People who exercise not only have better bodies – they have better brains too. Recent studies firmly establish that exercisers learn faster, remember more, think clearer and bounce back more easily from brain injuries.
Your 30 minute cardio workout also makes you less prone to depression and age-related cognitive decline.
How Does Exercise Positively Affect the Brain?
Aerobic exercise causes a mild stress on the body by threatening its energy reserves. Our body responds by protecting the brain.
Neurons in the brain die if deprived of energy for more than a minute. Given the vulnerability of one of our most valuable organs, the body is designed to protect it. One way it response is by releasing brain-building growth factors, according to Carl Cotman, Director of the Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia at the University of California.
Significantly exercise not only protects our brain but also improves brain function.
Why It Works
Regular updates about our body are sent to the brain whenever there is a change. When we walk, our bodies send electric messages about our knee bending, straightening and so on. When we move fast enough, there is no space between each message causing a build-up in the brain. And this build-up triggers a release of chemicals called growth factors.
Growth factors cause new neurons to form and old ones to grow and form better connections with each other. Blood vessels, beside the neurons, blossom giving the neurons quicker access to glucose and other nutrients. Resulting in an improvement in our ability to think, learn and remember.
How Much Exercise Causes the Response?
Daily exercise is not necessary. Exercising every other day for at least 30 minutes works just as well. Provided it is aerobic exercise and not anaerobic, such as weightlifting, then you too could become smarter while getting fitter.
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