The Magic Bullet to Reverse Brain Decay

We all know that the brain can control behavior but maybe behavior could control — and change the structure of our brains. Movement matters for your gray matter.

Well folks, researchers have found convincing evidence that the human brain is most capable of renewing itself or neurogenesis. The term neurogenesis is made up of the words “neuro” meaning “relating to nerves” and “genesis” meaning the formation of something. The term refers to the growth and development of neurons.

Scientist used to believe the human brain did not change at all over a person lifespan, except for the inevitable brain shrinkage with age. Beginning in the early 1990s that line of thinking changed. Research confirmed that the brain can renew neurons and neuron connections that keep the brain from shrinking. Exercise speeds up this neurogenesis process. I hope you are jumping up and down (literally) right now.

That is the greatest news you might hear today. Your behavior can affect brain health. Mental sharpness is a concern for everyone but especially the aging population. Among adults over the age of 50, in the U.S., “staying mentally sharp” tops Social Security and physical health as the main priority and concern, said Sandra Bond Chapman, Ph.D., founder and chief director of the Center for Brain Health at The University of Texas at Dallas.

Brain atrophy or shrinkage usually begins when a person is in their 40s which drastically affects memory and higher cognitive thinking. The brain is an organ, like all muscles, is tissue that declines with underuse and age. Exercise slows or reverses the brain’s physical decay provides a short-term oxygen boost and maintain an efficient blood supply to the brain. Exercise also pumps up existing brain cells, improves mood, aids in multitasking, blunts age-related memory loss, sharpens decision-making and improve analysis skills, according to research led by scientist Arthur F. Kramer, professor of psychology and researcher at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Learning.

I feel like I could end this article right now, and that would be enough, but there is more. You can do many things, like crossword puzzles, to improve your cognitive health but that pales in comparison to what movement can do for you. There is no medicine or any other intervention that appears to be nearly as effective as exercise in maintaining or even bumping up a person genitive capabilities, according to Charles Hillman, Ph.D., professor and director of the Neurocognitive Kinesiology Laboratory at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Back to my first sentence, can your behavior change your brain? Absolutely, it can but it does not mean you have to live in a gym. The great news is that working out 3-4 days per week for 30 minutes to an hour seems to be enough to make changes in your brain. Choose an aerobic exercise you enjoy like walking, hiking, biking, dancing, group fitness class or even better a combination of several activities.

Remember movement matters for your gray matter!

Definitely, see you in the gym!