5 reasons exercise is the best thing you can do for your brain
Health experts will wax lyrical about fitness' impressive physical impact, but its effect on the brain and subsequent benefits for cognitive function and mental health can't be overstated, either. Reducing stress and enhancing working memory, exercise can improve brain function and stave off age-related degeneration.
Here's a closer look at the changes that happen in your brain when you work up a sweat, and all the positive effects that take place as a result.
5 processes that take place in the brain during exercise
1. Neurogenesis
Neurogenesis is the growth and maintenance of new brain cells. The process takes place primarily in the hippocampus: a small, complex part of the brain crucial for learning and memory, found just above each ear in the temporal lobe.
2. Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity is our brain's ability to form new neural connections and build on existing ones. It's not solely confined to the hippocampus, but that is one of the brain's most malleable regions. Exercise significantly enhances hippocampal neuroplasticity.
3. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)
Exercise increases the concentration of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), a protein present in high densities in the hippocampus. BDNF acts as a growth factor, playing a critical role in neurogenesis by enabling the survival and growth of new neurons, and in neuroplasticity by stimulating the creation of synapses, the connections between neurons.
Higher volumes of BDNF also increase the amount of grey matter, the tissue primarily composed of neuron cell bodies, and which is responsible for processing information and facilitating the functioning of emotions, memory, movement and sense perception.
4. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)
Exercise can also increase the amount of IGF-1, a hormone that maintains brain health and supports both neurogenesis and neuroplasticity.
5. Release of neurotransmitters
Exercise releases neurotransmitters like endorphins; dopamine, part of the brain's reward system; norepinephrine, which can increase alertness, arousal and attention; and serotonin, which regulates mood and contributes to better sleep.
5 ways exercise boosts brain health
1. Enhanced cognitive function
'Studies show that our hippocampus receives increased blood flow and oxygenation when we engage in regular physical exercise. This has been shown in studies to improve cognitive performance across all age groups,' Marat Reyzelman, a specialist in neurology and clinical neurophysiology at Wellstar Health System, told Eating Well.
Science agrees. Echoing him, a study observed that older individuals engaging in exercise at specific intensities displayed better mental function compared to those who were not working out, while further research confirmed that exercise was beneficial for improving decision making and response selection, and focusing attention. Another study also found that moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise led to improvements in processing speed and executive function – higher-order skills including planning and self-control.
2. Reduced cognitive decline
Research shows that the hippocampus tends to shrink with age, impacting cognitive function. However, exercise has been associated with higher hippocampal volume and superior relational memory.
Exercise also lowers the risk of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. The Alzheimer's Society cited research finding that people who exercise regularly may be up to 20% less likely to develop dementia than their more stationary counterparts, while another study confirmed that physical activity played a key intervention role in reducing dementia risk.
3. Improved memory
An increased concentration of BDNF through exercise means enhanced synaptic plasticity, or the ability of neurons to change the strength of their connections (synapses) – a critical process involved in memory formation and consolidation.
Moreover, regular physical activity increases hippocampal volume, also associated with better memory and cognitive function. A study on 120 older adults found that those who regularly performed aerobic exercise experienced anterior (frontal) hippocampal growth by 2%, reversing age-related loss and consequently improving memory function.
4. Reduced stress
Stress can adversely affect the hippocampus by inhibiting neurogenesis. Stress hormones like cortisol can also lead to hippocampal shrinkage. Over time, this can also cause difficulties with memory formation and retrieval. Exercise can reduce levels of cortisol and adrenaline, as well as releasing norepinephrine and endorphins, improving mood. Research supports this, showing that engaging in physical activity once a week led to a substantial reduction in stress, and noting a continued inverse correlation between more exercise and lower stress levels.
5. Managed anxiety and depression
Due to the release of endorphins, exercise has been shown to improve mood and reduce anxiety and depression symptoms. A study found that after 12 weeks of supervised exercise, participants demonstrated significant improvements in depressive and anxiety symptoms compared to the control group, especially in those using antidepressants – and the effects lasted up to a one-year follow up.
The best form of exercise for brain health
Aerobic exercise, like running, cycling, swimming, was shown in a meta analysis and systematic review to be particularly effective at stimulating hippocampal volume and neurogenesis, and increasing blood flow to the brain, thus maintaining cognitive health. However, research also found that resistance training increased neuroplasticity and prevented brain degeneration.
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