Mens sana in corpore sano ("a sound mind in a sound body") is a quote often attributed to the Roman poet, Juvenal, who lived during the latter part of the 1st century. It is summer time and I am sure many of you are thinking of taking advantage of the weather to go swimming, trekking, biking, play tennis or find some other way to put the "sound" back into the body. More recent graduates will quickly assert that they are already sound, having spent a year walking up the hill every day from the center of Asolo to the CIMBA campus. From the early writings of Kenneth Cooper who decades ago established the connection between exercise and the heart (particularly his Aerobics, published in 1968), the need for exercise has found its place at the center of virtually every health improvement program in existence. Interestingly, the vast majority of studies on exercise have placed greater emphasis on the physical health effects. Given the recent developments in brain imaging technologies and the resulting advances in our understanding of the human brain, it should come as no surprise that research is now also establishing very positive relationships between exercise and mental health - the sound mind. To gain a better understanding of the relationship between exercise and learning, memory and emotional regulation I strongly recommend John J. Ratey's book Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain (New York, Little, Brown and Company, 2008). In Ratey's own words: "The point [of the book] - that exercise is the single most powerful tool you have to optimize your brain function - is based on evidence I have gathered from hundreds and hundreds of research papers, most of them published only within the past decade."
 
Most of you will recognize the author. His first book, A User's Guide to the Brain (2002), is a book I still recommend to those interested in building an understanding of neuroscience and social psychology and their relationship to leadership and leadership development. Like his User's Guide, Dr. Ratey's Spark can get a little too "clinical" but the information he provides and the research to support it will certainly motivate you to take advantage of the summer weather. One of the first questions posed to those to whom I have recommended the book often relates to its applicability to the non-elderly. From the studies that have been done (and understand that the relationship between exercise and mental health as a research topic is in its early stages but the number of studies being conducted is increasing at exponential rates), it is clear that the mental impacts resulting from low levels of physical activity -- that is, a sedentary lifestyle -- show up most prominently in a person's "fluid intelligence" regardless of age (In fact, some of the more persuasive studies involve children of grade school age). By fluid intelligence, neuroscientist and social psychologists refer to that type of intelligence that requires improvisatory problem-solving skills. In the words of author and molecular biologist John Medina, "Physical activity is cognitive candy."
 
A fellow student to whom I had recommended the book (and who suggested I recommend it to you here in the ABC column) related to me that: "After the first three chapters, my core question became: How much exercise do I need to be able to receive these benefits?" So how much exercise? Perhaps the biggest surprise is that a little goes a long way (If that is the good news, the bad news is that the vast majority of the population does not get sufficient exercise to even get close to achieving the "little" category). The research seems to point to aerobic exercise as being the key -- with significant benefits coming when we undertake some form of aerobic exercise just twice a week (In reality, and in fairness to the true fitness buffs among us, there is very little research into how non-aerobic exercise affects the brain in large measure due to the fact that is difficult to get rats to pump iron or do yoga). In addition to the obvious mental health benefits (reductions in general dementia, Alzheimer's disease, depression and anxiety), there is a growing body of literature demonstrating positive impacts on attention, working memory, and processing speed regardless of age. Dr. Ratey's advice, based on the "ancient rhythms of activity engrained in our DNA: walk or jog every day, run a couple of times a week, and then go for the kill (referring to our "ancestors' routine") every now and then by sprinting. ... The process of getting fit is all about building up your aerobic base. The more you work your heart and lungs, the more efficient they become at delivering oxygen to your body and brain. With increased blood flow ... comes the chemical cascades that produce serotonin, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and other brain-nourishing molecules. "
 
Of course, this ABC would not be complete if I did not tie this all back to leadership and leadership development. As former students and friends of CIMBA, I encourage you to build exercise into your daily regiment (From my review of the research, I would suggest at least 20 minutes a day of an aerobic exercise such as walking). The research is very clear that exercise will spike up your brain activity. Clearly, better thinkers make better leaders. But I would like to go one step further. Many of you now have children or have friends with children and many of those children will be entering their high school years. As all of you know, I am a great skeptic about the ability to teach biologically primary knowledge such as leadership in the classroom. Dr. Ratey's book makes reference to a young person who had an "exercise catharsis" during a high school leadership course in which students learned to rock climb along with other outdoor exercise adventures delivered with a "leadership" theme. To the extent that high school students find themselves motivated to exercise, the exercise will make them better thinkers, and being better thinkers will make them better leaders. That sounds like a leadership development recipe from which we all could benefit. Have an active summer (and I hope to see you in Iowa City for the MBA graduation the weekend of July 17th)!