Exercise can make you Smarter!

Are you worried about “losing it” as you age? Well fear not, research shows there is a natural solution available to us all that will help defeat age-related mental decline and help our brain health…exercise! Working out regularly can help you stay mentally “with it”. The biggest links associated with exercise and our brain health are improvements to attention, concentration, planning, and organization.

With regards to brain health, exercise specifically helps to:

Improve your memory and thought process.

Increasing your heart rate improves the flow of blood to the brain, which helps boost memory and overall brain function. Researchers found in a study done at the University of British Columbia that consistent aerobic exercise, the type that gets your heart pumping, seems to boost the size of the hippocampus, the area of the brain involved in verbal memory and learning! “Exercise stimulates the release of growth factors—chemicals in our brain that impact the health of brain cells, the growth of new blood vessels in the brain, and the amount and survival of new brain cells.”

Help you de-stress and increase your focus.

Research shows that working out can help protect you from anxiety and stress; so make exercise a priority especially when you’re feeling stressed. Increased activity is linked to improvements to sleep, which directly impacts your stress and anxiety.

So get out there and start exercising today! If you’re not a fan of walking or jogging, there are plenty of other moderate-intensity exercises available including swimming, using elliptical or rowing machines, playing tennis or squash, or even dancing. Housework can count too – try yard work, vacuuming, scrubbing windows or anything else that gets your heart pumping and gives you a light sweat.

If you’re having trouble getting started with a physical activity routine, try one of these ideas:

1. Plan your fitness routine 2- 3 weeks ahead and treat sticking to it like taking a medication. If you’re not following the routine at least 80% of the time, make the necessary changes to increase your success.

2. Track the frequency of your workouts and your progress. Tracking things holds you more accountable and helps encourage you to reach a goal.

3. Join a fitness class or workout with a friend to hold you more accountable.

4. Hire a personal trainer. Paying an expert is good for holding you accountable and motivated to reaching your goals. You’ll have someone with a strong vested interest in your progress to share your successes and help overcome your challenges with.

There are so many great reasons to get more active including the brain health reasons we’ve discussed in this blog; click here for a few more reasons why you need to get active each and every day.

Author: Lindsay Atkinson
Sources: Heidi Godman, Executive Editor, Harvard Health Letter