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Is thinking exercise?

This thread reminds me of something I once read in a newspaper, so suspend your critical thinking for a moment, that thinking about exercising is almost as good as exercising. So you think about doing some squats or some bicep curls and hey presto! you now have big muscles.
 
fsol, sounds like that might be based on the idea of muscle memory. I heard if I just think hard about, say, elbowing a girl on the roller derby track, I'll be better able to actually do it.
 
rebecca said:
Look, we've already made some progress proving me right, now let's all focus on exactly how right I am.

TKing, obviously there's a sliding scale there. I can think, walk, and chew bubble gum all at once. I can do math on my bike, and I've been able to philosophize on the treadmill. I imagine at what point of strenuous activity a person can't think anymore? I think my exercise video is still possible . . . and VERY marketable. $$$
Click to expand...

Some "handwaving" numbers: Say the actual brain activity uses about 10 % of the total energy use of a typical body. If you manage to double the brain activity (sounds like a lot, but let's be optimistic), you have raised your energy use by roughly 10 %. Not bad, but probably not close to taking a walk.

Still, this is more than enough to get your product on the Home Shopping Network. :)

So, how should you get the neurons firing? Mathematics is to boring to sell, and it should probably be something visual, since that involves large portions of the brain (IIRC). You should get one of those brain maps and figure out a way to activate as large portions of the brain at the same time as possible. Serious multitasking. Something visual, something provoking emotion, something memory related, a sound quiz, a logic puzzle, a coordination challenge etc... All at the same time...

Why do I get the feeling that most men (and probably quite a few women, too) would actually prefer putting on a heavy backpack and go hiking in the mountains for a few hours? But who cares? They've already payed their $19.95 (plus tax, shipping and handling.)

Ririon
 
Now THAT'S the idea. Thank you, Ririon. If 10% were a viable number, that would mean that we expend an average of about 175 calories a day just on thinking. If we think twice as hard, that's two extra cookies right there.
 
To make those $$$, you will need to think of a catchy name for this new and revolutionary type of exercise. 'Brainercise' doesn't cit it for me... ;)
 
I find I can work up quite a sweat while thinking.

Depends who I'm thinking about.
 
I found some dubious information on suspect web sites, but hey, when did that stop anybody?

According to http://nutrition.tufts.edu/research/jhcpan/consumers/when_you_work_out.html, watching TV burns 18 calories per hour whilst reading burns 27. Sleeping burns 15.

Also, you need to burn 3,500 calories to lose a pound, or 7,700 to lose a kilogram. Or something.

By my calculations then, you can burn 9 more calories per hour reading than watching TV, so if you switch the box off for three hours per day and read instead, that's an extra 27 calories per day.

At that rate you can lose a whole pound in just over four months!

Weight Loss through War and Peace™
 
Don't forget to emphasize starting out slowly. "Lobal warming" is an important prerequisite, if you don't want to sprain your brain.
 
rebecca said:
Look, we've already made some progress proving me right, now let's all focus on exactly how right I am.

TKing, obviously there's a sliding scale there. I can think, walk, and chew bubble gum all at once. I can do math on my bike, and I've been able to philosophize on the treadmill. I imagine at what point of strenuous activity a person can't think anymore? I think my exercise video is still possible . . . and VERY marketable. $$$
Click to expand...

Hmmmmmmmmmm.

"Thinking your way to good health"

Encouraging people to think.....

We could give them conflicting Bible verses. Ot maybe a 'spatial relations' problem in how many animals can fit into what size of a boat..

Imagine how much better the world could be if people thought more often..

Or if some people.....thought?


I think this is a noble and worthy idea. I'm willing to become a distributor, for a modest fee.
 
tkingdoll said:
I don't think that would work, I seem to recall reading something of Feynman's about how the brain can't focus whilst physically exterted. The example he gave was trying to recite multiplication tables whilst carrying a piano, I think.

I'll look it up when I get home in case I just made that up.
Click to expand...
You mean this guy was right? http://p196.ezboard.com/fyoga84291frm6.showMessage?topicID=265.topic

Okay, maybe not, but this thread reminded me of his wacky ideas. If you're interested, don't bother to ready his entire novel length post, just scroll down to the replies. It's funny. At least I think so.
 
Ririon said:
Some "handwaving" numbers: Say the actual brain activity uses about 10 % of the total energy use of a typical body.
Ririon
Click to expand...

I have heard that the figure is as high as 30% but a quick search of the internet has not thrown up any reliable sources so this figure may well be suspect.

Nevertheless, Becky, I would be surprised if the additional calories that you burnt whilst thinking on your bike would be more than if you cycled an additional 100m on your route.

Let's face it ladies and gents, if you want to burn calories you have got to get sweaty. I'm afraid being "pumped from using the mouse" (copyright Scott Adams) doesn't count (much).
 
Working out helps me think. If I'm feeling brain clogged or have difficulty concentrating I go to the gym for a while, or I go walk a few miles.
 
Beancounter said:
I have heard that the figure is as high as 30% but a quick search of the internet has not thrown up any reliable sources so this figure may well be suspect.

Nevertheless, Becky, I would be surprised if the additional calories that you burnt whilst thinking on your bike would be more than if you cycled an additional 100m on your route.

Let's face it ladies and gents, if you want to burn calories you have got to get sweaty. I'm afraid being "pumped from using the mouse" (copyright Scott Adams) doesn't count (much).
Click to expand...


But of course I'm not proposing that people think instead of working out, I'm suggesting they think in addition to working out. You see, at the gym everybody runs on their treadmills and watches MTV on the monitors. Think of how much more benefit they'd get from their workouts if they instead watched, say, a lecture on physics.
 
Also, Jeff's link above says that 10% of the body's energy expenditure is the result of your nervous system.
 
rebecca said:
TKing, obviously there's a sliding scale there. I can think, walk, and chew bubble gum all at once. I can do math on my bike . . . .
Click to expand...

Considering your accident history on your bike, I am not sure that this is a ringing endorsement of the "ability to do two things at once" theory . . .

N/A
 
rebecca said:
Now THAT'S the idea. Thank you, Ririon. If 10% were a viable number, that would mean that we expend an average of about 175 calories a day just on thinking. If we think twice as hard, that's two extra cookies right there.
Click to expand...

One cookie for me! At least! :)
 
Ririon said:
So, how should you get the neurons firing? Mathematics is to boring to sell, and it should probably be something visual, since that involves large portions of the brain (IIRC).
Click to expand...
fsol said:
So you think about doing some squats or some bicep curls and hey presto! you now have big muscles.
Click to expand...
Well there's your video: Rebecca does squats (in a "Riddler" costume) while reading from, say, Feyman's Lectures on Physics, or something like that.
 
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