A number of things happened this past week that lead me to this discussion today about exercise and the brain.
I have been in New Zealand visiting my family. My mother had saved a collection of resources about brain injury and dementia for me. One was a booklet entitled “Exercise and the Brain. The New Science of Brain Health”, published by the Neurological Foundation of New Zealand.
Walking and Thinking
I had flicked through the booklet, just before I went on a long, strenuous and very beautiful walk, through the amazing bush, of the Coromandel Peninsula – which is where this photo was taken.
I was thinking about the booklet as I walked. Sometimes, when we are learning about the brain, and how to best care for the brain, we focus on caring for another person’s brain. We need to remember to look after our own brains as well. Based on research becoming available there are a number of things we can do to improve our brains performance, including regular physical exercise.
I did say it was a long walk, so I had time to allow many thoughts to flow through my mind. I got to thinking that those messages we have heard for many years saying; you can’t grow brain cells.Once dead, brain cells don’t regrow. This can have a negative impact on our approach to recovery and prevention. These messages can make one feel there is no point in trying to regain function, or to improve our brain’s performance, yet there are things we can do.
As I walked, and thought some more, I realised as I learn more about prevention, neuroplasticity, and brain cell regrowth I have changed my thinking about brain improvement . This has not been a purely academic thought. My father has dementia, and my grandmother before that. I have long held concerns that this might be my future too, one over which I have no control. Now I realise that having worked with other people on recovery, and on minimising deterioration, there are things we can do to increase our brain’s health, recovery and function.
The heartening message in the booklet I mentioned above, “Exercise and the Brain. The New Science of Brain Health” , is that the brain benefits, and can improve with physical exercise. Many studies across the world have been quoted in the booklet to support the recommendations. This has made me appreciate my walk all the more: it was beautiful,physically testing and it was doing my brain good!
Exercise and the Brain. What Can be Achieved:
So let me see if I can summarise some of the key points I got from the booklet:
[unordered_list style=”green-dot”]
- Vigorous exercise 30 to 45 minutes each day (that is any kind of exercise, or physical tasks that gets your heart rate up) will help maintain your executive function.
- Physical exercise has been shown to have more benefits than cognitive training and exercise (such as doing crosswords).
- Thirty minutes of exercise each day can have benefits in cognitive function. This was shown to be the case in older people, but also in a study of students aged 18 to 30 years. This can be in one block or shorter periods throughout the day.
- A study of older people who began a walking program showed growth in a number of areas of their brain. Their brains were “bigger, faster and younger” than those who did not walk.
- Studies have shown that people, who run regularly over years, have lower risk of neurological disorders.
- A study of younger people done in Sweden showed that better fitness seemed to match higher IQ scores.
- Exercise appears to increase the production of Serotonin. Serotonin appears to be associated with depression, when levels are low.
- A study involving rats showed that exercising together had more impact that being alone.
[/unordered_list]
What You Can Do:
So as the sun sets on a beautiful day, what did I learn on my long bush walk, and what’s in it for you?
The simple message – you can do things to improve your brain, and to help others improve theirs. You might not be able to prevent or cure brain injury, but there are ways you can improve brain function.
[unordered_list style=”tick”]
- There is a link between regular exercise and brain function.
- Walking is great for the brain.
- 30 minutes of exercise a day is a good target to aim for.[/unordered_list]
And Finally:
This links with the earlier discussion on Train It to Regain It giving strategies for improving, which included the positive impact of exercise on brain function.
All this thinking reminded me of a paper I read many years ago that described 7 factors that can lead to better outcomes after traumatic brain injury. I remember that being physically fit was one, having meaning/ belief was another and connection (family and friends support) a third – I do not remember the other four. Any ideas of what the others might be?