Exercise Helps Your Brain – Another Motivation to Keep Fit



iStockPhoto.com



Last week I mentioned one benefit of exercise is that it produces hormones that positively affect learning and retention.  This week I’ll cover studies that say no matter what your age, exercise helps your brain.

Increasing Name Memory

Do you find yourself forgetting people’s names? Aerobic exercise can help. Two studies showed that the brain actually grew more nerve cells in people participated in a three month aerobic exercise regimen.  The new neurons in the area of the brain that helps match names to faces one of the first skills to erode as we age. One of the studies showed. vigorous exercise can cause older nerve cells to form dense, interconnected webs that make the brain run faster and more efficiently. (1)

Improving Brain functions in Children

Exercise doesn’t just improve brain activity in adults. Charles Hillman, University of Illinois neuroscience and kinesiology lab, proved kids with the fittest bodies had the fittest minds.  He has studied physical activity against math and reading scores on a statewide standardized test.  Hillman says, “People have been slow to grasp that exercise can really affect cognition, just as it affects muscles.” Dr. Hillman’s preliminary data has shown that after exercise, children’s brains pay more attention to tasks, cognitive processing speed is increased, and cognitive performance improves. He has also assessed brain structure.  These studies show that High-fit children have larger volume of certain areas of their brain which positively affects how well children perform on certain memory tests and cognitive control functions underlying action. (1) (2)

Helping Alzheimer's Disease and ADHD

There are also clues that physical activity can stave off the beginnings of Alzheimer's disease, ADHD and other cognitive disorders.  (3) (4) (5) (6)

Growing Neurons

Now with brain scanning tools and sophisticated understanding of biochemistry, researchers are realizing that the mental effects of exercise are far more profound and complex than one thought.  Harvard psychiatrist, John Ratey, "Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain" notes that with regular exercise, the body builds up its levels of a protein he calls the Miracle Grow for the brain.  Brains with more of this protein, called brain derived neurotropic factor  (BDNF), have a higher capacity for learning.  A bout of exercise also elevates dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine which helps with focus, calming down and impulsivity, says Ratey.

According to UCLA neuroscientist Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a brain that's low in BDNF shuts itself off to new information. Until this new research, scientists used to think loss of neurons as people age was permanent. Now they know exercise can induce neuron growth in some parts of the brain.

Scott Small, Columbia University Medical Center neurologist says "Active adults have less inflammation of the brain." They also have fewer 'little bitty strokes that can impair cognition without the person even knowing," says University of California San Francisco, neuroscientist Kristine Yaffe.

To keep all the positive effects, you have to continue the exercise.   No matter what your age, it seems an activity ebony is crucial for building a strong, active mind.

So along with my previous motivation tips, remember, you aren't just exercising your body you're increasing your brain power.

References

1. Newsweek.com, Stronger, faster, smarter, Mary Carmichael, March 26, 2007
2. Charles Hillman Bio, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, The Department of Kinesiology and Community Health
3. Mayo Clinic, Preventing Alzheimer's: Exericse is Still Best, Alzheimer's blog, Angela Lunde, March 25, 2008, Angela Lunde
4. Journal of Neuroscience, Voluntary Exercise Decreases Amyloid Load in a Transgenic Model of Alzheimer's Disease, April 27, 2005, Paul A Adlard, et al , Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia, University of California, Irvine, Ca
5. WebMD.com, Exercise Amps Up Alzheimer’s Brain? , Study: Being Fit May Reduce Brain Shrinkage in Early Alzheimer’s Disease, Kelley Colihan, WebMD Health News, Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD, July 14, 2008
6. Health.com, Brain Games and Exercise: A Drug-Free Treatment for ADHD? ,  Get Physical to Get Results, Mara Betsch,  January 19, 2009