John Ratey has compiled great research within each chapter addressing specific conditions such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, stress, menopause, and aging. And, he conveys how exercise improves all those conditions.
Ratey dwelves in physiological details how exercise boosts the levels of various neurotransmitters, hormones, and proteins which in turn positively affect our overall health and cognitive capabilities including memory, learning, mood regulation.
Ratey conveys what specific type of exercises assist specific health situation and cognitive functions. There are tens of related interesting insights throughout the book. I am just mentioning a few examples below.
1) BMI and aerobic fitness are significant markers of academic performance.
2) Three neurotransmitters play a preponderant role in managing our moods, attention, perception, motivation, and movement. They are serotonin (mood), norepinephrine (focus), and dopamine (reward-system, movement). And, the pharmaceutical industry has focused on them: boosting serotonin to manage anxiety and depression; increasing dopamine to manage Parkinson). However, exercise boosts all three without any negative side effects.
3) Norepinephrine boosts the signal quality of synaptic transmission, while dopamine decreases the noise of neuron chatter. Together, they reduce ADHD and enhance learning.
4) Neurogenesis means we can grow neurons at any age. Stress, anxiety, and depression impair neurogenesis. But, exercise fights off those conditions and enhances neurogenesis.
5) A protein, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), builds and maintain neurons and neuron networks. BDNF facilitates the learning process and is important for long-term memories. In addition to synaptic plasticity, BDNF also plays a role in energy metabolism. BDNF also ramps up serotonin levels that help with mood, depression, anxiety. And, exercise boosts BDNF levels.
6) An optimal exercise program combines a skill acquisition exercise and a aerobic one. Tennis and biking fits that. Skill exercise strengthens and expands neural networks. The more complex the movements the more complex the synaptic connections. Aerobic exercise enhances mood by boosting the levels of all three mentioned neurotransmitters.
7) You should vary the intensity of exercise. High intensity exercise boosts the human growth hormone (HGH) which also boosts BDNF. In combination, these are like a fountain of youth.
8) Doing squats can be as effective in boosting HGH levels as running hard for 30 minutes.
9) Paleolithic humans walked and ran 5 to 10 miles a day just to eat. Our sedentary lifestyle is not catered to our DNA, and explains the obesity crisis.
10) Active people reduce their cancer risk by 50%.
11) Every 50 minutes of weekly exercise correlates with a 50% drop in risk of depression.
12) Briskly walking 5 hours a week reduces the risk of gestational diabetes by 75%.
13) Women over 65 who remain physically active are 50% less likely to develop dementia.
14) Diabetes increases your risk of developing dementia by 65%. High cholesterol increases it by 43%. Exercise can assist with both conditions.
15) Exercise prevents inflammation that triggers the plaque accumulation in the brain that causes Alzheimer’s disease.
16) Among individuals over 75, the ones with higher blood glucose levels (but who were still not diabetic) had a 77% higher likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
17) Being overweight doubles the chances of developing dementia. And, when combined with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, the risk increases sixfold.
18) Exercise reduces the risk of colon cancer by 50%.
Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain 1st Edition, Kindle Edition
by
John J. Ratey
(Author),
Eric Hagerman
(Contributor)
Format: Kindle Edition
John J. Ratey
(Author)
Find all the books, read about the author, and more.
See search results for this author
Are you an author?
Learn about Author Central
|
Eric Hagerman
(Contributor)
Find all the books, read about the author, and more.
See search results for this author
Are you an author?
Learn about Author Central
|


Flip to back
Flip to front
Audible Sample
Playing...
Paused
You are listening to a sample of the Audible narration for this Kindle book.
Learn more
Learn more
ISBN-13:
978-0316113502
ISBN-10:
0316113506
Why is ISBN important?
ISBN
Scan an ISBN with your phone
Use the Amazon App to scan ISBNs and compare prices.
This bar-code number lets you verify that you're getting exactly the right version or edition of a book. The 13-digit and 10-digit formats both work.

Use the Amazon App to scan ISBNs and compare prices.

Add to book club
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club?
Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Buy
$9.99
eBook features:
Kindle e-Readers
Fire Tablets
Fire Phones
Sold by:
Hachette Book Group
Print List Price:
$28.00
Save $18.01 (64%)
Price set by seller.

More Buying Choices
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now
Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Download to your computer
|
Kindle Cloud Reader
|
More items to explore
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
- Go Wild: Free Your Body and Mind from the Afflictions of CivilizationKindle Edition
- Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human StrengthKindle Edition
- The Upside of Stress: Why Stress Is Good for You, and How to Get Good at ItKindle Edition
- The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of ItKelly McGonigal Ph.D.Kindle Edition
- Driven to Distraction (Revised): Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit DisorderKindle Edition
- Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted WorldKindle Edition
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
- Go Wild: Free Your Body and Mind from the Afflictions of CivilizationKindle Edition
- Intangibles: Unlocking the Science and Soul of Team ChemistryKindle Edition
- A User's Guide to the Brain: Perception, Attention, and the Four Theatres of the BrainKindle Edition
- Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body ConnectionKindle Edition
- Gifts Differing: Understanding Personality TypeKindle Edition
- Your Money: The Missing ManualKindle Edition
Amazon Business : For business-only pricing, quantity discounts and FREE Shipping. Register a free business account
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
John Ratey, M.D., is a clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is the author of numerous bestselling and groundbreaking books, including Spark, Driven to Distraction, and A User's Guide to the Brain. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
--This text refers to the hardcover edition.
Review
"At last a book that explains to me why I feel so much better if I run in the morning! This very readable book describes the science behind the mind-body connection and adds to the evidence that exercise is the best way to stay healthy, alert, and happy!"
―Dr. Susan M. Love, Dr. Susan Love's Menopause and Hormone Book and Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book"Bravo! This is an extremely important book. What Cooper did decades ago for exercise and the heart, Ratey does in SPARK for exercise and the brain. Everyone--teachers, doctors, managers, policy-makers, individuals trying to lead the best kind of life--can benefit enormously from the utterly convincing and brilliantly documented thesis of this ground-breaking work. People know that exercise helps just about everything, except anorexia, but it will surprise most people just how dramatically it improves all areas of mental functioning. So, get moving! You're brain will thank you and repay you many times over."
―Edward Hallowell, M.D., The Hallowell Centers"This book is a real turning point that explains something I've been trying to figure out for years. Having experienced symptoms of both ADHD and mild depression, I have personally witnessed the powerful effects of exercise, and I've suspected that the health benefits go way beyond just fitness. Exercise is not simply necessary, as Dr. Ratey clearly shows, it's medicine."
―Greg LeMond, Three-time winner of the Tour de France"SPARK is just what we need-a thoughtful, interesting, scientific treatise on the powerful and positive impact of exercise on the brain. In mental health, exercise is a growth stock and Ratey is our best broker."
―Ken Duckworth, M.D., Medical Director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness
--This text refers to the hardcover edition.
Review
Forget fish oil and sudoku - it's exercise that makes you brainier ... This book is the first time scientific evidence from all over the world has been pulled together to show that the fitter you are, the better your brain works' Daily Mail. If exercise came in pill form, it would be plastered across the front page, hailed as the blockbuster drug of the century. So what you waiting for? Get moving!' Focus Magazine.
--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
Product details
- ASIN : B000SFD21Q
- Publisher : Little, Brown Spark; 1st edition (January 10, 2008)
- Publication date : January 10, 2008
- Language : English
- File size : 1224 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 305 pages
- Lending : Not Enabled
-
Best Sellers Rank:
#45,968 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #5 in Aerobics (Kindle Store)
- #12 in Aerobics (Books)
- #41 in Stretching Exercise & Fitness
- Customer Reviews:
Customer reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
1,521 global ratings
How are ratings calculated?
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2018
Report abuse
Verified Purchase
171 people found this helpful
Helpful
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2017
Verified Purchase
Hands down, the most helpful wellness book I have read in past ten years, and re-read 6 times. BTW, I have read one non-fiction book per week since 1985, so I select my reading material carefully. I am recovering from spinal surgery and enrolled in intense physical therapy three days weekly. This book and the Doc's recommendations have become my guidebook to wellness. My 'amazing progress' (as described by my 2 doctors) is proof Doctor Ratey knows what works and why. This book is a must-read for anyone who is serious about their longevity. I'm 73.
68 people found this helpful
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2015
Verified Purchase
I realized I was having trouble with my memory, forgetting names & words on occasion, but put it down to "just something that happens". I was a bit sad, too, since I "knew" it would continue to decline. After reading this book, I realized I can change that outcome and improve my memory significantly. A ton of research has been done in neuroscience over the last 15 years, but this was the first I'd heard of it! I immediately put into practice the recommendations and over the last month & a half have noticed definite signs of improvement. If you are willing to change your diet and to start exercising regularly in order to retain and improve your memory, this is the book for you. It was not an easy read due to some usage of medical terminology, but it works. I recommend that you just say "this thing" when you run across a tech term, because by the end of the book what is needed is explained in language anyone can understand.
68 people found this helpful
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2017
Verified Purchase
Spark " will " change the way you look at exercise and fitness. " Movement is life ". I am depressed and overweight and hate exercise with a passion. Since my perspective has changed I make myself do it. I still hate it but now I exercise regularly because it really does make me feel less depressed. To prove my point start a journal on how you feel every day. Do it for a week. Then start exercising and compare journal entries. If I didn't experience it first hand I would say it is just another person trying to sell a book. And if you have children in school you'll definitely get them moving.
31 people found this helpful
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2018
Verified Purchase
As a mental health professional who works with the brain, I have implemented several additional strategies to my work such as nutrition and functional medicine. However, with "Spark" I have found that the missing ingredient in the recipe was exercise. Now, I will use it in combination with brain training at my clinic to improve the lives of my clients even further. A great book which contains valuable and useful information as well as a easy, comprehensible read. Many people will think, "well, duh!" yet they may fail to grasp the importance of the science the book mentions.
25 people found this helpful
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2015
Verified Purchase
This is superb!!
As a retired doc ,I was unaware of the new developments in the complex organ which houses our intelligence and our souls.
Dr.Ratey has the ability to explain function so even a doctor can understand.
I graduated med school in '59 and retired a few years ago.
The amount and intracracy of information is mind boggling and I don't know how the busy clinician finds the time to keep up
particularly while being overwhelmed -- created by a bureaucracy which is drowning and hence diminishing what was once the most gratifying
occupation that one can be priviledged to engage in
Pardon spelling and punctuation am old,senile man who is just learning how to type and forgotten how to spell
As a retired doc ,I was unaware of the new developments in the complex organ which houses our intelligence and our souls.
Dr.Ratey has the ability to explain function so even a doctor can understand.
I graduated med school in '59 and retired a few years ago.
The amount and intracracy of information is mind boggling and I don't know how the busy clinician finds the time to keep up
particularly while being overwhelmed -- created by a bureaucracy which is drowning and hence diminishing what was once the most gratifying
occupation that one can be priviledged to engage in
Pardon spelling and punctuation am old,senile man who is just learning how to type and forgotten how to spell
55 people found this helpful
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2016
Verified Purchase
Best book on the importance of exercise I've ever read. It not only makes sense, but it is realistic and motivational. It clearly explains all the ways exercise benefits our physical, mental and emotional health and makes it attainable as a lifestyle. Lots of accompanying research is cited, but it is not written at the level of a medical professional which makes it perfect for the average reader.
15 people found this helpful
Report abuse
Top reviews from other countries

Amazing Life
5.0 out of 5 stars
The book that make you move.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 18, 2016Verified Purchase
I was a lazy person before, love to be in comfort zone. I hate exercise because I feel disgusting will the sweat and the smell that came after that. However, recently I have some difficulty in my life as a student, i feel to stress and seeking out for solution. Luckily to find this book that help me a lot with my studies and stress managment. I recomend this book because it will make you feel excited to move when you understand how it very benificial to you. However, i warn you that this book have a lot of sccientific term. Maybe this will make you feel difficult to read this at the beginning.
3 people found this helpful
Report abuse

C. Weldon
5.0 out of 5 stars
Do sport, it will change your life
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 8, 2019Verified Purchase
Ratey's research shows us something incredible - that exercise is good for the brain. He dives into the mechanics of this, but if you want to know the actionable steps, then do aerobic exercise. If you want to really build resilience, then do aerobic exercise that requires skill. And if you really, really want to get the brain benefits from exercise, do something that is social as well - e.g. something like a team sport.
One person found this helpful
Report abuse

Jillian Florence
3.0 out of 5 stars
Publisher Review
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 28, 2020Verified Purchase
Why would a reader of a book like this value the opinion of the Daily Fail on the front page!
The paperback book quality is poor recycled paper and not cut evenly. The paper is grey and text pale, ie poor contrast.
The paperback book quality is poor recycled paper and not cut evenly. The paper is grey and text pale, ie poor contrast.

Just for Today
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow!- the benefits of exercising :)
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 15, 2017Verified Purchase
Wow! I love this book. On the back of reading this, I am now two-thirds of the way through a 30-day exercise challenge where I am doing 6 hours of cardio/resistance training per week. love the benefits of exercise, thank you Dr Ratey
3 people found this helpful
Report abuse

ehen
5.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting and worth purchasing.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 27, 2019Verified Purchase
A very interesting book, encouraging the reader to enjoy more exercise.
One person found this helpful
Report abuse
Customers who bought this item also bought
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
There's a problem loading this menu right now.
Get free delivery with Amazon Prime
Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books.