When you think about physical activity, you are generally looking for a slimmer physique, better cardiovascular health, or even preparing to wear the swimsuit on summer vacation. But there is more reason to encourage yourself to carry out some kind of physical activity on an ongoing basis: moving protects the health of the brain.
Currently, one in four adults do not get the 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical exercise recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Globally, women are less active (32%) than men (23%) and activity declines as people age in most countries.
In addition, the poorest populations, people with disabilities and people with chronic diseases, and marginalized and indigenous populations have fewer opportunities to remain active. In Latin America and the Caribbean, levels of physical inactivity increased from 33% to 39% between 2011 and 2016.
Numerous scientific studies have shown that physical activity, especially that which triggers the heart, has a whole range of positive effects on the human brain. It was even found to improve the structure of the brain.
“Among other benefits, physical activity has multiple contributions to brain health. It's amazing to see how people who do physical activity are doing over the years compared to those who haven't done it. Their biological age may not correspond to their chronological age,” Dr. Roberto Peidró, director of the Institute of Sports Sciences at Favaloro University, told bInfobae.
“The ideal is to start with some movements, such as walking, climbing the stairs, jogging. It's a big challenge for people to start and follow steadily. That is, to adhere to physical activity. Everyone has to find a physical activity that he likes, such as swimming, cycling, fast walking. Because if he doesn't like it, he can get bored and quit. Afterwards, it is advisable to schedule physical activity to sustain it and have the benefits. The important thing is that the body is in motion,” said Peidró.
Here are the 5 main benefits that support why physical activity improves brain health:
1. Physical activity turns the brain into a source of pleasure
Physical exercise, such as brisk walking, running, or cycling, stimulates a rich mix of feel-good chemicals in the brain, such as dopamine, serotonin, endocannabinoids, and norepinephrine, according to the American Psychological Association.
Each of these hormones play different roles in managing stress, improving the sense of well-being and promoting an active interest in life. As if that were not enough, exercise increases the number of dopamine receptors in the brain, which means that not only does the brain produce more of these happy chemicals, but it also enjoys them better.
According to the Center for Wellness Sciences at the University of California, in Berkeley, United States, exercise is so good at giving pleasure to the brain that it is successfully used to help patients suffering from the devastating effects of drug abuse. In addition, it is estimated that humans lose approximately 13% of dopamine receptors every decade. This causes you to experience a decrease in pleasure in everyday life as you age. Exercise can reverse this situation.
2. Exercise stimulates neurogenesis
According to Harvard University School of Public Health, physical exercise stimulates neurogenesis, or the formation of new neurons, in the brain. All people are born with approximately 100 billion neurons in the brain, which regenerate at a rapid rate in childhood. But that slow down as people mature. It used to be thought that this would end up completely, but since then it has been shown that neurogenesis can last a lifetime.
In a study conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, United States, doctors experimented with laboratory rats to see if medicine could ignite neurogenesis. Although he could do it, neurons died before they had any potential. But when rats were subjected to exercise courses, not only did neurogenesis occur, but the neurons were healthy and strong enough to last.
3. Exercise improves memory and learning
The hippocampus is an area of the brain that continues to create new neurons throughout human life, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This area is essential for learning and memory formation. Multiple studies have shown that adults who exercise perform more on memory, learning, and decision-making tasks than people who do not do physical activity.
Exercise is one of the main forms of therapy for people suffering from age-related dementia and Alzheimer's disease, says the American Psychiatric Association, because it also boosts memory function. In fact, studies have shown that the hippocampus can increase its volume by one percent after a year of regular exercise.
4. Exercise increases the thickness of the cerebral cortex
The cerebral cortex is the outer shell of the largest part of the brain, the brain. The cerebral cortex is associated with high-level patterns of conscious thinking, including emotion, evaluation, reasoning, and language. And according to experts at Johns Hopkins University, exercise can thicken the cerebral cortex.
Researchers speculate whether that effect is due to exercise, especially aerobic exercise, involving continuous split-second decisions. If you run, the person is always managing their environment so as not to twist their ankle or crash into a car. If you are in the gym, you keep your balance and control your levels of exhaustion and thirst. That is, during training, the human mind is also working as hard as the body, and the result is a thicker and stronger cerebral cortex.
5. Exercise improves neuroplasticity
The brain is characterized by neuroplasticity. From birth, the brain is malleable, capable of changing both physically and functionally in response to events such as learning, new environments, injuries and illnesses. The higher your neuroplasticity, the better your brain can adapt to life events, from acquiring new job skills to relearning walking after an accident.
Even a single exercise session can increase the neuroplasticity of the brain. The reasons are currently considered to be that exercise promotes the growth of new neural connections in the brain, and that exercise has a suppressive effect on gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA, which inhibits certain types of neurotransmitters.
To achieve the positive effects of exercise on the brain, continuityb is needed. The United States CDC recommends getting 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week, or 75 minutes of intense exercise, or a combination of both. This should be spread evenly throughout the week. Before, it is suggested to consult with a doctor to eliminate any doubts and to help you create the plan that best suits the needs of each person.
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