I’m not sure why some of these benefits aren’t advertised more to the general public in America.
If we could quantify some of these benefits and advertise “Exercise makes you smarter”; America would probably be a different country.
Prerequisite Knowledge
There are a lot of terms that are used in this article and there is one term that isn’t described. A term that describes how your brain changes and adapts to new condition. A process that occurs throughout your entire life. A term that is known as neuroplasticity.
Running… Oh how I hate running
Running, and most other aerobic exercises, increases your blood circulation. Your hypothalamus and pituitary gland measures the level of cortisol in your blood stream. During aerobic exercises, your hypothalamus-axis tells your adrenal cortex, located on top of your kidneys, to release cortisol into your blood stream.
Cortisol increases stress during exercise, how is this a good thing?
Even though aerobic exercises increases stress for the duration of the exercises, it is relatively short compared to the amount of stress it reduces in the long run and you get many more learning and cognitive benefits.
Your body also increases the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid, which produces a calming affect and keeps you from having an anxiety attack. That’s not all, aerobic exercises also helps keep your stress level low by promoting neuroplasticity in your striatum, the region of your brain which regulates voluntary movements, learning, and cognition.
Most of these benefits can be obtained with a brisk walk or a short run.
Lifting
Anaerobic exercises also affect your brain in a positive way. When lifting weights, for example, your body releases molecules called insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), which is a protein that encourages cell longevity and new cell creation. IGF-1 also promotes angiogenesis, a process which creates new blood vessels from existing ones, and neurogenesis, which populates a growing brain with neurons.
brain derived neurotropic factor, BDNF, is also released during anaerobic exercises. It encourages growth and survival of new and existing neurons in your cerebral cortex and hippocampus, which are essential for learning and memory.
Most of these results are produced with a short 10–30 minutes of lifting weights.
Conclusion
The effects of exercise on your brain is substantial. The cognitive benefits of aerobic and anaerobic exercises alone are reason to perform moderate exercise activity regularly. There are many more benefits in the areas of depression and mood, which I have not gone through in this article.
These results aren’t well advertised here in America. There’s always a new diet, new fat loss pill, or new fat remover procedure, but these traditional exercises bring more to the table than all of those fad’s.
If you live an inactive life, start in small doses and increase gradually. Be sure to follow doctor’s advice before you over exert yourself.
Consistency is key.
Thank you for reading
