Fun Facts About Exercise and Brain Power

Fun Facts About Exercise and Brain Power

Brain Fertilizer: Working out triggers the release of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), a chemical that acts like food to grow new brain cells.
Reversing Brain Aging: Aerobic exercise can grow your memory center (the hippocampus) by up to 2% each year, which can turn back the clock on brain aging.
Natural Painkillers: Your body creates its own natural opioids and endocannabinoids during physical activity to reduce pain and bring pleasure.
Exercise is a powerful depression fighter: Most importantly, it promotes all kinds of changes in the brain, including neural growth, reduced inflammation, and new activity patterns that promote feelings of calm and well-being. It also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals in your brain that energize your spirits and make you feel good. Finally, exercise can also serve as a distraction, allowing you to find some quiet time to break out of the cycle of negative thoughts that feed depression.

Fun Facts About Mood and Stress

The Magic Dose: People who work out three to five times a week see a 40% drop in poor mental health days.
Too Much of a Good Thing: Working out past the three-hour mark can actually cause worse mental health than doing no exercise at all.
Better Than Walking: Low-impact mindfulness movements like yoga and Tai Chi give your brain a bigger mental health boost than a standard walk.

More Fun Facts

Regular exercise extends life expectancy, quality of life, and independence.
Eating fiber-rich foods helps keep you at a healthy weight and lowers the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Regular exercise reduces the chances of developing type 2 diabetes, along with a range of other chronic illnesses often associated with aging.
Spinach is high in iron, which helps maintain energy levels and healthy blood cells.
Two superfoods are almonds (high in protein and healthy fats) and blueberries (lots of antioxidants and linked to memory).
Talk to us about High-Intensity Interval Training. It burns calories even after the workout is over and is safe for people over 50.
Exercise is good for your skin because it increases blood flow and improves detoxification.
Strength training strengthens bones and lowers the risk of falling.
Omega-3 fatty acids boost brain health and mood.
Physical fitness makes you feel better mentally, lowering depression and anxiety.
Sunlight produces Vitamin D in our bodies, helping to absorb calcium and promote bone growth. So, get outside every day.
Eating protein after working out helps build muscle and aids in recovery. Many adults over 50 don’t eat enough protein. Make sure you do!
Your body has more than 230 joints.
How much do you walk? The average person will walk 70,000 miles in a lifetime.
Dehydration is bad for your brain and mood, in addition to your body.
Fitness helps you sleep better.
It’s good for your sex life, too.
Quinoa is a complete protein so it has all nine essential amino acids that our bodies can’t produce on their own.
Muscle burns more calories than fat, even when you’re not doing anything.
Your brain benefits from physical exercise in many ways, including growth in the hippocampus, which is involved in verbal memory and learning.
Some experts say sitting too much is as dangerous as smoking. Get up and move!
Lifting weights can allow you to burn calories even when you’re not exercising.
You have more than 650 muscles.
It turns out laughter really IS good medicine.
The heart is your strongest muscle, your gluteus maximus the biggest. That’s your butt, and it’s meant for moving, not just sitting!

By: Kevin Cantu