The benefits of exercise to the brain 1, promoting brain development.
As we get older, the speed of new cells in our brain will slow down and brain tissue will shrink. And exercise may reverse this trend. A brain scanning study of healthy people aged 60 to 79 who are used to sedentary shows that after six months of aerobic exercise and fitness training, their brain volume has been significantly improved.
However, this positive change did not appear in the control group who only did stretching exercise and muscle strengthening exercise. The researchers concluded that aerobic exercise can improve the cardiovascular system of the elderly and weaken the effects of aging. Aerobic exercise promotes blood flow to the brain and brings more oxygen to the brain (the brain needs to absorb 20% of the whole body oxygen).
2. Improve the level of hormones in the brain.
Just as fertilizer can make plants grow faster and better, a chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) can promote the growth, proliferation and differentiation of brain cells. This is especially true of the hippocampus, which is the brain area responsible for memory and is the most prone to aging. The more you exercise, the more beneficial factors will be produced.
3. Fight off depression and anxiety
Depression can weaken the brain's ability to process information, make it more difficult for us to concentrate and make decisions, and lead to memory problems. If it is severe depression, the doctor may prescribe antidepressants for you. And if depression is not too serious, exercise can improve your mood. Because exercise can make the body synthesize serotonin and dopamine, which are brain chemicals that determine happy mood. Exercise can also increase the content of endorphins, which are pleasant chemicals.
4. Reduce the impact of stress.
Although there are hormones such as BDNF that can age the brain, there are other hormones that can age the brain. This includes the so-called? Stress hormones? Cortisol. We may not know that it is stress that causes our thinking to slow down, disperse and forget. Exercise can reduce cortisol content and help us regain clear thinking. Exercise is also thought to help the dentate gyrus in the brain to generate new nerve cells. This dentate gyrus is a part of hippocampus, which is related to the generation of new memories. Brain cells in this area will be exhausted by stress.
5. Make the brain's executive ability better.
The executive ability of the brain is basically cognitive ability, such as the ability to concentrate on solving complex tasks, organizing, abstracting and planning the future. This also includes the memory of completing work, such as remembering a phone number being dialed.
When the researchers began to analyze the influence of exercise on the executive ability of the brain, they studied 18 well-designed items and found that adults aged 55 to 80 who exercised regularly performed four times better in cognitive tests than the control group who did not exercise. The most obvious effect is that people who exercise for 30 to 45 minutes at a time and persist for more than 6 months. However, it only takes four weeks of exercise to reap the substantial benefits that exercise brings you.
6. Improve the sensitivity to insulin.
When you eat, your body will convert most of the food into glucose or blood sugar. This is the main source of energy needed by the body (including the brain). In order to enter cells, these glucose needs to be accompanied by insulin hormones. Unfortunately, some people's cells are resistant to insulin. At this time, the body has to pump more and more insulin, but the blood sugar content is still rising, which often leads to type 2 diabetes.
Even if you don't have type 2 diabetes, this resistance to insulin is not good for your brain. When brain cells are flooded with glucose, it will have a negative impact on memory and thinking. However, regular exercise can reverse this resistance to insulin. In fact, at least 16 hours after an exercise time, your insulin sensitivity is improved and your postprandial blood sugar level is stable. The better you control your blood sugar, the better you can fight against age-related cognitive decline.