Exercising Your Brain
Wednesday Apr 15th - "Exercise Your Brain"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5UuBVAfZJw
A Neurologist that is also a professor at NYU began to study the effects of exercise on the brain and it’s counterparts. Her findings were very interesting and put into context everyone’s intuition about exercise. She first starts off by explaining the different parts of the brain like the frontal lobe which is critical for executive functions and also allows you to craft your personality. It is in the front of the brain behind your eyes. Next she goes on to introduce the occipital lobe which is also used for interpreting the world. Next the Parietal lobe which is used for special sensory awareness. Next the Temporal Lobe which is used for measuring the passage of time hence why they call it “Temp-oral.” Lastly she introduces the Hippocampus which is known for being critical for the long term memory and recall in the brain. It’s functions are what regulate the recognition of information in the brain.
Her introduction of the brain is a good starting point because now we may look into what each of these functions do, how they interact with our daily lives and how we can go about optimizing these through exercise. The durability of your brain is a precious thing and neuroplasticity is critical for our long term health and brain usage. Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experience or following injury.
The intensity at which we workout can increase all of these functions both consciously and unconsciously. When she works out she even shouts affirmations while working out leaving her feeling more focused and uplifted throughout the duration of the day. People who involve themselves in regular exercise often had better reaction time as a side effect as well.
She and other neurologists agree that when you workout and exercise your mood gets better because it increases neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, adrenaline and endorphins even after one workout. With regular workouts she states that you are less likely to develop dementia when you get old. She even joking refers to frequent exercise as a 401k for your brain. Scientifically, by working out you are helping new cells in the hippocampus grow and reproduce. Getting as many new hippocampal cells as possible is vital for long term healthy brain functions.
According to other scientists who’ve measured the effects of exercise on the body (“Kytone”) say that biology and bdnf are released by exercising. Ultimately, many areas of your life are enhanced by physical activity. For instance education can be optimized by exercise and other positive side effects such as improved mood, attention, long term memory.