Help... Need Oxygen!

Regular exercise has more of an impact on sharp thinking than general good health and eating right. Of course to get the most out of exercise, we need to eat right to avoid stripping our bodies of valuable minerals and provide the fuel for energy. However…the mental benefits from exercise are outstanding! 

The brain needs oxygen!

• Our brains account for only 2 percent of our body weight, yet utilize 25 percent of the oxygen we breathe 
• Oxygen delivers fuel to the brain 
• Without exercise narrowed and clogged arteries will starve the brain

Dr. Robert Dustman, Director of the Neuropsychology Research Laboratory at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City, has been studying the effects of exercise on brain waves for years, and found that aerobically fit 60-year-olds can mentally match people half their age. Keep the oxygen flowing and the brain will stay alert and active.

  

Exercise also eliminates anxiety and stress, and clears the mind!

• If you're feeling frustrated, anxious, and not sure how to get through the evening after an already really long day... take a walk, and breath
• Mediate. Meditation is all about the breathing, and an incredible relaxation technique
• With a clear mind, you can focus on your studies

During my flight training, and while studying for my masters, I read on the exercise bike or the elliptical trainer for an hour each day. I would joke about increasing the oxygen to my brain while I studied, for better retention. But the truth is… it was no joke. I did retain more while reading and working out at the same time, despite the noise of the gym. 

Sitting in the cockpit for hours on end is not much of a workout.Taking a few minutes of oxygen while the other pilot steps to the back is a great idea. And a great incentive to put that oxygen mask on!

Now… I am on my way to the gym to feed my brain  as I review how to fly the Princess. The flight portion of my training has been scheduled....

June 6: New York, Athens, New York, Rome, Atlanta, Amsterdam, Detroit…  

Enjoy your day and get some exercise!

~Karlene