4 Brain Benefits of Regular Exercise
Did you know that your exercise program may be having its most significant impact on your brain? It’s true. Recent research has shown many of the effects regular exercise has within our brains. Today we will review several such effects.
You are probably already familiar with many of the benefits that regular exercise. Whether you are trying to get as strong as possible, compete in a strength sport, lose weight, or just stave off the effects of aging, regular exercise is already probably an essential part of your weekly routine. And if it’s not, well, consider the following, and reach out to info@beaststrongpowerhouse.com to reap the following benefits.
1. Mood Regulation
Walking for as little as 5 minutes can increase levels of happiness and contentment. The American Psychological Association recently studied the “mood enhancement effect” of exercise and found that five minutes or more of exercise can enhance mood. The primary mechanism by which this is accomplished is exercise’s ability to regulate the release of neurotransmitters in the brain. Specifically, dopamine and norepinephrine, both of which regulate mood. Studies have shown that regular exercise can treat mild to moderate depression as effectively as anti-depressant drugs, and do so without the side effects associated with these medications.
2. Memory and Thinking
Recent research has found that regular exercise has the ability (over as little as six months) to increase the volume of the frontal cortex and the hippocampus. These are parts of the brain that are primarily involved in memory and critical thinking. This is a striking finding and adds to the growing body of research indicating that exercise can have a profound impact on one’s memory and cognition. Exercise causes a release of growth factors in the body—specifically, IGF-1 and IGF-2, which are chemicals within the body that trigger tissue growth and repair.
3. Social Connection
Many forms of exercise are social in nature. Whether it’s a pick-up basketball game, aerobics class, or working out at your local gym, you’ll be getting a sweat in with many other people. Connection and community are two potent contributors to a healthy mind and a fulfilling life. We are, after all, merely highly evolved pack animals. We have been designed through evolution to crave connection, and exercise can be a great way to create connections with others in a safe, healthy environment.
4. Reduce Stress and Anxiety
In the modern connected world where we are bombarded by 24-hour news, constant alerts from our mobile phones, and the rigors of career and family, it is easy to feel overwhelmed, overworked, and overloaded. Exercise has been shown to have immediate effects in reducing the experience of mental and physical stress and anxiety. It does this through several mechanisms. One of the primary ways it does so is by regulating our body’s stress hormones, such as adrenaline.
The Prescription
We have seen how many profound impacts exercise has on our minds and our bodies. So what do we do about it? Much of the research that has been done in this area has pointed to 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise as being the crucial point to begin experiencing the brain benefits. That’s just five thirty-minute sessions or three fifty minutes sessions per week. If you are just starting your fitness journey and this amount of exercise seems daunting, that’s ok. You can begin with three twenty-minute walks per week. Each week you can add five to ten minutes to each session until you hit your goal. The most important thing is to start moving.
Until next time,
Rob Campbell