If you don’t exercise, it’s time for you to start. What you may not know is that exercising regularly can benefit your brain greatly.
Some of us are fond of exercising due to various reasons. While this activity is a stress buster for some, for others, it’s a happy boost. You may be sweating it out endlessly to lose that extra weight. Or you may have just joined a gym because your bestie needs a partner. It doesn’t matter as long as you are exercising because it impacts your physical as well as your mental health.
Scientific proof of how the brain benefits from a workout
The Department of Exercise Science conducted a study at the University of Georgia. It discovered that even a mere 20-minute workout could enhance brain functions such as information processing and memory. A research conducted by UCLA showed that exercising regularly helps the brain to develop faster. In 2017, the Lancet released its research on dementia which indicates that one of the most important preventive measures for this condition is exercising regularly.
What happens to your brain when you exercise
During a workout, your heart rate increases and the organ pumps more blood. As a result, there’s more oxygen reaching your brain than usual. The body also releases several hormones- including endorphin (the happy hormone)- which result in the growth of brain cells.
Therefore, exercising regularly stimulates the brain plasticity. It results in the growth of new connections between cells in important cortical sections of the brain.
How exercising benefits your brain
There are several mental health benefits associated with working out. These are:
Improves memory and thinking: Exercising – especially styles like cardio and Aerobics that increase the heart rate- is known to increase the size of the hippocampus. This is a gland that is responsible for your memory and learning. Working out regularly reduces inflammation and decreases insulin resistance. This, in turn, helps in the healthy growth of brain cells.
Reduces stress and anxiety: Physical exercise releases hormones in the body called endorphins. These are known to result in happiness and pleasure. The term “runners high” is associated with these hormones where athletes feel uninhibited in this state. Endorphins are also released while eating food, during sex etc. Hence exercising regularly directly helps in reducing stress and anxiety. Working out has proven to be effective, especially for people suffering from depression.
Helps in better sleep: A tired brain is the one that sleeps best. Agreed? Exercising keeps your brain stimulated. Hence when the time comes for it to rest, you sleep like a baby and that’s all we want in life, don’t we?
Reduces the onset of dementia: Exercising regularly keeps the brain active and hence, reduces the onset of dementia. There’s more oxygen supplied to the brain, which leads to the production of neurons, aka neurogenesis. This helps increase brain volume, which acts as a buffer against dementia.
How to choose the correct exercise for your brain
There are various kinds of exercise that you can try. However, if you want to choose one, to improve your mental health, have a look at these suggestions.
1. Aerobics: This is a fast-paced, dance-based exercise that keeps the heart rate up and helps burn calories. This style of exercising helps repair damaged brain cells.
2. Dance classes: Dancing involves exercise, coordination as well as strategy. Hence this multi-purpose workout style not only keeps the brain stimulated but helps in losing fat.
3. Circuit training: If you’re at the gym, resort to circuit training which is more of a cardio exercise. Opt for this rather than doing weights. This is because research has shown that weight training doesn’t benefit the brain as much as cardio does.
4. Swimming: This is another style of exercising that involves a workout, as well as rhythm and coordination.
5. Playing a sport: Playing sports, especially tennis, football, basketball keeps the heart rate up and boost brain activity.
Aside from exercising, another practice which can help improve your mental health is Neurofeedback. To learn more, watch this video.
Brain & Co. offers med-free treatment that could help you overcome some of the challenges that come with depression/anxiety/sleep issues/ADHD etc. Visit our website or give us a call to learn more.
