Exercise is not just beneficial for improving physical fitness; it also plays a crucial role in enhancing brain health.
Physical activity has been consistently linked to:
Improved cognitive functions, including memory, attention, and problem-solving skills
Reduced risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
Better mental health, including reduced risk of depression and anxiety
Stress reduction
Better mood regulation
Enhanced sleep quality
Improved executive function, including flexible thinking and self-control
Exercising stimulates many important biochemical processes, such as increased blood flow to deliver oxygen and important nutrients to the brain. Exercise is vital to create the neurotransmitters our brain uses to communicate and work correctly.
Other ways exercise supports brain health is by increasing the release of mood-regulating endorphins and neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. Exercise also protects the brain from the negative impact of chronic stress hormones and reduces chronic inflammation in the brain, both of which have been linked to mental health.
One of the most celebrated neurochemical effects of exercise is its ability to improve cognitive functions, including memory, attention, and problem-solving skills. This is due to how exercise has been strongly linked to the neuromodulator BDNF, or brain-derived neurotrophic factor. BDNF is a protein that promotes the growth and maintenance of our brain’s neurons and is highly involved in neuroplasticity. Production of BDNF supports a healthy mood and good cognitive abilities such as planning, learning and memory, and response time and problem-solving.
Factors such as the above also reduce cognitive decline due to aging – in fact, cognitive decline is half as likely for adults who are physically active compared to those who are not (Omura et al., 2022).
Overall, the biochemical processes associated with exercise contribute to profound effects on our mental health and functioning, including reducing the symptoms of depression and anxiety, enhancing cognition, and promoting overall wellbeing and positive mood.
REFERENCES
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Omura, J. D., Brown, D. R., McGuire, L. C., Taylor, C. A., Fulton, J. E., & Carlson, S. A. (2020). Cross-sectional association between physical activity level and subjective cognitive decline among US adults aged ≥45 years, 2015. Preventive medicine, 141, 106279.