We all know that regular exercise is good for our body, but how many know that regular exercise is good for our brain?
Studies have shown that regular exercise will help protect the brain from age related cognitive decline and more serious debilitating diseases like Alzheimer’s. Additionally regular exercise also helps with how our brains process information.
What is most interesting is how our brain undergoes BOTH structural (increases in blood vessels & neurons) and physiological (how you think, problem solving and your reaction to stress) adaptations to optimize function. Exercise can literally alter brain chemistry!
Let’s look at a few ways:
- Cognitive function is responsible for memory, learning and intelligence. Our brains atrophy with age, shrinking in size and the number of active neurons, regular exercise has a preventative effect.
- One of the coolest effects of exercise on the brain is how good it makes you feel. You get a release of the feel good hormones that are our body’s natural opioids, in the brain in response to exercise. These feel good hormones have a stress lowering effect decreasing our levels of cortisol. Studies show that regular exercise alleviated both mild and moderate forms of depression.
- Most of us never stop to think how complex our brains are. How many have literally felt wiped at the end of a long day thinking about ditching the gym, but have powered through only to feel complete rejuvenated after? How does this happen? The combination of endorphins and energising neurotransmitters, like dopamine, will reduce fatigue and leave you feeling reinvigorated.
Along with all the healthy lifestyle habits regular exercise produce, such as clean eating, better sleep routines and improved health it will also assist with how you solve problems, come up with new ideas and handle stress. A few more reasons to keep moving daily!
Ask any one of your Essential Chiropractic Health Professionals for tips on how to get your body moving in healthy ways!
