The Benefits of Physical Activity is a No Brainer.
We all know that exercise is good for our physical and mental health but research shows that physical activity can not only change your physical anatomy it can also change your brain’s anatomy, according to experts in the field of neuroscience in an article in the Fitness section on Irishtimes.com. Exercise regenerates muscle cells and it may also spur the growth of new brain cells says Dr. Henrietta Van Pragg, a professor of biomedical science in the U.S. She says physical activity is excellent for your brain, improving mood and cognition through “a plethora” of cellular changes.
Studies show that immediately following a bout of exercise people perform better on tests of working memory and other executive functions. This is in part because exercise increases the release of neurotransmitters in the brain. “These kinds of molecules are needed for paying attention to information” says Marc Roig, professor of Physical and Occupational Therapy at McGill University in Montreal. “Attention is essential for working memory and executive functioning” he added.
Research shows that people who exercise several times a week have higher cognitive test scores, on average, than people who are more sedentary and that a person’s cognition tends to improve after participating in a new aerobic exercise program for several months. The brain benefits really start to emerge when we work out consistently over time.
Most importantly exercise offers protection against neurodegenerative diseases. “Physical activity is one of the health behaviours that’s shown to be the most beneficial for cognitive function and reducing risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia,” says Michelle Voss, an associate professor of psychological and brain sciences.
How does exercise do all of this?
It starts with the muscles. When we work out, they release molecules that travel through the blood up to the brain. Good blood flow is essential to obtain the benefits of physical activity. Exercise improves circulation and stimulates the growth of new blood vessels in the brain. A greater number of blood vessels and connections between neurons can actually increase the size of different brain areas. This effect is especially noticeable in older adults because it can offset the loss of brain volume that happens with age. The hippocampus, an area important for memory and mood, is particularly affected. “We know that it shrinks with age . . . and we know that if we exercise regularly we can prevent this decline,” says Dr. Roig. Group workouts, like those found in exercise classes Bray, can help make regular training more enjoyable and consistent.
What exercise is best for your brain?
While the experts emphasise that any exercise is good, most of the research has involved aerobic exercise. Improving your overall cardiovascular fitness level appears to be key. But they added that higher-intensity workouts do appear to confer a bigger benefit for the brain. “It’s dose-dependent,” says Dr. Christine Wrann, an associate professor of medicine. “The more you can improve your cardiorespiratory fitness, the better the benefits are.” Many fitness classes Bray focus on this kind of training to help participants see results in both body and mind. If you want a more tailored plan, working with personal trainers Bray can make a big difference in your progress.
Why Row?
Indoor rowing is a complete exercise that engages all of your major muscle groups and your brain. It is an unbeatable cardiorespiratory workout that requires you to pay attention. Rowing is not mindless exercise. The benefits are equal parts physical and mental. Rowing is an exercise in multi-tasking because you have to coordinate your whole body in a rhythmic movement, change direction on every stroke, all the while controlling your breathing, timing, and work output which is displayed on the machine’s monitor. It’s not an exercise you do while watching TV (you could, but you would be wasting your time). The beauty of indoor rowing is that it is an exercise that anybody can do at any age and any fitness level. It is a safe, low-impact, smart exercise choice that has a high impact on your physical and mental fitness, with measurable results. You’ll find rowing integrated into many exercise classes Bray and fitness classes Bray, making it accessible to beginners and athletes alike. For those looking for one-on-one coaching, personal trainers Bray often use rowing as part of a complete fitness program.
If you have any doubt about the powerful effects that exercise has on your brain listen to what the neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki has to say below “What is the single most transformative thing that you can do for your brain today? So the next time you are thinking of going for a leisurely game of golf or sitiing down to a game of bridge perhaps you should consider going to the gym and sitting on a rowing machine instead.
