What goes on in our Brains when we Exercise

We all know that exercising has a lot of positive effects on our body. It makes our muscles strong, improves our cardiovascular system and keeps our joints healthy. However exercising also has a lot of positive effects on our minds. In this article we will discuss the positive effects of exercising on the brain.

Short Term Benefits

If you regularly go for walks or run, you might have noticed that your thinking gets far clearer during and after your exercise. A lot of creative individuals have had their greatest insights come to them while performing an aerobic exercise. A lot of people find comfort in walking while being anxious about something. Ever wondered what exactly is going on inside our brains while we exercise?

The explanation that science has provided goes as this: When we perform a difficult exercise, our muscles are working very hard. To perform all this hard work, our muscles spend a lot of energy. This energy is obtained by burning calories, which needs oxygen. So our breathing rate increases. Higher breathing rate results in more oxygen going to our brain. This increased oxygen in our brain is a signal that our body is in distress. In order to cope with this distress or brain releases endorphins. Endorphins are the chemicals, which lead to reduction in our pain sensation thus decreasing the discomfort resulting from the exercise. The other effect of endorphins is to relax our minds. This clearly explains why exercising helps us cope with depression and anxiety. Moreover, as we experience… Read More