Exercise helped me develop the mental capacity to focus. When I was younger, I found concentration and focus difficult. My mother noticed that rowing, in particular, gave me a disposition more conducive to achievement outside of sport. In spite of my genetic pre-disposition of an un-channeled and high-level energy system, I was able to achieve a high level of academic success, along with my sporting achievements.
The research of John Ratey, reinforces my empirical findings. An associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School & co-author of two wildly popular books about ADHD, he believes kids might not need medication at all if they exercised strenuously for three to five times a week.
The side effect of a good exercise program is a chemically enriched brain environment that promotes neurotransmitter growth. I have found that prolonged aerobic exercise has indeed changed the chemistry of my brain for the better.
