Your brain is like a muscle: 6 ways exercise helps

The brain is like a muscle. In fact, it's made up of billions of cells that are called neurons.

These neurons fire in different sequences to create thoughts, emotions and memories. When you exercise your body, you're not just building muscles—you're also building your brain! This is why exercise helps improve memory and learning ability in children as well as adults.

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Exercise creates new brain cells

Promotes new brain cells (Image via Unsplash/Mor Shani)

The brain is like a muscle: it needs to be worked out in order to grow. And what's more, exercise increases the number of new brain cells and makes you smarter.

The hippocampus is an area of the brain that stores information about what you've learned or experienced. A larger hippocampus means better memory recall, which can lead to higher IQ scores (and make it easier for us old folks to remember things).

Exercise also increases levels of BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor), which repairs damaged neurons by helping them survive longer than usual after injury or disease; this promotes faster recovery from head injuries or strokes.

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Exercise supports the health of your brain's blood vessels

Keeps the blood flow moving (Image via Unsplash/Fausto Sandoval)

Exercise supports the health of the brain's blood vessels.

• Reducing stroke risk: A study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that people who exercised had a lower risk of stroke than those who didn't. The researchers suggested that exercise may help reduce blood pressure and improve cholesterol level, which can both contribute to stroke risk.
• Improving blood flow to the brain: A separate study published in JAMA neurology found that aerobic exercise boosted brain volume in areas associated with memory and thinking skills among older adults over three years.
• Cognitive abilities: Researchers also noted improvements in their ability to perform daily tasks like cooking and driving after six months on an exercise regimen compared with those who didn't work out.

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Exercise can help combat anxiety and depression

Reduces stress and depression (Image via Unsplash/lyfe fuel )

Exercise can help reduce anxiety and depression. Regular exercise has been shown to improve mood, reduce stress and increase self-esteem. It can also help you sleep better at night by lowering the body's production of cortisol (the hormone that causes us to feel stressed).

If you're feeling anxious or depressed, it's important that you don't let those feelings drag down your workout routine instead, use them as motivation.

Instead of focusing on how much more stressful today will be than yesterday (or tomorrow), think about how good it will feel when those endorphins kick in after a hard workout session.

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Exercise helps prevent Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia

Prevents dementia and alzhiemer's (Image via Unsplash/Jahir Martinez)

The brain is one of the most important organs in the body, and keeping it healthy is crucial to your quality of life.

Exercise helps prevent Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Exercise helps prevent cognitive decline as you age, which can lead to memory loss and confusion.

It may also help prevent depression, anxiety and stress. All things that can cause damage to your brain over time if left unchecked.

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Exercise can improve memory, learning and concentration

Keeps your happy (Image via Unsplash/Patrick Malleret)

When you exercise, the heart pumps blood to the brain more efficiently which improves its ability to process information. Exercise also helps improve concentration and focus, which can lead to better results in school or at work.

Exercise has been shown to improve mood, reduce stress levels, prevent depression and anxiety disorders by increasing serotonin production (the "happy" hormone).

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Exercise reduces the risk of cognitive decline in older adults

Maintains cognitive health (Image via Unsplash/Annie Spratt)

It's no secret that exercise is good for you, but did you know that it can also help protect against cognitive decline?

According to a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, regular physical activity can decrease your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and dementia by as much as 50%.

Exercise helps keep your brain active and healthy, which may reduce the chance of developing these conditions later in life.

The authors found that people who are physically fit have better memories than those who are less so; even after adjusting for age differences between groups, they still showed greater cognitive function overall.

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So what are you waiting for? Get out there and exercise. We're not saying that you need to run a marathon or lift weights every day, but even just walking around the block can make a difference.

The point is that the brain needs stimulation just like any other part of your body does, so don't let it get bored or stagnant.