Can exercise make you smarter? Maybe this will get you moving!

by Brittany Black

What is good for our waistlines and hearts, appears to be good for our mind.

Cardiovascular exercise is proven to improve circulation throughout the body, including the brain.  

The University of Illinois’ Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, conducted a study to assess the influence of cardiovascular exercise versus resistance exercise on the working memory. 21 young adults participated in cardio-respiratory fitness tests as well as maximal strength tests. They then completed customized Sternberg working memory tests before and after the exercise.

 Findings indicated the students were noticeably quicker and more accurate after their cardiovascular test and they continued to perform better when tested after the cool down.

What did NAIT think?

• Ashley, a 2^nd year personal fitness trainer says, “Working out is a great stress release so it gets a lot off of your mind, so you can focus more on your tasks ahead of you, like school work and stuff, so yes, I agree.”
• Kamwal Dhaliwal, a business officer at NAIT explains that he works out mainly “to relieve work stress, and at the same time maintain a healthy lifestyle and have a good looking physique.”

Although the study had positive test results, fundamental questions still remain untested, like how strenuous the exercise must be in order for it to be beneficial. Until then, instead of studying, does this mean we can just work out!? Here’s hoping.

Province Gears Up for Second Wave of H1N1

by Clayton Brown
Alberta Health Services is preparing the province for the second wave of H1N1 and is asking everyone to do their part to help stop the spread of the virus. Health officials are asking everyone to cough into their sleeves not hands, wash their hands as much as possible, and stay home for seven days if you have any flu-like symptoms.

NAIT is doing its part by placing hand santizers throughout campus and has nurses on staff for all students and faculty. Lawerence LeMesurier, NAIT Occupational Health and Safety Manager, says, “There is a threat for the NAIT community because it does spread so fast much like the seasonal flu.”

One NAIT student, Korden Huberdeau, and his family already dealt with the virus this summer. He understands how important awareness on this issue is. “When I got sick I really didn’t know about coughing into my sleeve or constantly washing my hands,” he said.

NAIT staff had been booked into to get their seasonal flu shots but Alberta Health Services just recently cancelled those clinics and are only encouraging Albertans at high risk for the seasonal flu to thier shots. Those who are at high risk only have a one month period to recieve these shots starting October 13th.

Once the H1N1 vaccine is released in mid-November the province will be shifting all its focus to the H1N1 vaccines. As of October 2nd, there are 131 confirmed hospitalized cases in Alberta and of those there have been eight deaths. Nearly 100 of those confirmed cases have been reported from Edmonton and Calgary. If 100 percent of Albertans go and get the H1N1 shots it will cost the province nearly 90 million dollars.

University Connects with Germany

by Devin Lacombe
The University of Alberta is partnering with one of Europe’s largest research groups in a new project focused on energy research.

The Helmholtz Association is made up of nearly 28, 000 staff at 16 institutions across Germany. A five-year deal titled the Helmholtz Alberta Initiative will see those scientists collaborate with Edmonton-based researchers on technological, chemical and geological explorations of Alberta’s oil sands.

A ceremony at the Timm’s Centre for the Arts last Tuesday saw U of A President Dr. Indira Samarasekara sign a Memorandum of Understanding with her German counterpart. Along with various Canadian and Albertan politicians and officials, Dr. Georg Witschel, Germany’s ambassador to Canada, was in attendance.

Samarasekara was ecstatic at the possibilities ahead, calling the event “a truly historic and significant milestone” for the Edmonton post-secondary school. Helmholtz President, Dr. Jürgen Mlynek, agreed as he told the crowd, “I can’t convince you that we are the appropriate partner for the collaboration if I wouldn’t be convinced of our strengths myself.”

Funded by various government and private sources in the sum of $20 million every year, almost two thirds of that total will be spent here in Alberta.

The primary goal of the project is to address the sustainability issues faced by companies harvesting from the oil sands, namely carbon dioxide emissions, high energy usage and land reclamation. It is hoped that new technologies developed in the five-year plan will save oil sands companies money and energy while protecting and revitalizing the environment.