How Does Exercise Benefit Your Brain?
Keeping up with a regular fitness routine gives you a chance to burn off excess calories, get in shape and boost your metabolism. Working out can also help you stay on track with your healthy eating plan, giving you some motivation to keep up with a healthy lifestyle and ward off extra pounds. But did you know that exercise can also give your brain a boost? Experts say workouts that increase the heart rate, speed up circulation and release endorphins - your body's natural painkillers - can help you think more clearly, recharge your creativity and put you in a good mood.
How Exercise Recharges the Brain
Your day-to-day routine doesn't provide much of a challenge for the brain, which means you're just firing the same neurons over and over again as you get through your day. Adding exercise to your daily routine and trying out new activities gives your brain a chance to fire up an entirely new set of neurons and even exercises a different part of your brain. This is a great "recharge" for your brain and your body, helping boost brainpower, improving memory, and even making it easier for you to learn and synthesize new information.
Key benefits of exercise for the brain include:
- Reduction of depression
- Creation of new neurons
- Increased serotonin production ("feel-good" hormone)
- Improved nervous system functioning
- Better memory
- Improved learning abilities
Workouts with Brain-Boosting Benefits
The best workouts that will give your brain a boost are those that involve vigorous activities and get your heart pumping for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Any exercise that gets you breathing heavily and deeply delivers more oxygen to the brain, making it easier for you to process your thoughts and even revive old memories.
Most of these brain-boosting workouts will be cardiovascular exercises, and adding these to your fitness schedule might just help you tackle tough problems and keep your head clear on any stressful day. Exercises and activities that will give your brain a boost include:
- Speed walking
- Running
- Jogging
- Circuit training
- Jumping rope
- Training on the elliptical machine
Learning new exercise routines such as weight lifting, yoga, Pilates and other stretching exercises can also help you build brain power. The goal of each activity should be to train a new set of muscles and allow your brain memorize new sequences. When your body and mind soon adapt to the new routine, you can increase the intensity for even more benefits.
How Much Exercise Do You Need for Brain Benefits?
Some experts say 20 to 30 minutes per day of fast-paced activity is enough to get the brain going, while others recommend completing a complete 45 to 60 minute routine at least four times per week for optimal benefits. The amount of exercise you need will largely depend on your current fitness and endurance level and the type of exercises you are comfortable with. You can slowly raise your fitness level and build stamina by adding small increments of time to your workout so that your body can continue to release a healthy level of chemicals and hormones to keep your brain in good shape.