A brisk walk may increase brain volume, but excessive activity can be detrimental to your health. To ensure the appropriate amount of exercise without overdoing it, it is vital to follow general recommendations.
According to new research, getting some exercise may help your brain grow
The study, published last month in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, looked at brain scans of over 10,000 people and discovered that even a small amount of activity, as low as a few thousand steps per day, could be connected with increased brain volume.
Brain volume is linked to brain health, with lower mass indicating a deterioration in cognition and potentially paving the way for dementia. Researchers indicate that maintaining or even increasing brain mass may have "potential neuroprotective effects."
“We noticed that even moderate amounts of physical exercise, such as walking less than 4,000 steps per day, can improve brain function," said Dr. David Merrill, study co-author and head of the Pacific Neuroscience Institute's Brain Health Centre, in a statement. "That's considerably less than the often-touted 10,000 steps, making it a more achievable goal for many."
The 10,125 individuals, with an average age of 52, had whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to evaluate their brain capacity in relation to their exercise levels.
Whether they were walking, running, or playing sports, people who engaged in moderate to vigorous activity - exercise that gets your heart and lungs pumping for at least 10 minutes - had more grey matter in key regions such as the hippocampus (memory headquarters), grey matter (information processing central), and the occipital, frontal, and parietal lobes.
Dr. Sri Karan Uddesh Tanugula, consultant general physician at Yashoda Hospitals Hyderabad, noted that physical activity boosts blood flow to the brain, bringing more oxygen and nutrients, which improves cognitive function.
"Physical activity also helps to increases the production of chemicals such as neurotransmitters and their growth factors, which promote also the formation of new neurons and improve overall brain connectivity
Exercise has also been linked to lower inflammation and enhanced mood, which contributes to a healthier brain," he told indianexpress.com in an interview.
Dr Dilip Gude, senior consultant physician at Yashoda Hospitals Hyderabad, says that 45 minutes of moderate exercise per day might improve problem-solving skills, judgment, cognition, and memory. He also mentioned that exercise has been shown to help emotional balance by alleviating despair, anxiety, and other symptoms.
Dr. Gude did, however, warn that extreme exercise has been shown to have a deleterious impact on brain function, particularly memory.
To ensure that you get enough exercise without overdoing it, follow these general suggestions. Here are few that Dr. Tanugula suggested:
- Perform at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise every week, with muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days.
- Trust your body, gradually increase intensity, and add variation to your regimen.
- Prioritize adequate cool-down measures after exercise, such as stretching, to avoid injury.
- Proper water, nutrition, and rest are essential for recovery and overall health.
Thank you for your time and consideration.