Scientific evidence shows exercising has a huge impact on how our brains work.1 It changes our brain structure and function, allowing our nervous system to adapt. Doing so, it enhances memory, learning, attention, and more. Plus, it helps fight off memory loss and dementia, especially as we age.2 The reasons behind these benefits are pretty complicated. They involve changes that affect not just us but can also impact future generations. Knowing this helps us use exercise to keep our brains healthy for life.
Key Takeaways
- Regular physical exercise induces structural and functional changes in the brain, promoting neuroplasticity.
- Exercise enhances memory, learning, attention, and executive functions, while also preventing cognitive decline and reducing the risk of dementia.
- The cognitive benefits of exercise are mediated by epigenetic modifications and transgenerational effects.
- Understanding the science behind exercise-induced cognitive improvements is crucial for optimizing exercise regimens to support brain health.
- Exercise has a positive impact on overall wellbeing, including improved mood, reduced anxiety and depression, and enhanced self-esteem and life satisfaction.
Introduction to Exercise and Cognitive Function
Physical activity (PA) includes all movements that use energy from your muscles. This covers things we do daily and for fun.3 On the other hand, physical exercise (PE) is part of PA but is planned and aimed at boosting or keeping up physical fitness.3 It includes activities like running or weightlifting with set times and effort levels.3
Definition of Exercise and Physical Activity
Exercise greatly benefits brain health and thinking skills.3 Studies show PE changes the brain by increasing the growth of new brain cells, connections between them, and blood vessels. This also boosts important brain chemicals and factors.3 These changes help our thinking, memory, attention, and more. They even lower the chances of forgetting things as we get older or getting diseases like dementia.3
Importance of Exercise for Brain Health
Activity has big impacts on brain health and thinking.3 Studies prove PE doesn’t just make you fit. It changes your brain by growing new brain cells, connections, and blood vessels. Plus, it helps important brain chemicals and factors.3 All these changes improve how you think and remember. They also make you less likely to have memory issues as you age. Exercise is like a shield against some serious brain problems.3
Structural Changes in the Brain Due to Exercise
Many animal studies show that intense motor activity and exercise boost neuron and glial cell growth in key brain areas. Exercise encourages the birth of new neurons and the making of fresh connections between them.4 These changes help improve thinking and learning in active animals.
Angiogenesis and Blood Flow
[4] Exercise leads to the growth of new blood vessels in important brain regions.3 This supports the higher needs of more brain activity and change.5 Better blood flow and more oxygen to the brain are crucial for exercise’s mental benefits.
Gray Matter Volume Changes
In people, exercise is linked to more gray matter in some key brain areas.4 These changes can be seen in brain scans and are tied to better thinking skills. This shows how exercise makes the brain better and smarter.
Functional Changes in the Brain Due to Exercise
Physical exercise (PE) causes changes at the molecular level in the brain’s neurotransmitter systems. These include serotonin, noradrenaline, and acetylcholine.3 This affects how we think and feel by influencing mood, attention, and memory.3
Moreover, exercise boosts the levels of molecules like brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1).3 These substances are crucial for the growth and well-being of our brain cells. They also help in forming and keeping nerve connections. As a result, our mental abilities get a lift through exercise.3
| Functional Changes in the Brain Due to Exercise | Key Findings |
|---|---|
| Modulation of Neurotransmitter Systems | |
| Increased Neurotrophic Factors |
How Exercise Improves Cognitive Performance: The Science Behind It
Effects on Memory and Learning
Both animal and human studies show that exercise boosts memory and learning.3 In animals, exercises help with spatial memory, as seen in the Morris water maze. It highlights better hippocampal function.3 In people, it enhances remembering facts and events (declarative memory) and learning new things.3
Effects on Attention and Executive Functions
Exercise also makes attention and executive functions better. These are important for meeting goals and decision making.3 Research concludes exercise helps with control over impulses, remembering tasks, and thinking flexibly. So, exercise benefits our thinking in more ways than just memory and learning.3
Exercise and Cognitive Aging
As we get older, our thinking skills can lessen, with dementia risk going up.6 Yet, many studies prove exercise can reduce this risk.7 People who stay active have healthier brains that are better at memory and thinking tasks. This is compared to those who don’t move much.
Prevention of Cognitive Decline
7 Keeping up with exercise and getting fitter can boost thinking abilities, even in older age.7 It slows down a decrease in brain cell growth, which helps our thinking.7 Doing aerobic activities, like walking or swimming, helps your brain work better and keeps the blood vessels in your brain healthy.7 Also, lifting weights can help older adults think clearer if they’re already starting to have memory problems. It might make their brains work better for longer.
Reduced Risk of Dementia
6 Working out lowers the chance of getting dementia, including Alzheimer’s.6 Studies over time show that people who regularly exercise are less likely to get dementia than those who don’t.6 Exercise protects the brain by helping it grow new connections, keeping the blood vessels healthy, and fighting diseases that harm the brain.
Exercise and Brain Plasticity
Exercise doesn’t just help the person working out. Studies on animals show that when a mother exercises while pregnant, the benefits reach beyond just her.8 This is because exercise can make changes in the way our genes work that are then passed down to the next generation. It shows how big the impact of staying active is for our brain and thinking skills.
Transgenerational Effects of Maternal Exercise
When we work out, our muscles send out messages that help our brain cells grow and communicate better.8 This means that doing daily exercise, like walking or jogging, can lower the chances of getting memory problems when you are older by 30 to 35 percent.
So, when a soon-to-be mom exercises, she’s not just helping herself. She’s also setting her baby up for better thinking skills through life.
Scientists have also found that by moving our muscles, we’re directly helping our brain’s memory hub, the hippocampus.8 It happens because exercises trigger our muscle cells to help our brain cells become a strong, well-connected network.
This muscle-to-brain link is seen as key in the fight against diseases like Alzheimer’s. Hopefully, more of this knowledge will lead to new ways to keep our brains sharp as we age.8
Role of Epigenetic Mechanisms
New studies show that the brain loves physical exercise because it changes how our genes work, thanks to epigenetic mechanisms. This means that exercise can improve how our brain works, like learning new things, feeling good, and protecting our brain.9 The changes in our DNA and histones caused by exercise can stick around, making our brain smarter and healthier in the long run.9
Exercise as a Gene Modulator
Science has uncovered that exercise can tweak our genes in special ways. A good example is MeCP2, a big shot in controlling our genes, which when it gets phosphorylated, makes our brains pump out more BDNF. As one of the main forces behind neuroplasticity, this is a game-changer.9 These new gene tweaks from exercise might explain how it makes our thinking better.9
Epigenetic Modifications Induced by Exercise
Recently, scientists found out that how our genes change through exercise is key for making memories and thinking sharp.9 It turns out that small RNA pieces, like microRNAs, play a big role in this, acting as important guards for our brain’s flexibility and memory. These findings show the big impact of exercise on our brain at the epigenetic level.9
Optimizing Exercise for Cognitive Benefits
Physical exercise helps our brain in many ways. The type and how hard we exercise impact our thinking abilities. For example, aerobic exercise includes actions like brisk walking or running. It’s shown to make our brains work better. This is because it boosts blood flow to the brain and releases helpful chemicals.3 The harder you exercise, the more your brain benefits.3
Exercise and Academic Achievement
Working out is good for more than our bodies. It also boosts our brains, which helps in school too. Evidence shows that moving a lot helps students do better academically. It increases grades and test scores.3 By exercising, we improve how we pay attention, remember things, and think through stuff. This is why hitting the gym or playing sports can help you do well in school.3
| Exercise Type | Cognitive Benefits | Impact on Academic Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| Aerobic Exercise |
|
|
| Moderate-to-Vigorous Intensity Exercise |
|
|
Exercise and Neurodegeneration
Effects in Animal Models of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Exercise is being explored as a treatment for diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s in animals. These studies find that working out can help with memory issues and reduce harmful changes. This shows that it might protect the brain and even slow these diseases down.3
Potential Therapeutic Role of Exercise
People are looking at exercise as a way to help those with brain diseases. Although we need to know more, what we do know is promising. It suggests that staying active could be an important part of treatment. It might help our minds stay sharp and perhaps even fight these diseases off.4
Exercise and Brain Network Topology
New studies show how doing physical exercise can change how our brain is wired.3 When you work out, the way different parts of your brain connect can improve.3 This can help you think and remember better.3
Functional Connectivity Changes
A recent study looked at how exercising affects older adults’ brains.10 They observed six older adults who exercised and five who didn’t.10 The ones who exercised had more blood flowing to their hippocampus, a key part of the brain for memory.10 Also, their brain regions for memory worked together better than those who didn’t exercise.10
The part of the brain that helps remember things and another part were more linked in those who exercised.10 This could be why exercise helps with memory, suggesting a stronger brain effect than just aging.310
Exercise and Wellbeing
Exercise does more than keep you fit. It’s been proven to boost your mood, lower anxiety, and make you happier.3 This happens because as you work out, your brain releases chemicals that make you feel good. These same chemicals help you think better too.3
Working out not only makes your mind sharper. It also keeps your brain healthy.3 When you regularly do physical activities, your brain actually changes. It grows more gray matter. This is great for your memory and learning, plus it helps protect you from getting forgetful later in life.3
This is why exercise is key for a healthy mind and body.3 It works by making your brain and body stronger. This helps you feel and think your best.3
Source Links
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/01/240116131729.htm
- https://www.allaboutvision.com/eye-care/eye-health/can-exercise-improve-cognitive-performance/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5934999/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3951958/
- https://lifesciences.byu.edu/how-exercise-affects-your-brain
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7244966/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9858649/
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-and-why-does-exercise-improve-cognitive-function
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5705447/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2893375/
