Aerobic Exercise Linked to Clarity

Establishing exercise as a habit is extremely important to your overall physical wellness. It’s easy to succumb to laziness when sadness or stress begins to overwhelm, but a recent study shows that regular exercise is the path to clarity. Aerobic exercise, the kind that gets your heart pumping, has been found to change the brain in ways that protect memory and thinking skills. According to Harvard Health, these results were not the same for resistance training, balance and muscle toning exercises. Improving memory and thinking skills is important because researchers now say one new case of dementia is detected every four seconds globally.  

What Happens Internally When We Exercise?

You might be aware of the physical and emotional advantages of physical exercise but neuroscientists have now identified a scientific link between exercise and cognitive clarity--a physiological advantage. Studies show that new neurons are produced in your brain throughout your life span. Neurons begin to form in the frontal lobe and the hippocampus—regions associated with mental clarity, once the body has been vigorously active and producing sweat for at least 30 to 40 minutes. Long-term physical activity promotes increased blood flow to the frontal lobe, promoting new neuron production. New neurons are also produced in the hippocampus, or region associated with memory, after prolonged periods of exercise. In addition, many studies suggest the hippocampus has greater volume in people who exercise versus people who don’t.   

Study Proves Psychological Impact of Exercise

To further investigate the cognitive impacts of exercise, a recent study by Science Daily was conducted on a group 40 men and women. The 80 participants were asked to complete a survey to establish their current state of emotion and then given the option between aerobic exercise and stretching for 30 minutes. Afterwards, the participants were shown a somber scene from the film, The Champ, and their emotions were recorded a second time. Conclusions from the study found that those who had chosen the 30 minutes of aerobic exercise exhibited less feelings of sadness after watching the scene compared to those who had chosen to stretch. In summary, these results demonstrate the positive impact of acute aerobic exercise on individuals experiencing emotion regulation difficulties.

It’s important for patients to understand the far-reaching implications on the body of zero physical exercise. Chiropractic physicians can help you optimize your physical performance and reach your personal goals by providing individualized treatment. Make an appointment with us at http://www.carolinaactivehealth.com/contact-us/ to get on the fast track to physical wellness.