Do you also try to put the warm summer weather to good use by engaging in some fun outdoor activity after a rather inert winter? If so, you've come to the right place, because this month's favorites are all about making your daily intake of natural euphoriants even more effective: Bring along a podcast! Whether you're going for a run, do some stretching and Yoga in the park, go on a bicycle tour, or just opt for a long walk in the woods or on the beach (whichever spot happens to be closest to you), be assured that there's hardly a better companion than a smart and stimulating audio lecture, interview or radio play.
The combination of (moderate) physical activity with (moderate) intellectual stimulation is a true win-win situation, and this is even backed by science proper. Physical exercise increases your heart rate, which means that more oxygen is pumped to your brain, hormones aiding the growth of brain cells are released, while the establishment of new neural connections between existing ones is fostered. Mens sana in corpore sano, amirite? At the same time, and this I can relate from personal experience, even the dullest jogging trail is elevated by a good and gripping audio program to go along with. The right podcast to occupy your mental facilities while your physical ones are hard at work definitely helps you stay motivated and focused, and you might even throw in an extra mile because you need to know how the episode ends.
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| Does Claire Underwood listen to CNN's State of the Union podcast when going for a jog? Possibly! |
So without further ado, here are some entertaining, inspiring and thought-provoking podcasts for your physical *and* intellectual workout! (And yes, all of them work equally well if you're listening while lounging on your couch with a glass of white wine - I don't have a peer-reviewed study at hand to back this one up, but it's a method thoroughly tried and tested during some of the rainier days of this summer...)
