Innovations - IHRSA

| CBI Interview |
in their target heart-rate zone. That
way, any kid can excel. In the classes
I’ve observed, the kids take part with
tremendous enthusiasm.
As a result, less than 3% of these
students are overweight, according to
BMI guidelines issued by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC). That’s startling when you consider
that more than 30% of U.S. school
children are overweight, and another
30% are on the cusp. In addition, 98% of
the Naperville kids do well in a number
of other fitness measures. Fortunately,
the Naperville effort has spawned many
other programs.
CBI: Exercise also had a positive
impact on learning, didn’t it?
JR: Yes. In 1999, when 98% of Naperville’s
eighth graders took the Trends
in International Mathematics and
Science Study (TIMSS), a test designed
to compare students’ knowledge in
science and math, the Naperville kids
finished first, in the entire world, just
ahead of Singapore, in the science
section. In math, they scored sixth, just
behind Singapore, Korea, Taiwan, Hong
Kong, and Japan. This year, one high
school in Naperville had 18 National
Merit Scholars and four students with
perfect ACT or SAT scores—despite the
fact that these students took time from
their school day for physical education.
CBI: Many clubs serve the family
market. What would you suggest
they do for their members with kids?
JR: Clubs, themselves, first have to be
aware that exercise has a tremendous
effect on the brain. In addition to the
physical benefits it provides, exercise
helps kids regulate their moods and
balance their emotions; stimulates
their cognitive abilities; and helps
them feel motivated. Clubs need to
communicate to parents what exercise
can do, and emphasize that early
training is important.
CBI: What’s the main message of
Spark for adult club members?
JR: The main message is that exercise
activates the brain. Activity spawns the
release of brain chemicals known as
neurotransmitters, and improves the
flow of blood and oxygen to your brain,
in much the same way that it does
for your heart. It’s not unreasonable
“It’s not unreasonable to think of your
brain as a muscle. Exercise helps your
heart and all of the other muscles in
your body become more resilient, and
it does the same thing for brain cells.”
26 Club Business International | APrIL 2010 | www.ihrsa.org
to think of your brain as a muscle.
Exercise helps your heart and all of
the other muscles in your body become
more resilient, and it does the same
thing for brain cells. There’s a close
relationship between mind and movement.
For thousands of years, we
were hunter-gatherers, constantly
on the move, and the mind evolved,
in part, to help us imagine, rehearse,
sequence, and foresee consequences,
as we move. When we move, we turn
on that part of the brain.
CBI: The obvious question, then, is
what do you do for exercise? And
what does exercise do for you?
JR: I’ve belonged to a Boston Sports
Club for years, and, when I’m not
traveling, I use it six times a week; I
work with a trainer once or twice a
week. My exercise program varies,
and that’s key; variety introduces
challenge, which is good for the body
and the brain. Aerobic exercise is
central, but I also do some strength
training nearly every time I work out.
I’m 61, and know that strength training
is important as we age. For cardio, I
use a stairclimber or elliptical trainer,
and get my heart rate up to 85%-90%
of my target rate for 30-40 minutes,
three days a week; I also do 30-second
sprints on the treadmill. Because
sprinting causes a huge uptick in
human growth hormone levels, my
body fat has decreased, helping me
to drop the 10 pounds that I wanted to
lose. My exercise program is important
to me mentally, as well. If I don’t get
to the gym for three days, I find it hard
to engage in what I’m doing—even
when I’m excited about it.
CBI: From a neurological standpoint,
why does exercise make
people feel so good?
JR: During the 70s, we talked about
the endorphin rush, and that’s still a
component. However, we now know
that exercise raises the level of all
kinds of brain chemicals, including
neurotransmitters, such as serotonin
and dopamine, which make most
people feel brighter and more alert.
It also releases brain-derived neurotrophic
factor (BDNF), a protein
I call ‘Miracle-Gro’ for the brain,
which helps build and maintain the
connections between brain cells.
CBI: Given that, it would seem
to be even more important for
people to exercise in economically
difficult times such as these.
JR: When times are bad, people should
join a gym if that’s what they need to do
to get some exercise. Health clubs can
help people get through their program
and stick with exercise, which improves
mood and motivation. It also gets them
out of the house, and that’s important,
too, when they begin to feel depressed.
Movement is transformative: you can
change your whole outlook on life if you
start to move.