental overclocking.
It looks like the practice of getting up and walking around when you’ve been beating your head against something – whether it’s how to tackle a problem at the office, a tricky homework question, or the strategy for a new boss fight – has more benefits than simply taking a short mental break. For folks with a regular exercise routine, this sort of wide, grassy field, full of freedom and possibilities, can even become part of the mental landscape. Hey, recess was a big deal when I was in school. I like the notion that getting your butt moving can carry over into more conventionally-productive endeavors.
Subjectively? At least in our group of trained hamsters, there seems to be some supporting evidence:
Mike: Yeah, sometimes…More when I’m walking over running. I mean, when I’m running I’m thinking “oh crap, oh crap… ow… can’t breathe… no way I’m gonna finish.”
Rafe: *snrk*
Mike: But yeah, definitely have had moments of clarity on the treadmill.
It’s probably not the sort of thing that means we could always trigger an epiphany by hitting a certain level of exertion – but can you imagine how cool it would be to have both an Olympic medal and a Nobel Prize? At this point, I’ll settle for remembering where I left my checkbook the next time I go for a run. I have torn my frigging desk apart looking for the darn thing.
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