3 Ways to Boost Brain Health With Exercise

Let’s be honest! Most of us exercise to lose weight or to look better. For some of us we enjoy the additional benefits like the sense of community we find at a gym or the stress release we get from a hard workout. What if I told you that you can also improve your brain function? Research shows us that regular exercise can slow and even stop brain shrinkage even if you “have dementia in your genetic pool” (Macrae 2014). Most research points to aerobic exercise like swimming, running, walking and dance fitness classes as the most effective in improving brain function like memory, decision making, problem solving and attention. However, weight training can also improve these skills and has also been shown to alleviate depression by helping your body to purge a protein associated with depression.

How does the exercise improve brain function? According to a study by Wilcox et. al in 2009, “ Exercise sets into motion an interactive cascade of growth factor that has the net effect of stimulating plasticity, enhancing cognitive function . . . [and] stimulating neurogenesis.” Exercise signals cells to start acting like stem cells, capable of new growth and subsequently new and improved brain pathways.

While exercise alone is extremely beneficial to your brain health, research also shows that performing dual tasks (a cognitive task coupled with a physical task) can be even more beneficial.

What are some ways we can accomplish this?

1) Use music to move your body parts to the beat of the music or to a certain rhythm. This engages the brain and requires a higher level of attention than a task you know well while at the same time engages the body in aerobic activity. For example, participating in a dance fitness class where the choreograpghy is often changed will engage the brain and the body enhancing the stimulus for brain growth.

2) Perform activities that require both side of the brain but in different ways. For example, walk forward and backward while moving the arms to the side or moving the arms in opposite directions. Additionally we can use cross body patterning (using the right arm and the left leg) to stimulate new brain growth.

3) Perform single tasks then add on to the complexity of the task as each level is mastered. For example, lunge backward then return to stand. Once mastered, add a knee lift to the end of the lunge then add a knee lift to knee extension etc. Additionally, the process of trying to remember a string of movements will stimulate new brain growth as a bonus!

Resources:

Exercise-Induced Neuroplasticity – Creating New Neural Pathways, www.ausmed.com/cpd/articles/exercise-induced-neuroplasticity.

Fiona Macrae for the Daily Mail. “Regular Exercise Can Keep Dementia at Bay - Even If It's in Your Genes.” Daily Mail Online, Associated Newspapers, 24 Apr. 2014, www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2611693/Regular-exercise-dementia-bay-genes-Being-active-three-times-week-stops-brain-shrinking.html.

Wilcox, S., et al. “Perceptions and Beliefs About the Role of Physical Activity and Nutrition on Brain Health in Older Adults.” The Gerontologist, vol. 49, no. S1, 2009, doi:10.1093/geront/gnp078.