Why To Exercise Today: It's Like Prozac Plus Ritalin

The most magical pill ever made, the greatest potion of all time, the closest thing there is to a key to happiness, health and long life is, of course, exercise. So starting today, CommonHealth will offer you a fresh new reason to get moving each day, from among the great multitudes of research findings and inspiring personal stories. Do you have one to share? Please hit the “Get in touch” button at the bottom of the page and send it in, or share it as a comment below.

For today, forgive the narcissism of quoting myself, but the best motivator for me is a sentence I heard a couple of years ago from Dr. John Ratey, a local psychiatrist and author, when I interviewed him for a Boston Globe story:

"Exercise is medicine for the brain," he said. Initial studies show that schoolchildren on a vigorous exercise program score better on standardized tests and are less prone to violence, Ratey writes in "Spark," a new book on exercise and the brain. He tells people that going for a run is like taking a bit of Prozac - to lighten mood - and a bit of Ritalin - to heighten attention.