Fitness and exercise over 40

Benefits to your Brain

Remember the old saying: if you don’t use it you lose it. Learned information such as a foreign language is an example. The less you practice the language the more you tend to forget. With exercising the body, you are also exercising your brain. There are many benefits for a person’s mind that are a result of physical exercise.
The increase in oxygen and blood flow throughout our bodies during exercise has been related to trigger growth stimulating hormones in the brain. New cells created in the brain can aid in learning new skills and memory functions. Memory improving with exercise over 40? This would actually apply at any age but the memory capabilities seem to be more of a challenge as we get older. What is happening is with some intense exercise, the new cells being created make connections in the brain and skills like learning, planning and memory seem to improve.

Another element of brain function that is affected by exercise is our ability to cope with stress, therefore taxing our noggins less. Proven over and over again that regular exercise aids in our ability to deal with stress, medical studies show that stress creates a hormone that reduces our hippocampus and reducing our ability to learn and remember. How do you undo this? You don’t remember? C’mon I just told you, it’s EXERCISE.

Healthy eating and a 30 minute a day (ideal) exercise regimen like a bike ride, power walk, or cardio equipment can have you sharp as a tack. You will not only feel better but your mind will be triggering like spark plugs and your outlook will be bright and sunny. Exercise is simple and a very powerful thing you can do for your mind.