After working out, you may find yourself in a better mood and able to think more clearly. If so, that\u2019s not a coincidence \u2014 these are some of the benefits of exercise to your brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Panteleimon Ekkekakis<\/a>, a professor of kinesiology at Iowa State University, says exercise influences all major parts and functions of the brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the university\u2019s Exercise Psychology Laboratory, Ekkekakis conducts research specifically related to the effects of exercise on emotion (mood, feeling, attitude) and cognition (learning, understanding, memory). Here are some of the lab\u2019s findings \u2014 and what they mean for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Emotional benefits of exercise<\/p>\n\n\n\n Exercise can help fight depression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Working out can benefit your mental health. Serotonin, a chemical that transmits messages between nerve cells, is also known as \u201cthe happy chemical.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe current theory is that depression reflects deficits in serotonin,\u201d Ekkekakis says. \u201cAs it turns out, exercise naturally increases the amount of serotonin in the brain, essentially mimicking the effects of drugs used to treat the deficiency.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, he says, some health professionals now recommend exercise to individuals with sub clinical, mild or moderate levels of depression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Exercise produces \u201cfeel-better\u201d substances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most people have heard of endorphins: hormones released in the brain in response to pain and stress. \u201cEndorphins create the sense of euphoria that follows exercise that felt hard, or even exhausting,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The brain also produces lesser-known substances called endocannabinoids, which are neurotransmitters that play a role in brain function. \u201cThese also increase with exercise, but the exercise does not need to be as demanding,\u201d Ekkekakis says. He adds that early-stage research shows that even moderate exercise, such as a walk or a jog, can trigger the \u201cfeel-better\u201d effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why exercise is one of the things you can do to manage stress<\/a> better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cognitive benefits of exercise<\/p>\n\n\n\n Exercise stimulates the creation of brain cells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This benefit applies especially to seniors. According to the Alzheimer\u2019s Association<\/a>, \u201cRegular physical activity and management of cardiovascular risk factors (diabetes, obesity, smoking and hypertension) reduce the risk of cognitive decline and may reduce the risk of dementia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n New brain cells are created mostly in the hippocampus, an area vital for cognitive function (specifically memory) that is attacked by dementia and Alzheimer\u2019s disease, Ekkekakis says. That new neuron creation is regulated by proteins \u2014 one of which, BDNF<\/a>, is stimulated most strongly by exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cExercise is the only treatment that has been found to have significant positive effects in people with mild cognitive impairment and early-stage dementia without any negative side effects,\u201d Ekkekakis says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So keep working out. It can make you stronger in ways you can\u2019t even see. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n More expert advice on mindfulness and other wellness topics:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Quiz: What\u2019s Your Meditation Style?<\/b><\/a> <p>After working out, you may find yourself in a better mood and able to think more clearly. If so, that\u2019s not a coincidence \u2014 these are some of the benefits of exercise to your brain. Dr. Panteleimon Ekkekakis, a professor of kinesiology at Iowa State University, says exercise influences all major parts and functions of […]<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":6351,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_post_subtitle":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[194,79,88,83,92,93],"class_list":["post-3253","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-brain-health","tag-exercise","tag-healthy-habits","tag-mindfulness","tag-overall-health","tag-stress-relief"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3253","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3253"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3253\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9637,"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3253\/revisions\/9637"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6351"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nHow to Get \u201cin the Zone\u201d<\/b><\/a>
\nGood Mood Food<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"