How to Improve Brain Health with Physical Activity
Walk daily., Consider going for a jog., Do other cardio exercises regularly., Include 2 days of muscle strengthening exercises., Avoid long spurts of no activity.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Walk daily.
Many of the studies done on physical activity and brain health were done on people who were walking as their only form of activity.Other activities do promote brain health, but much of the research has been done on walking.
To promote brain health, aim for 120-150 minutes of brisk walking during the week.You should also aim to be walking for at least 30 minutes a session.
Brisk walking means that you should be walking at a moderate intensity
- not going for a leisurely walk.
Make sure your your heart rate is slightly elevated and you should feel just a touch out of breath.
Health professionals recommend starting with only 10 minutes at a time if you have difficulty walking or performing any physical activity. -
Step 2: Consider going for a jog.
Like walking, some studies have shown that jogging or running can produce the same brain benefits as walking.
In addition, the benefits were seen sooner compared to the walking group.Jogging and running are higher intensity exercises.
Studies showed that this resulted increased connectivity in the temporal lobe much quicker and participants noticed much faster reaction times and vocabulary learning.Like walking, it's suggested to go for a jog for at least 30 minutes at a time and aim for a total of about 150 minutes per week.Start with 10 minutes of jogging mixed with walking to help you work up to a full 30 minutes of jogging most days. , Both walking and running can be difficult on the joints
- especially feet, hip and knee joints.
So if these are not activities that are comfortable for you to do, try other cardio exercises to help improve brain health:
Swimming Stair climbing Dancing Playing sports Using the elliptical Doing water aerobics Cycling , Like cardiovascular types of exercise, there are also some benefits associated with strength training or resistance exercises.It's recommended to do strength training exercises about 1-2 days a week.
Make sure to work every major muscle group.Strength training activities can include: lifting free weights, using weight machines, doing yoga or pilates.
Always include both cardiovascular and strength exercises.
Some studies show that only doing strength training doesn't offer very many benefits when it comes to brain health., It's important to start including regular physical activity now instead of waiting longer to start being active.
In addition, you don't want to stop your activity for a long duration of time.Studies have repeatedly shown that as we age, its normal for some regions of the brain to get smaller and shrink.The hippocampus can shrink by 2% in those people without dementia
- something that can lead to cognitive decline.Try to stay as active as you can
- regardless of your age.
Even in times of injury, extreme stress or other times when exercise is not a priority, try to do the best you can.
Although it's important to start being active as soon as possible, it's never too old to get active.
You can see benefits of improved brain health at any age. -
Step 3: Do other cardio exercises regularly.
-
Step 4: Include 2 days of muscle strengthening exercises.
-
Step 5: Avoid long spurts of no activity.
Detailed Guide
Many of the studies done on physical activity and brain health were done on people who were walking as their only form of activity.Other activities do promote brain health, but much of the research has been done on walking.
To promote brain health, aim for 120-150 minutes of brisk walking during the week.You should also aim to be walking for at least 30 minutes a session.
Brisk walking means that you should be walking at a moderate intensity
- not going for a leisurely walk.
Make sure your your heart rate is slightly elevated and you should feel just a touch out of breath.
Health professionals recommend starting with only 10 minutes at a time if you have difficulty walking or performing any physical activity.
Like walking, some studies have shown that jogging or running can produce the same brain benefits as walking.
In addition, the benefits were seen sooner compared to the walking group.Jogging and running are higher intensity exercises.
Studies showed that this resulted increased connectivity in the temporal lobe much quicker and participants noticed much faster reaction times and vocabulary learning.Like walking, it's suggested to go for a jog for at least 30 minutes at a time and aim for a total of about 150 minutes per week.Start with 10 minutes of jogging mixed with walking to help you work up to a full 30 minutes of jogging most days. , Both walking and running can be difficult on the joints
- especially feet, hip and knee joints.
So if these are not activities that are comfortable for you to do, try other cardio exercises to help improve brain health:
Swimming Stair climbing Dancing Playing sports Using the elliptical Doing water aerobics Cycling , Like cardiovascular types of exercise, there are also some benefits associated with strength training or resistance exercises.It's recommended to do strength training exercises about 1-2 days a week.
Make sure to work every major muscle group.Strength training activities can include: lifting free weights, using weight machines, doing yoga or pilates.
Always include both cardiovascular and strength exercises.
Some studies show that only doing strength training doesn't offer very many benefits when it comes to brain health., It's important to start including regular physical activity now instead of waiting longer to start being active.
In addition, you don't want to stop your activity for a long duration of time.Studies have repeatedly shown that as we age, its normal for some regions of the brain to get smaller and shrink.The hippocampus can shrink by 2% in those people without dementia
- something that can lead to cognitive decline.Try to stay as active as you can
- regardless of your age.
Even in times of injury, extreme stress or other times when exercise is not a priority, try to do the best you can.
Although it's important to start being active as soon as possible, it's never too old to get active.
You can see benefits of improved brain health at any age.
About the Author
Catherine Rivera
Committed to making pet care accessible and understandable for everyone.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: