Exercise And Mental Health

Brain is like a muscle and muscle needs exercise to be fit.

In 2017, CNN published an article known as Three Ways Exercise Benefits Your Brain which highlighted the following three factors,

1. Boost Your Mental Fitness
2. Banish Stress For Good
3. Age Grace

Exercise directly deals with mental health. Here are following factors, benefits your brain by exercise.

Benefits Of Exercise

Enhance Circulation

During exercise the heart rate increases and pump the blood in brain and increases its activity. Active people usually have more receptors than inactive as exercise deliver glucose and oxygen to the brain, stimulating brain’s synapses. So more you are active Stimulate the brain growth.

Enhance Brain Cells Growth

One reason exercise leads to a happier, healthier brain is because it promotes neurogenesis or the birth of new brain cells, which helps improve cognitive function. Importantly, there’s one very specific region of the brain where actual new brain cells are created because of exercise: the hippo-campus. A small seahorse-shaped region on either side of the brain, the hippo-campus is critical for our ability to form and retain new long-term memories1. Earlier their was given that exercise stimulate the production of protein known as Noggin which initiates neurogenesis. Studies have shown that exercise stimulates the release of growth hormones that improves brain functioning.

Enhance Memory

Regular exercise can improve your thinking and memory in just a months. Hippo-campus which is responsible for learning and memory and responds strongly to aerobic exercise.

Disease Prevention

Exercise prevent from some major diseases like Heart diseases( lowers blood pressure, reduces cholesterol, maintain weight), Arthritis, Cancer, Diabetes and Alzheimer’s. As stated by Alzheimer’s Research And Prevention Foundation, regular exercise reduces risk of developing Alzheimer’s by up to 50%. It also protects from other types of Dementia by maintaining old and new connections.

Enhance Creativity And Concentration

Professor Lorenza Colzato of Leiden University in Netherlands, found that those who exercised for 4 times a week are more creative than those of sited ones. Exercise increases the strength of concentration, willpower, creative and meaningful thoughts and help in memorizing the stuff. Exercise helps trigger endorphins, which improve the prioritizing functions of the brain. After exercise, your ability to sort out problems increases, allowing you to better concentrate on the task as brain is more active when your body is active.

Enhance Mental Health

Regular exercise have a profound positive impact on brain as it reduces depression, anxiety, etc. Along this it strengthen the memory, provides better sleep, relieves stress and boost your overall mood. Exercise intensifies brain by enhancing the cognitive functioning of the brain. Physical activity stimulates the release of nor epinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. This help to boost your mood and sense of well-being.

Some good aerobic exercises that can help manage anxiety are: