Does Exercise Help the Brain Essay examples - 1735 Words

Lets all go for a run: does exercise really help the brain? Should I go run a marathon, join a yoga class, or head off to the gym? Is it really worth the time and effort? Afterall, sitting down and watching television can seem just as appealing. Why even bother working out? The reasons to work out may be greater than you think. Physical activity can make you feel good, keep you in shape, keep you healthy, but now researchers also are finding biological evidence that exercise benefits specific brain mechanisms. Just as exercise improves muscle tone and function, it may also have similar effects on the brain. Some people have thought that exercise positively affects the brain as well as the body. Preliminary evidence suggests that†¦show more content†¦Studies with animals found that exercise increases brain concentrations of norepinephrine in brain regions involved in the bodys stress response (2). In a recent study, researchers found that adult mice doubled their number of new brain cells in the hippocampus when they had access to running wheels (1). The fact that the adult brain can increase its number of brain cells is amazing. It was once thought that the brain stopped producing new brain cells early in its development and that brainpower dimmed as cells died over the years. But in the past decade, researchers have found evidence that the brain continues to generate new brain cells throughout life, even in humans. Studies indicated that challenging environments, which included a number of components, such as pumped-up learning opportunities, social interactions and physical a ctivities, were key to boosting the growth (1). In another study, scientists found that voluntary physical activity alone was enough to trigger a boost in brain cell proliferation in rats. However, this proliferation was seen in relation to the running wheel. Swimming produced no change in mice and rats. This could be because they had access to a pool for only a brief amount of time per day. The runners had round-the-clock wheel access. Its also possible that the rodents dont enjoy swimming and it causes a stress to their systems that counters any benefit. Researchers believe that rodents enjoyed theShow MoreRelatedExercise On The Brain : How Does Physical Activity Helps Our Brain And Mind? Essay908 Words   |  4 PagesExercise on the Brain was printed in the New York Times, December 29, 2015. This article is based on a few researches that shows that physical activity helps our brain and mind to be healthier. It also states that people who are physically active tend to live longer and age slower. According to three of the studies’ results shown in this article the best our physical condition is and the more we exercise the better our brain works. One of the studies showed that old men’s brains that have a goodRead MoreWe Need Exercise Too Keep The Body System Healthy Essay1404 Words   |  6 PagesMost of the time when exercise is being performed it is perceived that it’s because we need to get healthy, or stay healthy. When the word healthy comes to mind the first instinct is to think of the health of the body, to lose weight, tone the muscles, increase strength. Today there is a big focus on exercise for its many benefits that have been found in recent years. Focuses are on weight, diet, and reducing the risk of disease in the future. This is true, we need exercise too keep the body systemsRead MoreThe Effects Of Physical Exercise On Brain Health1572 Words   |  7 PagesThe Effects of Mental Exercise and Physical Exercise on Brain Health Physical exercise does not only promote physical appearance and the body’s health, it also promotes brain health. The brain is a dynamic organ that replaces and repairs neurons throughout life. 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I have personal experience with this topic so I have an interest in reading and writing about this topic. This discussion deals with the relationship between exercising and depression. Many people believe that exercising helps with depression and boosts your mood, happiness and overall enjoyment of life. This is important because over 350 million people around the globe suffer from depression, 18 million of those people being in theRead MoreExercise : Exercise And Exercise Essay1434 Words   |  6 PagesWe are all aware that exercise helps you physically. A big portion of us are ignorant to the fact that exercise can help you mentally as well. I say ignorant because well all know that exercise is physically helpful, but are unaware that it also helps us in our everyday thinking. Exercise helps us release stress, which helps us be cal m and make wiser decisions without overthinking any situation. Many of us, or if not all of us, have experienced or are experiencing stress of some sort. Instead ofRead MorePhysical Exercise and Cognitive Functioning in Children1691 Words   |  7 PagesThe purpose of this study is to look at if physical exercise will help the healthy cognitive development in children and adolescence and this paper will illustrate that the same facts are true for children and adolescence, and will stress the importance of exercise for children optimal brain development and growth. The current studies show that physical activity has a positive effect on attention, neuroplasticity and intellectual development in children and adolescence. The studies also seem toRead MoreExercise At The University Of Hawaii Gym1426 Words   |  6 Pagesstructure at around 3:30 to 4:00 pm in the afternoon. As the seconds go by I see the UH student’s expression, movement, mood, and intensity as they exercise. R anging from the basketball court where students are running up and down the court, talking, jumping, shooting, and making eye contact to their teammates. As the students perform resistance exercises (weight lifting), I see various individuals taking deep rhythmic breathes with their chin up, making sure their is back always straight as sweat formsRead MoreBenefits of Making Exercise a Habit in Your Life708 Words   |  3 PagesIntroduction Adding exercises into one’s daily routines can empower them and change their whole lifestyle. Many people look at exercise as a way for people who want to lose weight or to become muscular, but there are a great deal of benefits that can be received from exercise that you cant see up front, exercise helps to become more organized, help to live a better and longer life, and increases self esteem and empowers you to take on new challenges. Gaining muscle and losing fat are theRead MoreExercising The Exercise Of Exercise927 Words   |  4 Pagesthink that you could do. When exercising you are working your brain in ways that it is not normal worked. Many people do not understand the importance of exercising and do not get the recommended amount of exercise. According to Centers of Disease Control (CDC), â€Å"80 percent of American adults don’t get the recommended exercise.† 323,607,375 million people live in the United States and only 80 percent exercise. As a result in regular exercise, one’s mind, attitude, and how one lives their day to day