38 Brainy Reasons to Exercise
Everyone is looking to get an edge in their personal and professional lives. And while
most people know that exercise can give you energy and help keep you sharp, few
people don’t realize how deep the benefits for the brain really go. Not only is exercise
the most scientifically proven cognitive enhancer, the brain benefits of exercise touch on
almost every aspect of your life.
Word is starting to get out that exercise can do more than keep you fit and make you
look good. In fact, there are about 38 more things it can do. If you take anything away
from this special report, it should be this:
Exercise is one of the most important ways to get the most out of your brain both
physically and mentally.
It’s a cornerstone of great brain health and an important aspect of TheBrainFlux. If you
ever needed another reason to start exercising, look no further. The expansive list of
benefits below is truly inspiring.
COGNITIVE BENEFITS OF EXERCISE
When you think of the brain, it’s the cognitive abilities that people first think about.
Who wouldn’t want a perfect memory, unwavering willpower, and the ability to solve
problems with lightning speed? While exercise probably won’t give you superhuman
abilities, it is the best way to improve your cognitive potential. So let’s look at what
areas exercise can give you a boost.
IMPROVES YOUR EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS
Executive functions are your brain’s higher level thinking skills. This includes inhibitory
control, task switching, attention, and goal management. These set of skills are
important for problem solving, planning, organizing, behavior, and basic functioning as
a normal person in society.
A review of multiple studies found positive effects for all ages in normal healthy
participants. The authors noted that more studies need to be done to better understand
which executive functions in younger adults and children are affected, overall they
stated that exercise is a simple way for healthy people to optimize their higher order
brain functions.
Even if you’re a little bit older, exercise can improve these important life skills. One
meta-analysis – which is a scientific review of multiple studies – reviewed 18 different
papers studying exercise and cognitive powers. All participants were considered healthy,
however, they led sedentary lifestyles. The study found a number of cognitive benefits.
But the strongest benefit of exercise they noticed for older generations? You bet, it was
their executive functions.
EXERCISE CAN INCREASE YOUR IQ
Most people will tell you that exercising is a smart thing to do. But that’s because it can
literally make you smarter.
The topic of IQ is still pretty hotly debated among scientists. Some believe it’s genetic,
others that it can be affected through environmental variables. There still seems to be
some clarifications in the research about what IQ actually is, what affects it, and by how
much. Needless to say, I’ll let the scientists duke it out.
Some researchers that tried to tackle the exercise-IQ question, conducted one of the
largest studies ever done. They took a look at 1.2 million Swedish men and found
something interesting. They found a pretty convincing link between cardiovascular
health and performance on IQ tests. Not only that, but they saw that young adults who
improved their cardiovascular health between the ages of 15 to 18, saw an increase in
their IQ.
INCREASES YOUR FOCUS
In today’s world of flashing cell phones and beeping technology all around, we all need
the skill to ignore distractions and concentrate on the task at hand. It appears that
exercise can help us survive in an increasingly connected world, where everything is
trying to grab our attention.
One of the first studies demonstrating this was published in 2004. The study used two
different experiments. The first compared physically fit people to those who weren’t.
The second study looked at people who were aerobically trained over several months
and compared them to others that received no training. The results found that both
physically fit people, and people who are cardiovascular training have increased control
over their abilities to focus attention as measured by a challenging cognitive task.
INCREASES YOUR COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY
Focus isn’t the only skill needed for a busy life. Our jobs demand us to take on several
responsibilities, school studies are stressful and rigorous, and our personal lives can pull
us in 100 directions. We are required to multitask, switching thinking modes, and keep
track of several things at once.
Research conducted in 2009 looked at the effects of three different levels of exercise in
healthy adults. They wanted to measure if the frequency of aerobic exercise had an
effect on a persons cognitive abilities. At the end of ten weeks, a battery of cognitive
tests were given to the participants. Here’s what they found. The more aerobic exercise
that people performed, there was an increase in mental speed, attention, and cognitive
flexibility. After they adjusted for variables like gender and education level, the one
mental ability that still held statistical significance was that of cognitive flexibility.
GIVES YOU MORE WILLPOWER
Willpower – or self control – is also one of those life skills that is closely related to your
brain’s executive function. The subject of willpower seems to get a decent amount of
coverage in the media, but rarely is exercise mentioned as a path to increasing self
control.
And it really should be. Willpower is a key ingredient in a successful life. We use it to
avoid temptations, stay on track for personal and professional goals, and to adhere to
healthy habits.
A meta-analysis published in 2013 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine looked at
several groups of people. Children, adolescents, and adults up to the age of 35. They
found that short bouts of exercise had a significant affect across ALL age groups in areas
of executive function and inhibition and interference control – which is better known as
willpower.
HELPS YOU CONTROL YOUR EMOTIONS
Being able to control your emotions might not seem like it’s a cognitive skill. Yes,
emotions are very much a part of our psychological makeup, but the actual ability to
control our emotions is a skill of cognitive control. Whenever you reign in an outburst of
anger, or try to get on in your day despite overwhelming sadness you are exercising
emotional regulation. In fact, it’s very closely related to willpower and the art of selfregulation.
A 2 month long study where participants where exposed to a program of regular physical
exercise was conducted to track changes in self-regulation. The researchers noted a
number of positive changes in behavioral patterns. Among these was a decrease in
emotional stress and an increase in emotional control.
If you have a tendency to blow up at people or lose your calm, exercise could be able to
help you keep centered. Life is going to throw you a curveball or two, and a calm mind
can help you navigate turbulent waters.
SHARPENS YOUR SHORT TERM MEMORY
Short term memory is also referred to as working memory. And a lot of the time they are
used interchangeably. Without getting too bogged down in technical definitions, let’s
just say working memory and short term memory are similar. It’s the information
currently in your head that is being processed. This includes comprehending,
interpreting, and manipulating any information your thinking about.
It’s also another area that has had mixed results in exercise studies. It seems that the
intensity of workouts, as well as length of exercise, can affect working memory in
different ways. However, one study in 2014 had participants complete 30 minute
workout of moderate intensity. At this exercise difficulty, researchers found a significant
increase in working memory following the workout. The increased memory capacity is
only a short term effect, and it’s duration not measured. Any long term benefits on short
term memory still need to be determined.
EXERCISE HELPS LONG TERM MEMORY
There is a strong link between regular exercisers and improved memory. One such
review in 2010 found positive and significant improvements among participants who
exercised.
Research on acute exercise and its effects on long term memory, however, are pretty few
in number. Like short term memory, the type of exercise, the intensity, and participants'
fitness levels may all effect results. The details are being teased out, but there have been
a few studies looking at the subject.
The first study split participants up into three groups. Each group was told to recall as
much information as possible from two paragraphs. The first group received the
information after exercise, the second before exercise, and the last completed no
exercise. They found that the group that was exposed to exercise before being given the
information performed significantly better at recall than the other two groups.
The effects of resistance exercise on memory was also studied. Subjects were shown
photos with different emotional values (neutral, positive, or negative) and then
proceeded to exercise using a leg extension machine. After 48 hours, they were asked to
recall the photos again. The results found that the group which performed the resistance
exercise performed better at recalling, particularly the pictures that were emotionally
charged.
MAKES YOU THINK FASTER
Many of us have wished that we could arrive at answers faster than we normally could.
Who wouldn’t want to be faster at solving problems and remembering things? Having
more white matter in the brain means that your connections are better insulated and
more efficient at relaying information in and around your brain.
A study published in 2013 found that older adults with a history of aerobic exercise were
observed to have better white matter integrity than their sedentary peers. It’s not just
older adults who benefit, it’s also children. A research article published in Frontiers in
Human Neuroscience reported that aerobic fitness levels were linked with stronger white
matter integrity.
Finally, in another meta-analysis, researchers found 24 studies that looked at processing
speed and exercise. They found that exercise gave people a modest improvement in their
cognitive speed. And verifying the studies noted above, it did so across all ages.
PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF EXERCISE
Our mental health is an important part of our lives. It affects our moods, emotions,
behavior, and social interactions. It affects our lives both professionaly and personally,
and even has consequences for our physical health. Exercise has a number of benefits
that can affect your psychology in positive ways.
EXERCISE ALLEVIATES STRESS
This is probably one of the best known psychological benefits, and one of the biggest
reasons why people take up exercise. And it should be. The science behind it is well
documented, as well as the immediate feelings of relief one feels after a bout of exercise.
Exercise, though, is actually stressful event on your body. So it might seem a little
counter intuitive that it ends up relieving stress. The long term benefits definitely
compensate for the short term stress, and it accomplishes this in several ways.
For starters, it releases neurochemicals into the brain. The big ones being endorphins,
dopamine, and norepinephrine. These chemicals are associated with better cognitive
functioning, alertness and elevated moods. In addition to dumping feel good chemicals
into your head, it also helps purge the stress hormones from your body – cortisol and
adrenaline.
From a psychological perspective, exercise also gives you a way to distract yourself
from focusing on daily stressors. This could be from your boss, a task at work, or any
number of personal problems. When the mind has nothing else to do, it can be easy for it
to drift, and many people can fixate on immediate issues, specific stressful problems, or
strong emotional feelings. For many, exercise can simply give them an immediate task
to shift their focus and energy on.
So while this benefit of exercise won’t come as a surprise to you, it’s still one of the
best, time tested reasons to get out there and hit the pavement. As we’ll explore in other
articles, stress is one of the biggest enemies for your efficient brain operation, and
exercise is an efficient stress management technique.
GIVES YOU EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE
Stress also affects your emotional state. And strong emotions can be an unfortunate side
effect to a stressful event.
One study separated participants between those who exercised regularly and those who
didn't. They found that even when moods between the two groups were the same before
being stressed, that regular exercisers had a smaller decline in positive mood after a
stressful event than those who were sedentary.
It seems that people who get regular exercise are able to keep a more positive attitude –
and emotional outlook after something stressful occurs. Yet another level of protection
from the day to day stress in their lives.
REDUCES ANXIETY
A meta-analysis published in 1995 had researchers take a look at 40 studies to measure
the effects of exercise on anxiety. In analyzing several different study types, they found
that exercise had a low to moderate effect on reducing anxiety. They also noted that
adults who led a more stressful lifestyle, benefited most from the exercise.
INCREASES PAIN TOLERANCE
It has been pretty well documented that intense exercise can dull pain in the short term.
Your body releases endorphins and other chemicals during and shortly after exercise that
will decrease pain being experienced.
But it’s more than just short term. For those of you that are looking for a bit more mental
grit, exercise could be the way to go. A small study published in 2014 from Australia
showed that participants who completed a six week aerobic exercise regimen increased
their tolerance for pain. While they still felt pain at the same levels as before, they were
able to tolerate pain at higher levels.
HELPS BATTLE DEPRESSION
Depression is one of the most common mental conditions that affects people worldwide
– an estimated 350 million according to the World Health Organization. Even scarier is
the fact that depression is on the rise, and is set to be the 2nd biggest medical condition
by 2020.
In a large meta-analysis, exercise effects on relieving the symptoms of depression were
reviewed. Not only did they find that it provided a significant and moderate relief from
depression, but when compared to other forms of psychological therapy or drugs it was
found to be just as helpful.
According to this study, people who may be looking for other, more cost effective ways
to help fight depression, regular exercise may be the key.
PREVENTS DEPRESSION
Preventing depression might be even more important than fighting it. While we know
that exercise helps people with the symptoms of depression, we didn’t really know how.
At least until recently.
In a study published in September 2014, researchers found an underlying mechanism
that explains how exercise helps with depression. Along with the discovery is evidence
that physically fit people can actually help prevent symptoms of depression.
The study gets pretty technical. The short version is that researchers used genetically
modified mice to help produce a protein (which is also activated through physical
exercise) that is found in skeletal muscle. When the body or mind is exposed to stressful
situations, a harmful substance builds up in the blood that can affect the brain. The
protein helps break down the harmful substance, thus protecting the brain.
When the mice were exposed to multiple stressful situations, the mice with the protein
didn’t exhibit depressive behavior, but there sedentary counterparts did.
Regular exercise can increase the protein that is found in our skeletal muscles, and
therefore break down harmful substances that would otherwise go to out heads!
IMPROVES YOUR MOOD
You probably already know that exercise releases brain chemicals that make you feel
good. Again, not a ground breaking revelation. Let me share with you some interesting
information that you may not be familiar with.
Some researchers took a look at the methods that people use for dealing with bad moods.
They identified around 32 different categories and analyzed which methods were the
most effective at regulating their bad mood. They found that exercise was the most
effective at regulating a bad mood, followed by music, and then social interaction.
EXERCISE MIGHT JUST MAKE YOU HAPPIER
Moods can come and go, we know they are temporary. But can exercise have an effect
on happiness in the long run?
An important question, but also a difficult one. There are various definitions of
happiness, not everyone agrees how to measure it, and also happiness can mean different
things for different people. So finding information about the effect of exercise or
physical activity is tough and the data sparse.
Despite these problems, there have been some initial attempts to answer the exercise
happiness question. One study looked at data from individuals in 15 European countries.
They compared activity levels from several groups and found that higher levels of
physical activity had higher levels of happiness. The study noted that it couldn’t be
determined if activity was the cause of the happiness.
In a slightly more convincing study, researchers looked at levels of leisure time physical
activity for residents of Canada. Looking at data over the course of several years, they
established a baseline happiness. Using data from following years they looked for
differences in levels of happiness to see if activity could account for them.
People who were inactive through the years were twice as likely to become unhappy
than their active counterparts. Those people who were inactive were also more likely to
become unhappy than those who became active over those years. And finally, for those
were were active and became inactive increased their odds of becoming unhappy.
NEUROBIOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF EXERCISE
Exercise can fundamentally change your brain. We’re talking at the cellular level. While
you can easily see in the mirror the physical changes that your body goes through when
you go out for a daily run, the physical and chemical changes in your brain can’t be
seen.
INCREASES YOUR RESILIENCE TO STRESS
Exercise is a great way to beat stress, okay. I don’t want to beat that into the ground, but
can the benefit stretch beyond just relieving stress?The stress busting benefits of
exercise are pretty well known. Recent research out of Princeton took a closer look at
some less understood mechanisms to tackle that question.
When these scientists ran an experiment on mice that exercised and those that didn’t,
what they found was this. The first discovery was that exercise actually reorganizes the
brain to react differently to a stressful situation. The second was that more of a specific
neurotransmitter was released in the brain when a stressful situation occurred. And this
neurotransmitter helped reduce the excitability – or firing – of neurons.
What’s the significance? It means that exercise helped reduce the level of anxiety when
exposed to a stressful situation. Those who exercise are better able to cope with stressors
in everyday situations. And less stress means better health, better decisions, and more
control throughout the day. The research also has implications for treating those with
anxiety disorders.
INCREASES ENERGY/REDUCES FATIGUE
I think we all feel a dip in physical and mental energy at different times of day. So
what’s the best way to grab a second wind? It may actually be by getting your body
moving.
It’s logical to think that exercise can leave you exhausted and drained. A study from the
University of Georgia, however, looked at the effect of light to moderate exercise on
energy levels. They found that low to moderate bouts of exercise actually increased
energy levels and reduced fatigue for sedentary but healthy adults. Even more
surprising, this was independent of current fitness levels of the individual.
Although some of these feelings of energy can probably be attributed to the brain
chemicals such as dopamine and seratonin, the lead author of the study says that this
research suggests that exercise has a direct effect on the central nervous system. This is
actually back up from another study at the University of South Carolina. They found that
exercise actually ramps up the creation of new mitochondrial cells in the brain, which
can help guard against mental fatigue.
EXERCISE MAKES YOUR BRAIN BIGGER
You might be amazed to learn that exercise literally makes your brain bigger!
One study looked at older healthy adults that were sedentary. When put through an
aerobic fitness program for 6 months, the researchers saw a significant increase in both
white matter and grey matter. The control group who stretched and toned during the
same period saw no increase in the volume of their brain.
SLOWS DOWN BRAIN ATROPHY
Starting at about age 30 our brains start to lose volume naturally, most notably in the
hippocampus. While this is natural, it can affect cognitive abilities, memory, and the
spur the onset of dementia.
Research found that moderate exercise in healthy older adults helped them gain 1-2%
volume in the hippocampus area. This would be the equivalent of reversing brain aging
by about 2 years. Additionally, the researchers found that there were gains in spatial
memory.
Another study in 2013 saw a correlation between exercise habits and brain volume.
Looking at adults between the ages of 18 to 45, and then adjusted for factors such as
age, gender, and brain volume. They found that the minutes of exercise per week
correlated with the size of the hippocampus. The research shows that habitual exercise
may be able to protect against the brain’s natural shrinkage with age.
INCREASES THE BIRTH OF NEW BRAIN CELLS
The process of growing new brain cells is called neurogenesis. Scientists recently
identified a brain chemical called BDNF – that’s Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor for
any science nerds – that promotes this process in our brains.
While the first studies were done in rats, researchers are beginning to look closer at the
relationship between exercise and BDNF in human subjects. A review published in
2014, looked at 32 articles and their results. Overall, they saw short intense and chronic
exercise elevated BDNF levels in humans. They also found that the results for physical
activity and BDNF levels were less clear. They noted that more studies are needed to
clarify this area of research.
IMPROVES SELF ESTEEM
Self esteem is important if we want to live a happy life. Low self esteem can create
stress, depression, and anxiety. Also, it can negatively impact our job and academic
performance, and cause a number of other unhealthy behaviors if gone unchecked.
Exercise has been shown to affect self-esteem positively in all ages. From your
development as a child up until the twilight years. A large quantitative review of 113
studies reported finding a change in self-esteem through exercise. In fact, the more
physically fit one was, the higher one’s self esteem. One final result they reported was
that the type of exercise program could also affect the level of self-esteem.
LIFESTYLE BENEFITS OF EXERCISE
The fact of the matter is that the benefits of exercise spill over to almost every part of
your life. Exercise is more than just work. It helps you move your body, experience new
things, learn new skills, connect with other people, and give you a better quality of life.
HELPS TREAT ANXIETY DISORDERS
In a 2013 an article reviewed recent studies looking at the effects of exercise on anxiety
and anxiety disorders. They noted several underlying physical and mental mechanisms
accounting for these effects, and also noted there have been numerous studies and
several meta-analysis showing improvement of anxiety in clinical settings.
EXERCISE CAN HELP THOSE WITH ADHD
ADHD in children has seen a sharp rise in the last couple of decades, and is still a
concern today. As it should be, it affects over 2.5 million school children in the US
alone. Exercise’s benefits for executive functions comes into play here, especially for
this particular group of individuals. A short bout of moderate level exercise was shown
to improve math and reading scores in children, with an added benefit with those
children with ADHD.
HELPS YOU SLEEP
Sleep is one of the major areas of efficient brain functioning. It has a direct effect on
memory, self regulation, and cognition. Simply put, better sleep means a better brain.
One study looked looked at adults that had numerous complaints about lack of quality
sleep. The study examined several factors, including gender, age, and physical function
over a period of 12 months. The results found that adults that were the least active
benefited most from exercise when it came to quality of sleep.
Not only can exercise help those with insomnia or sleep disturbances, but it’s good for
normal healthy adults and adolescents as well. A meta-analysis found that total sleep
time and fewer disturbances during the night were positive side effects of acute exercise.
It’s important to note, the relationship between sleep and exercise has had some varying
results, especially when subjects have known sleep issues such as insomnia. Typically,
exercise in the long term has beneficial results, but certain variables – type of exercise,
duration, and intensity – are still being explored.
REDUCES MIGRAINES AND HEADACHES
Although the data on exercise and headaches are a bit scarce, there does seem to be
evidence for indirect benefits.
Some of the biggest causes of headaches are inadequate sleep and stress. So it should be
no surprise that exercise – which has positive effects on both of those causes – can help
reduce the frequency and intensity.
For hard evidence, two studies have had positive findings. One study in Sweden gave an
exercise program to people with migraines to see if it could improve their symptoms.
The study saw pretty positive results.
The second study, a large cross sectional study done in Norway, found that people who
were more sedentary were more likely to get headaches than their more physically active
counterparts.
Although uncommon, some people have reported exercise causing the onset of
headaches. As always, you should always consult your doctor before engaging in regular
physical activity.
REDUCES YOUR RISK OF STROKE
Another obvious benefit of exercise, but also worth mentioning. It helps reduce the risk
of stroke. In fact, a study presented at the American Stroke Association’s International
Stroke Conference 2008, showed that healthy cardiovascular men and women could
reduce the risk of stroke by 40%. Even more encouraging was that people who exercised
moderately had a significant chance of lowering their risk.
LOWERS YOUR RISK OF DEMENTIA AND ALZHEIMER’S
In one of the longest studies of it’s kind – 35 years – one study followed over 2000 men
and their lifestyle behaviors. They found several healthy behaviors exhibited by these
men that reduced the chances of dementia by a whopping 60 percent. Regular exercise,
while not the only factor, was identified as being the largest contributing factor.
Another recent study took a look at the factors that attribute to dementia. This study
found that exercise as the most significant factor to protect against the onset of
dementia. The study cites several major factors that can increase your chances of
developing dementia, but the largest – being physical inactivity – can increase your
chance by 82%.
Here’s another take away from that study. By exercising just one hour a week, you can
cut your chance of developing dementia in half. And for those that can’t or have
difficulty doing more intense physical exercise, the study claims that moderate exercise
to the tune of 30 minutes 5 times a week can do the trick as well.
Coincidentally, and I’m not joking here, one of the lead authors of the study is Professor
Brayne.
CAN HELP YOU EAT HEALTHIER
If you've ever started an exercise program and stuck with it for a period of time, you
may have noticed your eating habits changing as well. Apparently this is a happy side
effect of exercise.
One study looking at weight control found that the greater the intrinsic motivation to
exercise (intrinsic motivation being things like interest and enjoyment of the activity),
was a high predicting factor in helping one control their eating.
A different study examined the effects of a moderate level workout in respect to their
motivation for food. The study found two interesting things. Not only did it decrease
motivation for food, but they also saw an increase in physical activity throughout the
day for those that exercised. A hint that exercise may help you be more physically active
when not exercising.
INCREASES PRODUCTIVITY AT WORK
Exercise impacts more than your academic or personal life. It can also have a positive
effect on your professional life as well.
Over 200 white collar workers from 3 organizations were used to study exercise in the
workplace. Researchers found that people reported several positive effects in the
workplace from working out during their break or if they exercised before work. The
benefits included better time management, better mood, and increased employee
tolerance. On days were employees didn’t exercise, the benefits were not seen.
Another study from Bringham Young University looked at different factors that
contributed to the loss of productivity in the workplace in almost 20,000 employees.
Researchers found that people who exercised only occasionally or not at all were more
likely to report lower productivity than employees who exercised regularly.
OFFSETS HEALTH RISKS OF A SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE
Yes, you can exercise regularly and still have a sedenttary lifestyle. In fact, research is
discovering that being sedentary is an independent health risk. Meaning that it doesn't
matter if you're a desk jockey, or a marathon runner. The amount of time sitting on the
couch or at a desk are horrible for you. Not information you'd be excited to hear if most
of your work is done sitting down.
If you are exercising on a regular basis, though, you might have to worry just slightly
less. A study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that those who are
physically fit have less adverse health effects from a sedentary lifestyle.
EXERCISE BOOSTS CREATIVITY
A research study as far back as 1985 revealed that a exercise program helped college
students gain modest – but statistically significant – gains in two of three creative tests.
Following a similar line of thinking, another study took a look at the duration of exercise
effect on creativity. Researchers found that exercise not only boosted creativity, but did
so immediately following and up to 2 hours after the exercise.
However, the immediate effects of exercise on creativity aren’t clear cut. One set of
researchers looked at the short term effect of intense and moderate exercise. They
looked at both fit and unfit people. They found that taking a creative test following the
workouts actually hampered creative activity, although the group who was physically fit
happened to fare better.
It may be that intense exercise may not be the best path to creativity. One study has
found that the simple physical activity of walking could get the creative juices flowing.
Research is currently being done to see which methods of exercise can effect creative
tasks.
AIDS IN THE PREVENTION AND RECOVERY OF DRUG ABUSE
The effects that exercise has on drug abuse, and those trying to recover from substance
abuse is relatively new. There are several key things, here, about how exercise can help
those battling to better themselves and kick unhealthy drug habits in a variety of
different drugs.
Several studies have noted an inverse relationship between physical activity and drug
abuse, and has done so on a consistent basis. They say, psychologically exercise
improves self esteem and increases well being, both of which can affect drug abuse.
Also, research has shown that exercise reduces anxiety and depression, which are cues
for at risk populations to relapse.
Furthermore, there are biological changes in the brain that may be an underlying cause
of the prevention and recovery. Both the inducement of creating new neurons in the
hippocampus region of the brain, and also increased ability in the prefrontal cortex –
which helps humans plan, make decisions, and reduce impulses.
The initial findings of such programs show promise. A recent meta-analysis in 2014 took
a look across 22 studies to find a long term effect for substance abuse. They found that
moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise can be an effective tool in increasing abstinence
and lessening the effects withdrawal symptoms – among other benefits – for several
types of substance use disorders.
REDUCES TOBACCO CRAVINGS AND WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS
What about other substance abuse? Sure enough, scientists are taking a look at the
effects that exercise might have on other substances, including one of the biggest
unhealthy habits in the world – smoking.
One review showed that not only could cravings be reduced with short bouts of exercise,
but it could help with tobacco withdrawal as well. The reduction in withdrawal
symptoms were seen with moderate intensity exercise, but intense exercise would
increase symptoms. They also saw reductions in the actual desire to want to smoke.
There is also evidence that exercise as an intervention method could work for those
trying to quit. Larger studies need to be done, but a review of literature has seen exercise
help increase abstinence rates.
CAN HELP WITH ALCOHOL DEPENDENCY
Exercise used together with other traditional therapy techniques for alcohol dependency
is a new area of research. There are far fewer studies looking at the effect of exercise on
alcohol rehabilitation than smoking. The first bits of evidence, though, look positive.
One review found six studies that reported drinking episodes, days of abstinence, and
cravings as outcomes. Of those six, four of them found improvements when compared
against groups that did not use exercise. The other two found no statistical significance.
In a slightly longer study in 2014, sedentary patients were split into three groups for 12
weeks. One group did moderate exercise only, another group aerobic exercise, and the
third received health advice. The results indicated that the patients in both exercise
groups reported fewer drinking days and heavy drinking days when compared to a group
that only received health advice. Researchers also noted that the patients who exercised
in the group had more positive effects than that of just exercise alone.
JUMPSTARTS YOUR LEARNING
With the benefits of memory coupled with the birth of new brain cells, it makes sense
that exercise helps you to learn and retain information.
There’s a more interesting benefit, that’s actually pretty big. Not only does exercise help
prime the brain to learn new information, it actually increases the rate at which you
learn. One study looked at this specifically. They took three groups and subjected them
to different levels of exercise. One high impact, one low impact, and one group with just
rest.
Not only did the group with the high impact exercise learn 20% faster, they found a
strong correlation with learning speed and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).
They also noticed that levels of dopamine were tied to better intermediate memory
recall, and epinephrine was tied to long term memory retention.
IMPROVES ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
Learning is obviously important in academic settings. Especially when you are a young
adult learning the skills that will set you up for success in your personal and professional
life in adulthood.
While the effects of exercise and academic achievement are known to some, the trend in
school policy has not been so quick to embrace the mounting evidence. So while the
details of what types of exercise and how much are being verified, here’s what the data
says so far.
A meta-analysis covering 59 studies looked at the effects of physical activity and
physical fitness on academic achievement. Not only did they find a strong, positive
effect on achievement and cognitive abilities, they noted that the strongest effects came
from aerobic exercise.
BMI is routinely used as an indicator of general fitness, but that doesn’t translate into
how fit a person really is. Another study published in the Journal of Pediatrics found that
being physically fit was a better predictor of high test scores than BMI. So be careful not
to equate BMI to fitness!
Image Credits:
Tim Wang
Anders Sandberg
Jason Jones
Hartwig HKD