Brain Rules is the book by John Medina that looks at “12 principles for surviving and thriving at work, home and school”. I found the whole topic fascinating and so I had to order the book. I just received the book from Amazon and over the next 12 weeks I’ll be taking a look at each of the principles and giving you my take on that week’s principle as well as some ways to integrate that principle into your life. To see if you’re interested in this topic, check out the interview by Geoffrey Grosenbach of the Ruby on Rails podcast and video that I posted of a talk at Google.
As a quick aside, the hardcover book that I received, had inside, a DVD that gives you an overview of the rules. Also included on the DVD were three chapters of the audio book. The book also has an associated website, BrainRules.net. The publisher, Pear Pres,s did a great job giving you a bunch of extras along with the book. This is one of the first times in a long time that I haven’t felt screwed by getting a book in the hard cover edition. Kudos to them.
So…Rule #1 is exercise boosts brain power. The big idea is that when you’re moving, your brain works better. I’m not going to give away all the details of the book here. You’ll have to buy a copy for yourself. But, sitting and peak brain function aren’t compatible. The desk and cubicle, Medina says, are the worst possible environment for optimal brain power. He mentions something called a Walkstation as a possible fix for getting your brain working better in the office environment. The walkstation is a treadmill built into your workstation. So instead of sitting at a desk, you’re active at the desk. Hence, you will function better at your job. I did a quick Google search and found a couple references. Apparently the Walkstation is not being produced, but the idea has caught on. Below you’ll find links to homemade walkstations that you could use as a template for your own. This idea could also be used with a stationary bicycle. Medina mentions he uses a walkstation type setup and it took all of 15 minutes to get used to working this way.
Myself, I don’t think this is going to happen here in my office, but I do my own sort of “active sitting”. I use a large fitness ball as a seat. It turns a sedentary desk job into an active desk job. It ain’t perfect, but it’s a start. You can get these sort of fitness balls at any sporting good store or big retailers like Target or Walmart.
That will do it for week 1. Check back next week when I tackle Rule #2, The Human Brain Evolved Too.
External Links:
Homemade Walkstation
Another Homemade Walkstation
Engadget Post on Walkstation
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