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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Brain Rules summary
John Medina
12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home and School
19 mins
Brief summary
Brain Rules by John Medina is a scientific guide to how our brains work, including how we learn, remember, and stay focused. It incorporates practical advice on how to optimize brain function through exercise, sleep, and stress management.
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Brain Rules
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Key idea 1 of 8
Regular exercise stimulates the body to renew itself and generates hormones to help the brain work.
Have you ever wondered what a day in the life of a Homo sapiens looked like? How our ancestors spent their time directly affected how our own brains have developed.
Consider that the average Homo sapiens may have walked or ran from 10 to 20 kilometers per day. This means that our brains didn’t develop while we were lazing about, but as we exercised.
Exercise allows your body to get more energy out of the food you eat. When you exercise, you increase blood flow to all your body’s tissues. And as your blood flow increases, your body also starts to produce new blood vessels, making it even easier for your blood to do its job, such as move vitamins and minerals around and get rid of waste.
So when you move your body, not only do you feel better but you think more effectively, too!
To better understand what’s happening in this process, think about a system of roads. In the early 1800s, an English engineer noticed that traders had a tough time moving supplies over uneven dirt roads. He developed a method to coat roads with layers of rock and gravel to make them more even and thus more reliable.
The engineer’s idea quickly spread as people realized better roads meant better access to goods in general. You make the same improvements to your body when you exercise, as your blood vessels are essentially your body's roads.
Exercise also makes your body’s tissues healthier by stimulating the production of certain hormones such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).
One of the brain's most powerful growth hormones, BDNF keeps your neurons refreshed and healthy and increases the connections between neurons. It also stimulates the creation of new cells.
So the more you exercise, the healthier and more robust your brain and body will be!
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What is Brain Rules about?
Brain Rules (2008) gives you insight into how our brains function and explains how you can take advantage of such knowledge to push your brain to work better. From gaining more productivity at work to absorbing more at school, mastering the “brain rules” will help make learning with all your senses become second nature.
Best quote from Brain Rules
The most common communication mistakes? Relating too much information, with not enough time devoted to connecting the dots.
—John Medina
Who should read Brain Rules?
- Psychologists and neuroscientists researching how the brain works
- Students looking for ways to learn more effectively
- People wanting to improve their memory
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