A Smarter You: How Exercise Boosts Brain Power

We all know exercise is good for the body, but could it also be the key to a stronger brain?

While many believe brain training is limited to puzzles and books, scientists have discovered that physical activity offers significant cognitive benefits.

Just as lifting weights builds muscle, a few minutes of daily exercise can help your brain work better.

Research shows that as little as 6 to 10 minutes of movement can sharpen your focus, improve memory, and even increase the size of key brain regions.

TRY BREATHING YOGA CLASSES AT GYMNATION

The Surprising Power of Short Workouts

A study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health revealed that even a few minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise can improve working memory and higher-level skills like planning and organization.

Even more impressively, another study found that just two minutes of moderate-to-high-intensity exercise provides clear benefits for attention, concentration, and learning that can last for up to two hours.

The researchers define these exercise types as
:

• Moderate: Activities like fast walking, slow jogging, or climbing stairs where you can still hold a conversation.
  
  
• Vigorous: Faster jogging, cycling, swimming, or HIIT workouts that make talking much more difficult.
  
  Poll

  What's your go-to workout time?

  Morning

  Afternoon

  Evening

The Cost of Inactivity

The same study highlighted the negative effects of being sedentary. Replacing just eight minutes of activity with sitting led to a 1% to 2% drop in mental ability.

While that may seem small, it shows how crucial even a few minutes of movement are for brain health.

The researchers noted that more time spent in moderate-to-vigorous exercise was linked to higher cognitive scores, making the loss of that time particularly harmful.

TRY LES MILLS DANCE CLASSES AT GYMNATION

More Time, More Brain Benefits

Up to a point, the more you exercise, the greater the benefits for both your body and brain.

Studies have shown that working out can slow or even reverse physical decay in the brain.

Contrary to old beliefs, the brain can create new cells. Exercise has been proven to increase the size of the hippocampus—the brain's memory center—even in adults in their 60s and 70s.

For instance, one study found that walking briskly for 40 minutes, three times a week, increased hippocampal volume by over 2%.

What Does Moderate Exercise Look Like?

Scientists suggest aiming for a heart rate that is 60% to 75% of your maximum. You can estimate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220.

For a 60-year-old, the maximum heart rate is about 160 beats per minute (bpm).

Moderate exercise would raise it to around 100 bpm. At this level, you can still talk, though you might need to pause for breath occasionally. Any activity that gets you there—brisk walking, cycling, or bodyweight training—counts.

Consistency Is Key

If you've ever wanted to be sharper but didn't know where to start, the answer could be as simple as moving your body. You don’t need a gym membership or fancy equipment.

The kind of exercise that boosts your brain can be as simple as a quick walk, a slow jog, or taking the stairs. The most important factor is choosing an activity you enjoy and can do consistently.

Source: unionrayo

The opinions shared in the GymNation blog articles are solely those of the respective authors and may not represent the perspectives of GymNation or any member of the GymNation team.