Physical exercise makes you smarter!
Did you know that physical exercise is extremely beneficial to both your body and brain?
Professor Wendy Suzuki from the University of New York has been vocal about the benefits of physical activity for the brain over the last years and has much insight to give on the topic.
According to her, a single workout can already make you happier but there are also intermediate and longer-term effects such as an overall mood boost and increased long-term memory.
She listed three main reasons to exercise for better mental health:
1There are immediate effects because working out activates the neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline, which all boost your mood, increase your attention and your energy. Dopamine is associated with a motivating and rewarding feeling. Serotonin helps regulate the body’s sleep-wake cycles and the internal clock and provides feelings of well-being and happiness. Noradrenaline, also called norepinephrine, focuses attention, decreases reaction time, promotes vigilance and enhances memory. Suzuki found that those effects lasted up to two hours after working out.
2 Exercising also changes the brain anatomy, physiology, and function of the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. The prefrontal cortex is associated with decision making, personality, cognitive and social behavior while the hippocampus plays a crucial role in the consolidation of information for short and long-term memory formation. Physical activity produces brand new cells in these areas of your brain and increases their volume, which means that your capacity to make quick decisions, learn and remember longer-term improves.
3It takes longer for diseases to have an impact on your brain. These two parts of your brain are the most sensitive to neurotransmitter diseases and a cognitive decline during the aging process can include depression, Alzheimer’s and dementia. Suzuki didn’t say that physical activity can ward off these age-related diseases altogether but it does take longer for them to have an impact, even when a person is genetically inclined to have it.
Professor Suzuki also highlights that those effects are true for every one of us, of all age groups, genders, or races.
What that tells us it that physical activity is not only essential to our physical health but also to our mental health in the shorter and longer-term! You can also think of all the benefits a healthy body can bring including increased self-confidence and energy, a longer lifespan, the decreased likelihood of suffering from cardiovascular diseases, and less stress.
To date, there is no universal optimal duration that a person should spend exercising. It all depends on your previous activity, health, and age, but generally it is recommended that you work out 3 to 4 times a week for at least 30 minutes, ideally adding up to around 2.5 hours for a moderately fit adult.
That doesn’t mean you need to go jogging for 2.5 hours a week. You should do a mix of sport including aerobics, which can also be power walking or playing tennis, as well as some strength training, balance exercises and some stretching.
Below is a list of some FREE exercises that you can do AT HOME to be healthier and happier:
Aerobics:
- Run outside and track your progress with an app like Nike+, Runtastic, Runkeeper
- Go for a power walk listening to your favorite music or a good podcast
- Go play a team sport with your friends on the weekend
- Swim in a lake in the summer if you live near one or go to a pool
- A mix of workouts with the app PEAR
Strength:
- Try out these apps: Workout Trainer, Nike + Training Club, Daily Burn, 7-minute workout, passion4profession, sworkit
- Combine cardio and strength with HIIT at home
- Try out a squat or an abs challenge
- Start holding the plank and chair positions for 1,2,3,4… and then 5 minutes every day when you wake up
Balance and stretching:
- Discover yoga with the app Yoga studio
- Find your favorite youtuber and follow their yoga tutorials and classes online
- Do simple stretching exercises to calm music after waking up and before going to bed
… and many more free online resources.
Because every little step that you achieve today — big or small — matters. Doesn’t everyone deserve to be happy and successful? You hold it all in your hand. You can make a difference with every action you take.
Join our mission… let’s make the world a happier place!
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