Layman's Guide: How Physical Exercise Helps The Brain

There are two types of exercise that helps the brain:

• Physical exercises or activity - such as running, cycling, swimming, walking etc.
• Mental exercises or brain exercises - including general brain teasers, puzzles or structured programs such as Lumosity Brain Training Program

This is a layman’s guide to how physical exercise helps the brain. If you are after a biology lesson you might want to try somewhere else. The aim here is to keep it simple and focus on what helps brain fitness and overall health.

How Physical Exercise Helps The Brain

The brain is in a constant state of growing and rewiring connections. This doesn't just happen when we are young, it occurs right through our entire life. Our brain is constantly expanding, adapting and learning. 

Receiving good blood flow and therefore receiving nourishment appears to be an important factor in brain health as we age.

Physical Exercise Increases Blood Flow To The Brain

Physical exercise or any sustained physical exertion gets the heart pumping more blood around your body. The blood carries oxygen and glucose to provide energy to vital organs and muscles.

Your brain enjoys this extra blood flow during exercise. The oxygen and glucose nourish your brain, improving its overall health. Cells can regenerate and new ones grow and the extra blood flow helps remove waste products creating a more healthy environment for your brain to flourish.

If exercise is regular and sustained, blood vessels in the brain are able to grow. With larger blood vessels throughout the brain, your brain will receive increased in blood flow even when not exercising. Regular exercise has many benefits to your brain health and well being not just when you are exercising, but on an ongoing basis.

Is All Exercise The Same?

The simple answer is NO. Different types of exercise appear to have different effects on the brain and its health.

The type and intensity of the exercise will affect where the blood is directed. If you are running hard or cycling, for example, the blood will be directed to those muscles that are working so that they receive adequate oxygen and glucose.

From this, it is easy to see that although you need to get the blood pumping, if you do very vigorous exercise the brain will get blood flow, but won’t be getting the full benefit of the extra oxygen and glucose.

What Type Of Exercise Is Best?

When starting an exercise regime, each individual needs to consider their own situation, and consult with a doctor if necessary. Having said that, walking is something that most people can do and seems to have many extra benefits.

Walking produces extra blood flow without putting a strain on your system to provide extra oxygen and glucose to overworked muscles. This leaves plenty of oxygen and glucose to wash through your brain nourishing it along the way.

Brain function and memory showed improvement in a number of studies where people walked for as little as an hour three times per week. These affects are not the stuff of legend, or limited to younger people. Studies have been made on 60 to 75 year olds showing significant improvements in their brain function and memory when the exercise is sustained over a 6 month period.

Running is more vigorous that walking and not an option for everyone. Running, however, appears to provide further brain benefits. People who regularly run have an increased number of new brain cells, which in turn increases overall brain cell survival. 

Running appears to have a marked effect on the hippocampus region of the brain. The hippocampus is where new memories are transferred to longer term storage in other parts of the brain and is particularly prone to deterioration due to aging.

Specialist physical exercise regimes such as Super Brain Yoga seem to have very specific and documented affects on the brain and are simple and quick to do.

Summary & Conclusion
How Physical Exercise Helps The Brain

There is no doubt that physical exercise helps the brain. There are obviously many more physical exercise secrets that we are yet to learn or unlock to help our overall brain health, but physical exercise definitely has an important role to play.

In the meantime, it appears a long walk 3 times a week is certainly a good place to start and almost everyone can participate in this free, gentle exercise straight away. 

Walking will not only benefit our brains - the rest of our bodies will no doubt thank us too.

Challenge yourself today, to walk for 60 minutes three times this week, and every week. It won't be long before you will be reaping the benefits all around. It certainly brings a whole new meaning to: Taking a mind clearing walk!

The brain is affected by physical exercise as well as other factors including brain stimulation and usage, nutrition, hydration, sleep and stress. To improve your overall brain health and brain fitness each of these areas needs to be considered.

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