How Exercise Affects Brain Health

We all know that exercise is good for our health, but we typically think about the physical benefits of regular movement more than the cognitive. After all, exercise helps us feel physically better and also combats the odds of developing diabetes, heart disease and stroke, just to name a few.

Research shows, however, that exercise is not just good for our body, but also our brain. A study conducted by the University of British Columbia found that aerobic exercise, when done on a regular basis, will actually have a significant impact on brain health. Specifically, physical activity boosts the size of the hippocampus, which is the area of the brain directly involved with learning and verbal memory skills. This is good news as researchers estimate that more than 115 million people worldwide will have dementia by the year 2050.

Additionally, The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease noted that exercise is an easy way for people (even those genetically at risk) to cut down their risk for Alzheimer’s disease and memory loss. Research shows that exercise can do this in a number of ways. Indirectly, regular exercise improves cognitive function because when we exercise we sleep better, our moods are improved and our general stress and anxiety levels are reduced. 

Furthermore, exercise directly helps as well. Aerobic exercise is considered as anything that elevates the heart rate. This increase in heart rate helps to direct blood flow and oxygen to the brain, which stimulates growth and activity. For example, this type of physical activity increases levels of Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF), which helps grow new brain cells and neurons in addition to protecting and repairing those cells from degeneration.

Not only does exercise help memory, but it also helps in a number of other ways:

• Thinking and learning
• Reducing inflammation and insulin resistance
• Stimulating the release of proteins in the brain that affect the health and growth of brain cells
• Increases brain volume

It may be hard to immediately notice the effects of exercise on the brain, but a study found that people who spent at least 68 minutes a day doing moderate physical activity, like taking a brisk walk, had better glucose metabolism compared to people who did less activity. A healthy glucose metabolism signals a healthy brain.