Source: Healthline
Security & Justice
Southern Lebanon Endures Massive Damage: 40,000 Homes Leveled Across 37 Towns
Israeli forces have systematically destroyed entire neighborhoods in southern Lebanon, leveling more than 37 towns and wiping out over 40,000 residential units, according to Lebanon's National News Agency.
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Gaps in Coastal Radar Enabled Israeli Raid in Batroun, Army Commander Says
Lebanon’s army chief, General Joseph Aoun, detailed to Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati how Israeli forces likely exploited gaps in the country's coastal radar system during the recent raid carried out in Batroun. The briefing comes as Lebanese officials seek answers on how Israel’s elite Shayetet 13 unit carried out the landing undetected.
Monday, November 4, 2024
Opinion
My Hope for Lebanon
A company of Lebanese soldiers assigned to maintain order in this anxious wartime capital is gathered at its headquarters 100 yards from the Mediterranean. I make the blunder of asking their commander how many of his men are Shiites, Sunnis, Christians and Druze.
Monday, November 4, 2024
The Emptying of Baalbek Is a Moment to Take Stock
“Large numbers of people continue to flee their homes every day, as Israel’s military operations in Lebanon have been going on unabated.” These disturbing words could be from almost any news report about Israel’s invasion of its northern neighbour over the past month. However, they can be found in a report by the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre issued on July 27, 2006.
Saturday, November 2, 2024
Sports
FC Barcelona Fears First Team Star Will Be Banned From Playing, Reports SPORT
FC Barcelona is concerned that one of its main first-team stars will be banned from playing at the turn of 2025 because of issues related to his registration and Financial Fair Play (FFP) limits according to SPORT, which cited anonymous sources.
Friday, November 1, 2024
Tottenham Forward Son Heung-min Crowned Asia’s International Player of the Year
Tottenham forward Son Heung-min was crowned as Asia’s International Player of the Year for the fourth time by the Asian Football Confederation at its annual awards ceremony Tuesday.
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Wednesday 14 February 2024 16:40:29
Is It Possible to Lose Weight by Thinking Harder?
You may wonder if the act of thinking burns more calories than mindless activities like watching television. Yes, but only to a certain extent.
After a long day at work or school, it’s common to feel tired. This is especially true if you do a lot of mental tasks, which can zap your physical energy.
In turn, you may wonder if the act of thinking burns more calories than mindless activities like watching television. After all, if you’re tired after thinking, doesn’t that mean you’re burning energy?
Yes, but only to a certain extent. Although thinking hard uses calories, the energy burn is minimal. It’s not enough to burn fat and cause weight loss.
The brain is also an organ, not a muscle. Exercise can grow your muscles, which makes them burn more calories. This concept doesn’t apply to the brain.
Still, working out your brain has other benefits. It can boost cognitive functions like memory and focus, and slow down cognitive decline.
To learn how thinking affects your calorie burn, read on.
Why exerting yourself mentally burns calories
First, it’s important to understand how your body uses calories.
You burn energy even when you’re sedentary. For example, as you read this article, your body is using calories to support:
- breathing
- blood flow
- body temperature
- digestion
Your brain also uses energy to perform normal functions. Although it makes up 2 percentTrusted Source of your body weight, it burns 20 percentTrusted Source of the energy you consume. This metabolic activity is generally consistent, regardless of what you’re doing.
In fact, your brain burns more energy at restTrusted Source than a human thigh while running.
Specifically, your brain gets energy from glucose. Glucose comes from the food you eat. The glucose enters your bloodstream, then travels to your brain.
Here, it’s used to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a form of energy. Your nerve cells need ATP to communicate and carry out cognitive tasks.
When you mentally exert yourself, your brain uses more energy to do the task. But it’s not much more than normal brain activities.
How many calories does your brain burn?
Though thinking burns calories, it’s not enough to cause weight loss. The increase in calorie burn is small.
You need to burn 3,500 calories to lose 1 pound. In 1 week, this equals out to 500 calories a day.
If you were to solely depend on mental tasks, you’d need to exert yourself for many hours.
For example, as mentioned earlier, a 155-pound person burns about 42 calories in 30 minutes of reading. This person would have to read for almost 6 hours to burn 500 calories in a day.
Granted, occasionally moving around will increase calorie burn per hour. But it still wouldn’t be enough to cause weight loss.
Is it possible to exercise your brain?
It’s still beneficial to work out your brain. Examples of brain exercises and their benefits include:
- Brain teasers. A 2013 studyTrusted Source found that brain-training games boost executive functions and memory in healthy young adults. Brain puzzles, like Sudoku or crossword puzzles, can challenge your brain.
- Learning something new. Reading, learning a new hobby, or watching documentaries can keep your brain active.
- Playing or listening to music. According to a 2013 articleTrusted Source, these activities help boost memory and executive function.
- Socializing. Maintaining healthy social relationships can support cognitive performance, according to a 2017 studyTrusted Source. Consider joining a book club, fitness class, or volunteer group.
- Regular exercise. Physical activities like walking or gardening are beneficial for your body and brain. In a 2018 study, researchers found that aerobic exercise can support neuronal health and cognitive function.
All brain workouts are not equal, though. It’s important to continuously challenge yourself. If you frequently repeat the same activities, your brain won’t be as active.
Also, it’s a myth that age-related cognitive decline is inevitable. According to a 2015 articleTrusted Source, lifestyle factors can protect and boost brain function. This includes the activities above, along with eating well and avoiding smoking.
Why do you get tired after exerting yourself mentally?
It’s normal to feel tired after going to the gym. Likewise, it’s typical to get tired after work or school, but it’s not the same thing.
Glucose is stored as glycogen in your muscles. When you exercise, your muscles break down glycogen and use glucose to move.
Eventually, your muscles run out of energy and you feel tired. It also becomes difficult for your central nervous system to contract your muscles. The result is physical fatigue.
Mental activity also uses glucose, but it doesn’t require your muscles to break down glycogen. Instead, it causes mental exhaustion, which increases your perceived exertion of physical tasks, according to a 2017 review.
Which muscles burn the most calories?
To increase your calorie burn, do exercises that involve your biggest muscles.
Larger muscles require more energy to move. Some of your largest muscles include:
- gluteus maximus (the largest muscle)
- quadriceps
- hamstrings
- latissimus dorsi
Takeaway
Your brain burns calories to perform basic functions. It burns a bit more if you think really hard, but it’s not enough to make you lose weight.
That doesn’t mean exercising your brain has no benefits. Activities like listening to music, doing puzzles, and learning new hobbies can all boost your cognitive function.
If you want to burn more calories, focus on exercise and healthy eating. Exercising your largest muscles, like your glutes and biceps, will increase your calorie burn.