THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON exercise
If you had to pick just one lifestyle change to make in the name of brain health, experts agree exercise tops the list— especially for women.
We consider neuroplasticity, the brain’s capacity to form new neural connections, an exciting part of a child’s development, but we now know our brains can continue to grow, repair and improve as adults, too. Physical activity is a well- researched trigger. Not only can working out bolster our day- to- day functioning and alertness but it also appears to help us repair brain damage. Plus, it slows down aging and the onset of age- related brain diseases.
Working up a sweat and pumping up your heart rate can lead to a healthier vascular system in the brain, which decreases blood pressure and oxidative stress (when your body’s antioxidants can’t fight off free radicals), and increases antioxidant activity, according to Marc Poulin, an Alzheimer’s researcher and professor of physiology at the University of Calgary. Vigorous exercise also floods the bloodstream with a protein called brain- derived neurotrophic factor, which readies the body for repair and heightens the brain’s ability to learn and form new memories. Plus, hitting the gym helps the brain repair myelin; a lack of the nerve
fibre– protecting substance is a factor in developing multiple sclerosis.
Exercising can also restore crucial brain volume. Research has shown that the hippocampus— home to memory, learning and emotion— starts shrinking after age 55 by about one to two percent a year, but just one year of moderate- intensity aerobic exercise done three days a week can increase its size by two percent.
And while most of the research is about the benefits of getting in your cardio, Dr. Teresa Liu-ambrose, an associate professor and Canada research chair at The University of British Columbia and the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, says strength training is also effective, as it can enhance brain performance and function by 11 to 17 percent. “Women live longer [than men], and age itself is the greatest risk factor for dementia,” she says. “But the good news is when we look at the benefit of aerobic exercise on cognition in older adults, women seem to benefit more.”
The Takeaway: You can reap the rewards from even a 15- minute walk. Of course, the longer you exercise, the better, especially if you get your sweat on and your heart rate up. If you want to tick a few other brain health tips off your list, consider joining a team sport. It blends physical, social and cognitive skills, and “can also add pleasure and meaning to our lives,” says Dr. Nasreen Khatri, a registered clinical psychologist, gerontologist and neuroscientist at the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Health Sciences in Toronto.
If you have an office job and find you’re sedentary most of the day, take a few minutes every hour or so to get up and move around. Research also suggests switching to a standup desk may improve your brain function.