Do you know that when your body moves, your brain improves! Yes, that’s right, let’s see how exercise boosts your brain function.
So, I am increasingly fascinated by brain hacks and the interaction between the body and the mind. We are all familiar with the mind-body connection; our movements are controlled by our brain.
What about the body-mind connection? By using movement, we can increase our brain power!
Body-mind connection
The benefits of exercise are numerous and fairly well known at a physical level. There is also a strong relationship between physical activity and brain health, with many benefits of exercise for cognition, sleep, depression, anxiety, and overall quality of life.
Who hasn’t experienced this good-feeling sensation after exercising? The immediate effect of this ‘runner’s high’ is to increase levels of neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline. They are happy brain chemicals, improving the mood and general sense of well-being. Moreover, it releases endorphin, helping to relieve pain and stress.
Furthermore, exercise enhances cognitive health in various ways. Cardio workout raises your heart rate and increases blood flow to your brain. You also breathe faster and stronger, depending on the intensity of your workout. As your increased breathing pumps more oxygen into your bloodstream, more oxygen is delivered to your brain.
Serious effects!
Studies have showed that a single workout can improve your ability to shift focus and attention, and that focus improvement will last for at least two hours.
On the long run, neuroscience studies find that exercise actually produces brand new brain cells, in the hippocampus, that increase its volume, as well as improve your long-term memory. Consistent workout also improves your focus and attention capability, dependent on the prefrontal cortex. And bonus, you will also be in a good mood long-term… Happy days!
One of the most important effects of physical activity is to protect your brain. Have you heard about the expression “the brain is like a muscle”? Well, here is why. The more you exercise, the bigger and stronger your hippocampus and prefrontal cortex get. This postpones significantly normal cognitive decline in aging and neurodegenerative diseases (dementia or Alzheimer’s).
According to various researches, at least 30 minutes of cardio three times a week would help achieve those results.
“All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche
So, working out has immediate, long-lasting and protective benefits for your brain. Moving your body also leads to creativity. According to a Stanford University study, a person’s creative output increased by 60% when they were walking. Then, I understand better now why Steve Jobs used to do walking meetings. And if you can take those in nature, it would seem to improve problem solving!
And you, what are you doing to activate your brain cells?
Sources:
Studies on cognition and exercise – Arthur F. Kramer, Ph.D., professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Illinois
Wendy Suzuki – TedTalk: The brain-changing benefits of exercise.
