Aerobic Exercise and Our Brain

Brain is a thinking organ. Mental stimulation improves brain functions and it continuously adapts and grows. Mental decline in old age occurs due to disease, loss of motor skills results from inactivity and lack of mental and physical exercise. Earlier it was claimed that there was no neurogenesis, that is, the production of new brain cells, but studies have proved that physical exercise promotes neurogenesis.

Doing regular exercise is good for our body as well as for our mental health. It is proved by evidence that about half an hour of aerobic activity, two to five times a week improves memory, boosts learning, reduces tension and acts as anti-aging dope.

Exercise improves the performance of students by improving memory, better learning ability and reasoning. Aerobic exercise increases the metabolism rate of our body, which results in improved Hormonal-balance and increased Enzyme secretions and with that our thinking. Movement and exercise increases our blood circulation, so more Oxygen and more Glucose reaches our brain and waste removal increases.

Exercise can offset some of mental declines that we link with aging. Shrinkage of the brain Tissues related to aging gets reduced. Cerebral blood vessels can grow even in sedentary senior citizens once they start exercising and abstract thinking and reasoning grows. Increase in cell numbers is directly proportional to the effort.

Walking, jogging or bicycle riding act as anti-depressant, brings “feel-good” sensation, which makes us cheerful and energetic, release of Dopamine acts as natural painkiller.

A balanced Diet, regular exercise and sound sleep can protect brain from mental decline. Exercising twenty to thirty minutes per session two to three times a week should help. Even if you are not regular, it will help, as every minute of exercise brings chemical changes in our brain.

“USE IT OR LOSE IT”, as it is true of other parts of our body, is true for our brain also.  It is never too late to start, so GET-GOING.