5 WAYS EXERCISE BOOSTS YOUR BRAIN POWER
We all know how exercise benefits the cardiovascular and respiratory system, how it strengthens our muscles and bones, and how it can improve our physical appearance.
However, regular exercising also has large effects on brain health. These benefits often go unnoticed, mostly because people are more focused on the aesthetic benefits. It’s harder to notice a happy mind when you are looking at your emerging abs in the mirror. Fortunately, you have us to tell you all about it! Here are some exciting ways how exercise boosts your brain power, that you may not have known.
It Keeps The Brain Sharp
Moderate exercising is shown not only to help prevent age-related cognitive deterioration but can also reverse the damage. That means it is essential to younger people if they want to keep their brain performance at its fullest; and it’s even more critical for older adults, who are experiencing first signs of cognitive decline. For them, exercise will help stall the condition, and in some cases even restore the regular brain activity.
Exercise directly fights Alzheimer’s by releasing irisin. Irisin is a hormone that protects the brain and lessens the damage this nasty disease creates. This is because exercise promotes the health of synapses between neurons. The synapses primary responsibility is to help communication between cells, resulting in sharper memory.
It Stimulates Cell Growth
For decades, scientists believed that new neurons never form in adults, but further researches show that it is no longer valid. It turns out there is a way to grow new nerve cells in your brain – you guessed it right, it’s exercise.
Studies show that aerobic physical activity, like jogging, stimulates cell growth in the hippocampus, part of our brain that is critical for memory. What’s even more amazing is that the new cells find their place in the already established network, directly improving memory performance and the ability to learn. Yes, it’s just like upgrading your computer with more storage and RAM. So students, hit that gym, even if your finals are coming up!
One more thing: don’t use brain cell growing power of exercise as an excuse to indulge in destructive activities such as binge drinking and over-indulging in processed foods. These can deteriorate your brain at a fast rate and is something that even exercise can’t counter.
Reduces inflammation and improves microbiome
While healthy gut, at least at first glance, seems unrelated to brain health, it is precisely the opposite.
There are billions of bacteria of different cultures living in our gut. They help the digestion process, but also have an essential impact on the immune system. As far as the gut goes, it is all about the balance. Our gut is tough and able to self-regulate; however, sometimes our way of life makes it hard for it to stay in balance. Once it gets out of balance, the wrong gut bacteria may take over, causing issues across the body, especially in the way of inflammation.
This inflammation can cause immune system reaction, and our body starts fighting a battle it can’t win, as long as our diets and lifestyles remain the same. Long term inflammation is shown to have an impact on cognitive and mental health, even worsening depression.
There are things you can do to stop and reverse the damage – diet, and exercise. If you have leaky gut, you should cut down on processed foods, and eat more plant-based, fiber-dense diet. You should also add a probiotic, at least until things turn back to normal. Studies show that six weeks of activity can significantly improve gut microbe. Exercise also directly fights inflammation, so if you want a healthy gut, you need to keep moving!
Affects our mood
Exercising is hard, there’s no denying that. It takes a tremendous amount of willpower to force yourself into the gym regularly. Yes, it becomes enjoyable, but there will always be days when you’ve had a hard day at work, it’s cold or pouring rain outside, and you don’t feel like working out. However, if you do manage to get that workout in, you will feel much better about of yourself knowing that you overcame these feelings by the sheer strength of willpower!
Exercise also affects the brain and mood on a chemical level. While it doesn’t cure depression, it is as effective as drugs in some cases. However, because it has no negative side-effects, unlike drugs, exercise is well worth trying if you suffer from mental issues, especially anxiety and depression.
Yes, when you are depressed, you lack will and energy to get out of bed, let alone vigorously exercise. If you manage to force yourself into being active, you will feel the benefits almost immediately.
Also, after a while, you will notice physical changes and aesthetic improvements, which will boost your self-confidence. Not just because you will look more attractive, but because you achieved that yourself, and you can be proud of it.
Improves sleep
Physical activity is shown to enhance the quality of sleep, and also duration. This fact is no surprise, as exercise is physically demanding, and sleep is a natural way of restoring energy and recovering. Rest is essential for hormonal balance, and also optimal energy levels throughout the day. Exercising also reduces stress, and which is one of the leading causes of sleep disorders.
What’s interesting is that exercise helps sleep, but it also goes the other way around. Achieving any goal without proper rest is very difficult. Sleep is essential for metabolism, and also for muscle growth. So if you want to increase your muscle mass, strength, or lose weight, you better start improving your sleeping quality. Sleep and exercise work together, in a symbiosis, creating a win-win situation.
You should be incorporating a mix of aerobic/anaerobic activities and strength training into your routine. Doing total-body weight training 2-3x per week is an excellent place to start. Compound barbell movements such as squats, presses, and deadlifts are hard, but they will give you results as fast as possible. This is because these exercises require coordination between different joints and muscle groups at the same time.
Also, try to refrain from sitting for long periods. When at work, take short breaks to stand up and stretch every 30-45 minutes, And when you are at home, don’t just lie on the couch the whole day; walk your dog, play with your children, or go for a jog.
Although it helps sleep, exercise can sometimes hinder it. To prevent that from happening, make sure you don’t exercise two hours before bedtime. Your body needs to be calm if you want good quality sleep, and doing burpees twenty minutes before bed won’t exactly help you fall asleep faster.
Conclusion
As you can see, exercise is also brain training, and it does a lot more than making you look good in that suit. It is a way to improve memory, but also to prevent memory loss. It fights depression, enhances mood, and helps maintain gut balance, which has positive effects all over the body. Combine that with other well-known impacts exercise has on the body such as reducing chances of heart attack, diabetes, hypertension, and strengthening muscles, and the immune system, and you start to get the picture as to why exercising should be one of your top priorities. With so many benefits, it is as close to being a wonder drug as it can get, and it is entirely free, enjoyable, and accessible to anybody.
There is no reason why you shouldn’t incorporate exercise into your routine, starting today. After all, it’s only February, and it’s never too late to make New Year’s resolutions happen. Check out our article on the benefits of coffee to get you pumped up for that workout! -> Coffee and the brain
