April 10, 2013
Most of us commit to becoming more active for vanity’s sake. We want to stand taller, look slimmer, and feel brighter. Some of us hope to ward off the side effects that are all too typical of our western industrialized lifestyles. Regular aerobic exercise has been proven to lessen the presence of triglycerides and glucose in the bloodstream while strengthening the heart and lungs. Strength training improves bone mass, connective tissue integrity, and muscle mass. Flexibility, agility, and core strength enable us to move with more freedom and less joint pain. But how does regular physical activity affect our brains? The benefits of improving and maintaining a healthy fitness level have been proven to go above the jawline. Exercise has been shown to increase neurogenesis, improve synaptic plasticity, and assist in synaptic strength in the hippocampus region of the brain. This post will describe in simple terms the meaning of these attributes and how an active lifestyle improves on them.
Neurogenesis is the production of neurons, which are the cells that process and transmit information via a series of chemical and electrical impulses to create our central nervous system. Neurogenesis is at it’s most active in utero as our brains are rapidly developing. Throughout life, the generation of “newborn” cells is essential for learning, memory and mood regulation. As with most functions of the body, neurogenesis slows with age. Dementia, and Alzheimer’s, or what was once known as “senility” are sometimes considered to be the extreme example of a slowed or halted ability of the brain to create new cells. However, studies used with aging lab mice have shown that periods of exercise increase the presence of these newborn cells in the hippocampus. Further research suggests that exercise, specifically voluntary aerobic exercise stimulates the growth of new cells in adult humans. Of course, age related diseases such as those mentioned above have many more components to them, known and unknown. Exercise is not a cure for Alzheimer’s, but among healthy older adults, it’s a great way to keep the mind functioning optimally.
Synaptic plasticity is the term used to describe how neurons communicate with one another to collect, organize, and store information in the central nervous system. Synaptic strength is the integrity of the cells. The aging brain tends to have slower currents for the neurons to work with, essentially weakening the cells and leading to degeneration of brain tissue. Once again, voluntary physical aerobic activity has been shown to increase synaptic plasticity and assist in maintaining the strength of the cells.
Adversely, a sedentary lifestyle has been linked with a lack of neurogenesis and compromised synaptic plasticity and strength. Anyone caring for an older adult whose mental facilities have declined can probably create a graph of decreasing cognition with decreasing mobility and activity.
So it would seem that what’s good for the body, is also good for the mind. Specifically, what’s good for our heart and waistline is also good for our hippocampus. As our longevity increases, it’s essential that we know how to keep our cognitive skills and memories sharp as we progress through our years. Fitness of the body might just be one of the keys to maintaining and/ or improving memory and the ability to learn new tasks. It’s also comforting to realize that it’s never too late to begin an exercise prescription. It’s never too late to enjoy the benefits of exercise throughout the body and within the mind.
