The science bit
The brain changing effects of exercise
We all know that exercise is good for us. But when we understand the benefits exercise has on the brain as well as our physical health, it gives us even more reason to get active.
Neuroscientist, Dr. Wendy Suzuki, has studied the brain changing effects of exercise. This really complements the Club Synergy ethos - the synergy effect you and your business can get when you exercise regularly, combining the physical, mental and social benefits of exercise whilst growing in your role or business.
Below, we look at the facts Dr. Wendy Suzuki has shared on the remarkable benefits of exercise. It’s quite a long read, but well worth it!
Better mood, better energy, better memory, better attention...
Exercise has immediate, positive benefits for your brain which include your mood and your focus. In her studies, Dr. Suzuki discovered the brain changing effect of exercise, realising that after every sweat-inducing workout, she had a great mood and energy boost. This kept her committed to exercising.
Having maintained a healthy exercise routine for a year and a half, she had better focus, an increased attention span and better long-term memory too.
3 Reasons why exercise is the most transformative thing that you can do for your brain today
Exercise has immediate effects on your brain. Even after one workout, you immediately increase levels of neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline. That is going to increase your mood right after your workout.
A single workout can also improve your ability to shift and focus attention, lasting for at least two hours. This can have a huge impact on your productivity.
Each single workout will improve your reaction times, making you more alert.
These short-term powerful benefits help you right after your workout and can be a real catalyst to your day-to-day performance, improving your input at work.
Of course, there are the important long-term benefits exercise brings too.
Exercise changes the brain's anatomy, physiology and function
The hippocampus, associated with the formation and retention of long-term memories for facts and events, produces new brain cells, that actually increase its volume, as well as improving your long-term memory.
When looking at the effects of long-term exercise, the most common finding in neuroscience studies, is improved attention function dependent on your prefrontal cortex. You not only get better focus and attention, but the volume of the hippocampus increases as well.
And finally, you not only get immediate effects of mood with exercise but those last for a long time.
Benefits that can last for the rest of your life
The most transformative thing that exercise will do is its protective effects on your brain.
When you think about the brain like a muscle, the more of a workout it gets, the bigger and stronger your hippocampus and prefrontal cortex get. The prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus are the two areas that are most susceptible to neurodegenerative diseases and normal cognitive decline in aging.
Dr. Suzuki has advised that 30 minutes of aerobic exercise increasing the heart rate, at least 3 times a week can have long lasting health results which can last for the rest of your life. This includes helping to protect the brain from conditions like depression, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia and delaying these effects.
So building that healthy exercise habit into your week will help give you a more productive life now, and also a more protected brain in the future, helping you live a happier, healthier life.