Survival of the Fittest, Part 1: The Brain and Exercise
BRIDGETTE W. GOTTWALD, LPC, NCC
Not only are human beings hardwired for belonging and connection, but we “evolved to move.” While we move, it puts our brain into a different gear than we experience amidst a sedentary lifestyle. What would you do if a psychiatrist or a doctor prescribed you exercise instead of medication for depression? It probably sounds a bit strange, right? Research shows that exercise “is a potential prophylactic against some aspects of age-related cognitive decline.” We all know that exercise is good for our bodies, but as the mind and body are intricately connected, our brain benefits from this physical activity in many ways as well. Talk about a win-win situation!
The Head and the Heartrate: A Run Down of Your Brain on Exercise
Just as your body is more active during exercise, your brain follows suit. Networks of neurons are able to “fire in unison,” which is linked to one’s mental state and mood. These high-frequency waves are called “beta waves” and they are utilized while we are awake and mentally engaged – which is associated with “attention, memory and information processing.” After exercise, our senses are heightened, and research findings give us information that it enables us to see more clearly and make better visual distinctions with sharper perceptions.
Utilizing the Brain to its Fullest Potential
Clearly, there is a link between exercise and cognition, and a vast amount of research proves that the brain functions better after exercise. We are more attentive, our memory capacity increases, and our visual sensitivity is improved. Humans and their brains become more receptive, sensitive, and alert to what is going on around them – which gives us the ability to take in more information.
Exercise reportedly has alleviated the symptoms of depression because it causes our glutamate levels to rise within the same area of the brain where neurotransmitters are markedly low in depressed individuals. In a way, our brains become younger with physical activity because exercise in humans (and animals) promotes the production of growth factors, which nourishes existing neurons and helps cells survive. The activity also causes blood vessels to be healthier, which results in a “younger appearing brain.”
Exercise and Aging
Unfortunately, no matter how hard we try, we are not able to defeat the natural human aging process. People who exercise as they age have a greater gray-matter volume in areas of the brain that are associated with general intelligence and executive functioning – which is responsible for attention spans and problem-solving skills. Gray matter contains most of the brain’s neuronal cell bodies and includes regions of the brain that are involved in muscle control, sensory perception (hearing and seeing), memory, emotions, speech, decision making, and self-control. Although the exercise may change as you age and decrease in intensity, it should never stop.
Moving Forward
Long story short, during exercise, we breathe heavier, our lungs work harder to meet the demands the body throws at them, heart rate increases and “pumps oxygenated blood around the body and into the brain.” In turn, the brain guzzles up glucose or carbohydrates that are within the body while it’s in motion. Exercise has an effect upon the number of neurons within your brain, and how they communicate. Think of a runner, for example. While running, this person’s networks are firing together as they coordinate their route, watch out for traffic, take caution of tripping, and maintaining their pace. All of this results in greater connectivity between different regions of the brain and increased focus and concentration skills. In the future, scientists predict that there may be simpler treatments out there for undesirable emotional difficulties. Yep, you guessed it, exercise - now get moving!
Reference:
Wheeling, K., (Nov. 2019). This is Your Brain on Exercise. Pocket Worthy. Retrieved from: https://getpocket.com/explore/item/this-is-your-brain-on-exercise?utm_source=pocket-newtab