Move Your Body

After sleep, exercise is the next most important activity influencing your brain’s health. Exercise has been proven to have powerful brain benefits. Research shows that physical exercise improves memory and thinking skills, mood and creativity, and learning while reducing depression, age-related decline, and the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s. Exercising also leads to better sleep which greatly helps your brain as mentioned above.

Moving your body is one of the best ways to get your brain working optimally. Exercise increases the blood flow to the brain which, in turn, elevates oxygen levels in the brain. Exercise promotes neurogenesis and neuroplasticity, which are the production of new neurons and the connections between neurons.

Many studies have shown that during endurance or aerobic exercises, a neuroprotective molecule called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is produced. Research has revealed that an increase in BDNF amplifies many cognitive skills, including learning, memory, and attention. Exercise also reduces stress and anxiety by increasing soothing brain chemicals, like endorphins and GABA. Science has determined that exercising regularly can protect your brain and memory as you age. Activities that combine thinking with aerobic exercises, like ballroom dancing or tennis, are going to be of the most benefit to your brain.

In a world where a lot of us sit at a computer for hours a day, thankfully, the amount of exercise needed to benefit your brain is relatively low. In fact, even strength training can have lasting cognitive benefits. Research has confirmed that walking just 72 blocks (roughly 6 miles) a week can enhance brain function. One study found that just three sessions of yoga per week boosted people’s levels of GABA, which generally translates into improved mood and decreased anxiety. Another study found that exercising at a moderate intensity for just two hours per week increased volume in the parts of the brain that control memory and thinking. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week and two days of muscle strength training.

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