Is Exercise Good for my Brain?
We have all bought a gym membership we have never used; it is what New Year's Resolutions are for! Working out doesn't just tone your body but your brain! Your brain is 2% of your body weight, it take 20% of the oxygen you take in. When you exercise blood flows to your brain, bringing oxygen and nutrients to the brain. Scientists believe that this extra may help stimulate the production of nerve cells in the hippocampus, known as neurogenesis.
Neurons are responsible for perception, memory and everything else in the brain. Increasing your number is like building your money reserve for a rainy day!
When your brain is damaged from disease or loses nerve cells as it ages, these extra nerve cells add up and become part of what is called Brain Reserve.
Exercise may also help your brain even after it has become damaged. One study but a group of 70-80 year old adult women with mild cognitive impairment, through a boot camp, weightlifting 2 days a week! At the end of it, researchers measured their brain processing speed and they showed a clear improvement.
So exercise can be good for your brain as well as your body. A little gardening or walk through the park will do just as well as weight lifting!
