6 Amazing Facts About Exercise and Your Brain

Most people know that physical activity promotes a healthy body, but did you know that the real benefit of exercise is in the brain? 

 To keep our brains at peak performance our bodies need to work hard.*pp. 4.

Research indicates that exercise is also an important mental health remedy.  TherapistAid  Exercise improves mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, and negative mood and by improving self-esteem. NCBI

The CDC has found that adults in the US have reported "adverse mental health issues associated with COVID-19". CDC   If you are feeling unhappy, anxious, or gloomy you should get outside and run!  (Or participate in a 30 minute YouTube or ROKU fitness class.)  

It is well known that endorphins produced in the brain during exercise contribute to the sense of well-being.   However, physical activity helps our brain in many other ways.  SparklingLife 

6 Amazing Facts About the Impact of Exercise on Your Brain

1. Brain Growth - Your brain responds like muscles do, growing with use, withering with inactivity.* pp. 4.   The body was designed to be pushed, and when we push our bodies we also push our brains.*pp. 53.   Exercise also promotes brain flexibility by stimulating growth of new connections between cells in many important areas of the brain. ScientificAmerican

2.  Brain Optimization - The reason we feel so good when we get our blood pumping is that it makes the brain function at its best.  As your heart rate increases during exercise, blood flow to the brain increases.  As blood flow increases, your brain is exposed to more oxygen and nutrients. ScientificAmerican   Exercise increases blood flow into two regions of the brain that are associated with memory.  Studies have shown that increased blood flow can even improve memory in older people with memory issues.  ScienceDaily

3. Stronger Resiience - Exercise causes our bodies and minds to become stronger and more resilient and better able to handle challenges.  PaulMinors   Exercise can help build your resilience and help you cope in a healthy way, instead of resorting to negative behaviors.  Regular exercise can also help boost your immune system and reduce the impact of stress. HelpGuide

4. Improve Learning - Physical activity causes biological changes that encourage brain cells to bind to one another.  For the brain to learn, these connections must be made.  PaulMinors   Exercise creates an environment in which the brain is ready, willing, and able to learn.  Half an hour of exercise a day gives you the ability to focus and absorb learning.  SarahCY

5. Treatment for Anxiety and Depression - Scientists have found that those who got regular vigorous exercise were 25 percent less likely to develop depression or an anxiety disorder over the next five years.  ADAA   

Anxiety is the result of dysfunction in the brain where situations are misinterpreted which results in irrational dread.*pp. 87.  When we increase our heart rate and breathing during exercise, we learn that these physical signs don't necessarily lead to an anxiety attack.  PaulMinors

Exercise is also a natural treatment for depression.  Exercise can work as effectively as antidepressant medication, but without the side-effects.  WebMD   Exercise promotes changes in the brain, including neural growth, reduced inflammation, and new activity patterns that promote feelings of calm and well-being.  HelpGuide 

6. Type of Exercise -  Aerobic exercise and complex activity have different beneficial effects on the brain (both complimentary).*pp. 55.  If you chose a complex (tennis, yoga) aerobic activity you will gain benefits of both strengthening and expanding networks in the brain.*pp. 55.

Some studies suggest that higher intensity effort has a more dramatic effect on symptoms such as irritability, anxiety, depression, and mood instability.*pp. 214.   

Exercise to keep your brain healthy!  Regular exercise is the best self-care remedy there is. 

*Spark The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, John J. Ratey, MD, Little, Brown and Company, 2008. 

1/2/2021 Update:  Saw this on TED TALKS Today:  YouTube Video