Surely, you must know by heart the importance of exercising to enjoy excellent health. What you may not know is that regular physical activity also benefits your brain.
Various scientific investigations have shown that exercise can also make you smarter. As you read it. Running, cycling, swimming and even walking raise your level of understanding.
Exercise makes you smarter
According to neuroscientist Justin Rhodes , a professor at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Learning at the University of Illinois in the United States, exercise benefits the brain in two ways:
- Short term . Aerobic exercise stimulates the production of adrenaline in the blood. This hormone awakens the brain making your nerve cells more prone to light, so you can pay better attention and learn faster. This is because regular physical activity raises the levels of the molecule FNDC5 and irisin in the brain. These substances activate the genes involved in cognition; however, this cognitive drive wears out as soon as your adrenaline returns to normal levels.
- Long term . Aerobic exercise helps keep your brain intact and functioning optimally. This is because when you exercise, your hippocampus is active. This repeated activation favors the growth of cells in that area of the brain, as well as the growth of the entire structure. It is worth mentioning that the hippocampus is the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory.
If the above does not seem enough reason to leave the chair and go for a run, you should know that exercise increases blood flow and thereby improves brain function, enhancing concentration and serenity.
Although 30 minutes of exercise a day are enough to keep your body in optimal condition, the researchers recommend raising the routine to 40 minutes to benefit brain activity.
Ready to go jogging?
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