Better Muscle, Healthier Brain

We all know how important exercise is for our muscles and for better overall health. But does it play a role in our mental health? I believe that, while most people know that exercise can make us feel good and help keep us sharp, few people realize how deep the benefits really go, especially for the brain. In this article, we are going to talk about a few of the benefits of exercise on our mental health.

The benefits of exercise are direct, but also indirect. Here are some of the direct benefits:

1. Decreases insulin resistance (1)

2. Helps with weight loss (2)

3. Builds and maintains strong muscles and bones (3)

4. Reduces the risk of chronic diseases (4)

5. Decreases blood pressure and blood vessel fat (5)

6. Reduces inflammation (6)

Let’s see how is exercise influencing our mental health.

1. Exercise has been shown to improve your mood and decrease feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress. (7)

Exercise helps neurochemicals be released into the brain. The most important ones are endorphins, dopamine, and norepinephrine. They are associated with better cognitive functioning, alertness, and elevated moods. Besides that, it also helps purge stress hormones from your body – cortisol and adrenaline.

2. Helps you control your emotions (8)

The ability to control our emotions is a cognitive skill, even though it might not seem like it. A study was made and the participants took part in a regular physical exercise program. The result was that positive changes, like an increase in emotional control, were seen in behavioral patterns.

3. Improves focus (9)

We are living in a time when focusing becomes more and more difficult. Mobile phones, computers and internet can make it difficult for us to concentrate on the task at hand. But the good news is that exercise helps us to concentrate even amid all these distractions. Studies show that physically fit people have increased control over their ability to focus attention.

4. Improves Brain Function and Memory (10)

Exercise will increase your heart rate and thus increase the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain. It also stimulates the production of hormons that enhance the growth of brain cells.

It is known that oxidative stress and inflammation will promote changes in the brain structure and function. Physical exercise will lower both and will, therefore, promote mental health and good memory. (11)

5. Reduces the risk of Dementia, Alzheimer’s and Schizophrenia (12)

A study made over 35 years followed 2000 men. The study had the purpose of seeing the behaviors that reduce the chances of dementia. Physical exercise was among other habits that had a great contribution to reducing dementia. (13)

Another study looked at habits that increase the likelihood to have dementia. The study mentions different major factors that increase dementia, but the largest is physical inactivity and which increases the chances by 82%. (14)

6. Improves the Short and Long Term Memory

There is a strong connection between regular exercise and improved memory.

A study was made to see when is the best time to memories. The participants were divided into three groups. Each group was told to recall as much information as possible from two paragraphs. The first group received the information after the exercise, the second before the exercise, and the last completed no exercise. The result was that the group that was exposed to exercise before being given the information performed significantly better at recall than the other two groups. (15)

7. Makes One Think Faster

We all want to be able to get to solutions faster. White matter is responsible for the transmission of data in and around your brain. The more white matter in the brain you have, the more insulated your connections will be and the more efficient at relaying information in and around your brain.

A study was published in 2013 in which the conclusions were that older adults with a history of aerobic exercise had better white matter integrity than their sedentary peers. And the same thing happens with children. (16)

8. Fights and Prevents Depression (17)

Depression is worldwide one of the most common mental conditions. World Health Organization estimates that 350 million have depression. And it looks like depression is on the rise. It is set to be the 2nd biggest medical condition by 2020.

Studies show that exercise is just as effective in treating depression as other alternatives.

More important than fighting depression is to prevent it. Recently scientists finally understood how exercise helps the symptoms of depression. Here is how the mechanism works. During stressful situations, there’s a harmful substance that builds up in the blood and is carried to the brain. To eliminate it, the body needs protein. It is the same protein that can be produced by skeletal muscle (both in mice and humans) through physical activity that helps detox the blood. So more physical activity you do, the more protein produced that will be built up in your system. When stress strikes, the protein helps eliminate the harmful substance and shields your brain from symptoms of depression. (18)

So, what should you do now? Start exercising. And commit to establishing exercise as a habit. You may be a little hesitant because you do not know what type of exercise is the best. We believe that the best type of exercise is the one that you do! So, think and look for what type of exercise fits you the best and do it. Your brain will be more than thankful and happy for the treat!